Grand Banks 42 Cruising -Great Loop- East Coast

DJI Mini 3 photoshoot of a 1984 Grand Banks 42 Classic Near the Onslow Beach Bridge

On the ocean blue, Dew Drop ventures outside of the ICW for the first time this fall of '22. The sun has finally broken past a morning of thick fog and two previous days of grey skies. Cruising the ocean, we eventually catch up to a handful of sailboats heading for Masonboro Inlet. Making it back into the safety of the ICW just after 6pm (sunset this day is 6:24pm) , the crew has the final hour of twilight to check Dockside Bar for dockage and eventually end up on the hook South of Banks Channel Bridge.

Bear witness to Dew Drop's first encounter with the New River Inlet, at low tide...

With a heavy layer of fog beginning to lift and the tide finally becoming slack, Dew Drop sets off toward the New River Inlet. With the Atlantic Ocean just a hundred or two yards on the far side of the dunes, the crew can smell the salt in the air. With a fuel stop and pump out on the agenda, it will be after noon when the crew starts their blue water journey down to the Masonboro Inlet. A keen eye will notice small tanks and various targets pop-up towards the end of the video. These are targets for Camp Lejeune's firing range.

Join the crew on the fly bridge and gaze out over the sound! Cruising towards Swansboro, Emerald Isle is to the left and Bogue to the right.

Welcome aboard for the tail-end of a half day trip from Goose Creek to Morehead City. Having travelled approximately 205 Nm from Norfolk, the crew takes their first overnight slip at the Morehead City Yacht Basin. The Yacht Basin is a friendly marina with a van for guests, laundry, bathroom facilities, pumpout, fuel, as well as great protection from the weather. Dew Drop has stopped here multiple times going North and South, always a pleasant experience and friendly people ready to catch a line!

Witness the sights and sounds off the bowsprit as Dew Drop makes her final maneuvers before entering Morehead City! Motoring South through Adams Creek, once on the Newport River, five short miles stand between the crew and the freedom of being tied up to a dock. Keep your eyes peeled for passing vessels!

Big day today! Dew Drop and crew are landing at the Morehead City Yacht Basin this afternoon. With grey clouds looming over, the crew lifts anchor and starts down the cut to the Bay River. Anticipating a sunny afternoon of leisure, the morning rolls on as the group eagerly marches to their evening tie up.

Climb aboard for a brief overtake by two kind sport fishing boats and one less then liked French Canadian (Blue Hull), who we have run into for the third time. Each time we catch sight of them, these Canadians continue to fly the American flag upside down and less than prominently on the aft deck. A GREAT SIGN OF DISRESPECT, AND THE CREW WAS HAVING NONE OF IT. If one reads up in Chapman's (The Seaman's Bible), you should always fly the flag of your home port, and while in a foreign country, fly their flag as well, properly and prominently. On this particular vessel, the US flag should be flown on the Starboard side radio antenna. This wanna-be yachtsman has the Canadian flag showing properly on his Port antenna but continues to disrespect the country he is visiting. The crew of Dew Drop has confronted them multiple times and each time they pretend not to speak enough english to understand and eventually laugh us off... where's the U.S. Coast Guard when you need them.

Gaze out over the anchor pulpit and appreciate the sights and sounds of motoring the ICW. Despite the late start off the dock, Dew Drop meanders West across the sound. With only 30 Nm to Swansboro, landing at Church St. dock before sunset is no challenge. Boat traffic is light, so the crew stares off at the waterside homes. Discussing and dreaming of imaginary lottery winnings and how they might spend them.

Join the crew for another half day's travel aboard Dew Drop! The trawler shoves off around 11am this morning and arrives at the Church St. dock with plenty of sunlight to spare. With a restaurant/bar in lieu of a marina, the crew enjoys a night dining out. Fried flounder and cold beer to end the day raises everyone's seafaring Spirit! Tomorrow is the last big day of motoring. With bait and a fishing license, the crew plans to venture out into the Atlantic for an afternoon of trolling before arriving at Wrightsville Beach, an interim destination.

After passing through the Alligator River Canal, Dew Drop enters into the Pungo River. With winds out of the North, and land cover slowly fading away. A 10 knot breeze starts to push on the stern. The following sea is calm enough that the crew hardly notices, afternoon naps are enjoyed and the crew begins to relax. All us grateful we had escaped the narrowness and monotony of the canal. One thinks to themself: how much closer to dropping the hook and beer o'clock? But between the men and their evening cocktails is the Pamlico River. With one final push, Dew Drop arrives in Goose Creek and finally drops the hook South of Pasture Point. Tomorrow, the boat has a half day's travel to land in Morehead City and get some much needed provisions, a night of sleep tied to a dock, as well as, an afternoon of leisure to recharge the crews' batteries.

Start your watch with the final hour of the Alligator River canal and enjoy the view out the office window! With one slight turn, the Alligator River is a boring but cautious section. The crew keeps watch hoping to spot logs and hazards before any disaster can occur. As a trawler, one must also keep a constant eye out for overcoming vessels in this narrow strip of water. Always adjusting course, as heading 'straight' is merely a concept, not the reality of the waterway. Once under the Rte. 265 bridge, Dew Drop begins to enter the Pungo River; further pressing on to Anchor in Goose Creek, on the South side of the Pamlico River.

Having arrived in the dark of night, the crew awakens and gathers their bearings. As daylight begins to poke through, more and more duck blinds become visible and shore feels much less distant than the night before. Step on deck and take in the mood. Sadly, the forecast for high winds and showers was more right than wrong. Only a handful of miles separate Dew Drop from the Alligator River Canal, but it won't be until the afternoon before the trusty trawler will emerge on the Pungo River. A grey day looming ahead; the captain's main concerns are breakfast, coffee, and crew morale.

After failing to secure a tie for the night, the crew takes their prime rib dinners and trudges toward the sound. Morale is high, but the weather begins to turn. 10 Knots and climbing, with winds building out of the North throughout the afternoon. By sunrise tomorrow the forecast claims winds from the North at 20+ mph and thoughts of a more dangerous crossing begin to float around. As conditions threaten to deteriorate, the crew decides it best to cross the sound with the final hours of light and anchor in the Alligator River, to the south. Eyes are strained as the last rays of sunlight fade into the distance. A spotter with a searchlight, a navigator and the man behind the wheel, all working in tandem to safely enter the river and finally drop the hook south of Long Shoal Point. Enjoy this peaceful cruise, starting just South of Coinjock and heading down the North River. Near the end, Dew Drop enters the sound and continues to press South. Safely on the hook by 8pm with the crew resting before another day of adventure.

Grab a drink and stare off to starboard, gazing at the setting sun as the crew moves South across the Albemarle Sound. Dew Drop, making 8knots of headway, struggles against a building northerly wind. This afternoon, Annie the autopilot earns her keep as a most valued crew member. As she steers the course, the rest of the crew gathers themselves in preparation for twilight and the eventuality of the night time approach into the Little Alligator River for an anchorage south of Long Shoal Point. Enjoy the sights and the rolling of the water as the final rays of sunlight fade away...

Join us for a sunny morning leg of the ICW. South of Norfolk, Dew Drop leads the pack of trawlers and sailboats past the Great Bridge Lock onward to Coinjock. Once there, she lays over for a couple hours in the afternoon; the crew raises their morale with Coinjock Marina's famous roast beef before shoving off for an afternoon trek across the Albemarle Sound.

1984 42' Classic GrandBanks leaving the Patuxent river and headed to Norfolk, VA. With an early start and 8 Knots of speed, Dew Drop quickly approaches her first marina on her fall excursion South. 95Nm travelled and tied up before sunset, the crew gets some much needed rest before another big day traveling through the dismal swamp...