We spend the day outside. And there’s lots to see. Wildlife, of course: dolphins playing, pelicans crash-diving into the water for fish, turtles sunning themselves on a log, seagulls fighting over fish, and herons and white egrets stalking their prey.
This heron preferred to alert us to a mile marker. That’s 315 miles south on the Intercoastal from Norfolk, VA, which is Mile 0.
Lots of people fishing:
A man net fishing:
A smallish shrimper, working his dredges:
A cool old-looking boat – not sure it’s really old:
The ferry boat from Southport, NC, to Carolina Beach. Lots of people waved.
Lots of condos and mega-mansions. Here’s a highrise for boats. You have to wonder how well this will do in the next hurricane:
A marina that’s seen better days:
How about the barnacles on these pilings:
And here is probably the most amazing thing we’ve seen so far:
On Wednesday, we passed through the Camp LeJeune Marine Firing Range. [The Intercoastal is closed when they are actually firing.] Anyway, I noticed what looked like a duck boat in front of us – very low to the water, a square bow, and camo-colored. But there were two huge roostertails coming out the back – it was clearly pushing a lot of water. Then, when the strange little boat reached the other side of the ICW, I saw the most unbelievable sight – it came up out of the water and drove onto the shore and turned into a 10’ tall boxy vehicle with huge tracks. Two men in camo crawled out of little portholes on the top.
As we passed by, we noticed about half a dozen identical vehicles lined up on the other side waiting for us so they could cross. Later we learned that these are called Assault Amphibious Vehicles (AAV).
I wanted to get closer for a better picture, but I was afraid we’d get arrested – or worse.
SAIL MOTU ITI 
More to see than do in that stretch! Great pictures.
awesome picture of the barnacles and the AAVs – it’s like you came across an in-process military operation.
Thanks for sharing and safe travels!
Great pictures. Loved the AAV; I would have wanted to get closer too.
for the boat ride of a life time ride one of those AAv’s out the back of a ship. They sink below the water with water pouring down throught the cracks in the top, just when you wonder if it is going to sink it bobs to the top then you have a very slow noisy ride to shore, At least the pull up on the beach so you don’t have to unload in the water.
Nice pictures and descripion of your trip, thanks.
That’s so awesome. Thanks for commenting