Member III
I'm not a beach person either, but I'd really like to do some fishing. I'll probably bring the kayak this time... unless anyone is coming from the upstate, has a tow capacity of around 8200 lbs, and willing to pull the Miss Mildred down there we can do some serious fishing.
Member II
20275
Traveler II
Well the good thing is, as always people can choose any day length they want to be there. Stay longer or shorter depending on your availability
Member III
Traveler II
Member III
Enthusiast III
Advocate I
19015
Member III
I feel you on dragging a boat all the way down there. I have a shallow water flats skiff that isn't so bad to drag with me, but the shoals can stir up some rougher water than I'm comfortable with in that boat. I've been out there plenty before in my bigger boat that has forward, down, and side-scan sonar with constantly updated charts that keep me from getting into any trouble but I'm probably not even going to worry about it. If I go it will only be for 2 nights at the most and isn't worth the effort of getting a hauler to move it down there for me. You know what they say though: "If you ain't been aground, then you ain't been around."
Member III
Member III
You'd be about crazy to swim off Cape Lookout. It is very sharky.
Member III
Understood. Kinda knocks down the fun factor for me then. We're not the fishing types so with swimming eliminated, that's just sitting on sand and drinking beer.
Traveler II
Well my first trip to OBX was Labor Day weekend this year. It was warm/hot but breezy and the water was warm. I'm not sure what the weather will be like in May, but I'd imagine similar but i'm not positive
Member III
Advocate I
19015
Sounds like a nice boat! I have 21' CC with some electronics but not like yours. Pretty shallow draft w/Yamaha 150. Probably good for that area. Planning on spending some serious time there in the future. I would bring it down since you have knowledge of the area but two days is a pretty small window. Where is it ya'll go? What's the closest marina?
Member III
There is a small area where you'd be alright to swim within reason on the leeward side of the island, right behind the lighthouse. It's a tiny little natural bay that everyone who boats out there anchors into. There is also a small passenger ferry that docks there. You'd probably be alright swimming in there because the boats coming and going would be significant enough to keep the herring and mullet from schooling there which would keep the predators away. The rest of the water up against the island is either filled with big bitey fish, jellyfish washing out of the gulf stream or pluff mud. The Outer Banks is a beautiful place and it is worth the trip. But as wonderful as it is, it is equally as wild. The shoals and currents make it dangerous and unfeasible for large commercial fishing boats to be close to the islands. It is a mecca for sport fishing, but it isn't a place to run nets or even large boats. It got the moniker of being the "Graveyard of the Atlantic" for a reason.
Member III
It might be ok for a one night stay for us then. Maybe a couple nights if it was just me and I didn't have to listen to the kids whine about being bored and so close to the water but unable to swim.
Member III
Cape Lookout is the destination but you'd want to use Cape Pointe marina on Harkers Island to launch. It's protected in the sound so you don't have to worry about the big water and gulf stream wash. There are still a few shoals and tricky currents around the straits, but it is easy enough to learn. It's kinda like learning to navigate a river (but with tides and waves), you just have to learn how to read the water. I learned out there from my dad way before electronics.
Advocate I
19015
Way before electronics! You might be as old as me! Well, there is plenty of time for planning. I'm happy anytime I have a line in the water. Hope to get down to Charleston-Edisto-Beaufort area next week or so.
