Hurricane Hole?

Fortunately Hurricane Earl 'passed us by' - it didn't even rain.

That's OK though, thanks to our dockmaster, Hugh McLawhorn, as well as some other vigilant and helpful local boaters, we were well positioned to protect the marina and the boats with an established 'Hurricane Plan' put in place over the summer.

Being 15 miles up the Cape Fear River has its advantages. We don't get the surge, wave action or flooding, but its always better to be prepared.

What we didn't anticipate was the number of calls we received a few days prior with regard to area boaters needing a place to 'hole up' in case the weather got really bad. We had inquiries from numerous boaters from Wrightsville Beach down to Southport wanting to know if we had space available to them if needed.

It's nice to be popular. It's also nice to know that Sawmill Point has a great reputation around the region for being a safe place for area boaters to protect their investments.

Marina Shots (from 30' up)

A couple of shots from the "Lift Event" of the Marina and RiverWalk.

Looking toward the bridge.

Looking toward the South and down the RiverWalk.

Looking South

Clouds moving East, early morning at Sawmill Point Marina. Looking South, PPD Tower on the left. RiverWalk following the coastline and the tide falling.

Guerrilla Video? Not exactly...

... more like "a-gorilla-was-holding-the-camera" - I hope you don't get seasick watching this but it looks like video is in our collective future with regard to updates and new information so bear with me as I 'practice.'

We've had rain all week (boy did we need it) but with a fairly clear sky this morning I thought I would experiment with some "raw video" to see how it looks on our website.

Drop me a note or let me know what you think!

Redemption

I don't know that I have fully redeemed myself (after sinking my father-in-laws boat) but I think I am getting smarter (incrementally of course).

According to Mile MacQueen, owner of Marine Installation Group (the guys who assembled our docks and did an awesome job) - this is the correct way to secure a line.

I tied this myself but I wasn't sure I could do it again in the future so I took a picture and saved it on my phone.

For the other novices out there, pay attention, if you can't be a pro at least you can look like one. Cheers!

What is past tense for "free"?

If you didn't already know, *all good things must come to an end... and unfortunately, we have to start charging for slip usage in a few weeks.

Don't be sad, we had a good run, and look on the brightside, we accomplished our main goal which was to expose the Wilmington boating community to our incredible new Marina Downtown. We appreciate the 30+ boaters that joined us this Winter. It was a huge help.

But you know how banks can get when people owe them A LOT of money. Our own bailout is coming to an end on May 1st .... and we must start earning our keep.

C'mon, keep your chin up. The days are getting longer, the weather is starting to turn a corner, and I assure you, even at $8 / linear foot, it's still a sweet deal AND we can enjoy the Summer together.

So do us both a favor, send me an email and let me know if you are going to stick with the coolest Marina Downtown beyond May. (or if you are going to 'jump ship'!)

Dawn and Dusk

7:30a, March 1, 2010 - Sawmill Point Marina, Wilmington NC

The power of the water is incredible. Not just in the 'hazard' sense, but how quickly a few minutes surrounded by natural beauty will allow you to breathe a bit deeper and your shoulders to drop and rest (if only for a moment.)

My visits to the marina are always 'task specific' - there is a chore, an obligation, a meeting or a problem - unlike our many boaters, I never actually get to 'go' anywhere. Yet, no matter how busy I am, I always notice something new, something great, something that reminds me how fortunate I am to be surrounded by the pristine waters of our coast.

5:15p, March 4, 2010 - Sawmill Point Marina, Wilmington NC aboard the 'Wild Cherry'