Slips near Beaches

liveandkicking

New Member
Hello,

New to the forum, but my wife and I are considering purchasing a larger sailboat and putting it in a slip near a beach of some sort. This gives up sailing access to the ocean as well as access to a beach for non wind days. Our current thoughts are Wilmington, NC, but I'm guessing there are other choices and I'd like input on any other slips near beaches in NC. We live in Wake Forest, NC. Thank you for your help.

Best
L&K
 
I'll bite on this one... I don't live in the 'Tar Heel' but I've traveled through there quite a bit, and I once considered buying a home over there toward the NC coast, so I did a bunch of research, though I wasn't specifically looking for marinas. However, I know there are marinas near Topsail Beach & Surf City, plus there are marinas between Cape Carteret & Beaufort, near Morehead City. Moi, I was looking at cartopping or trailering a boat to launch sites on Pamlico Sound, or launching through the surf on the Outer Banks, combining sailing & camping trips. :rolleyes:

Looking at my trucker's atlas, I see you may have chosen Wilmington because it's a relatively straight shot once ya hit I-40, but I wouldn't choose Wilmington myself, due to traffic on the roads in or near the city, as well as heavy marine traffic at and near the Port of Wilmington. I've seen that traffic too, having visited the port in my "trucking daze"---I would prefer a slip in an area with less overall traffic and headache, but that's just the way I think. Topsail Beach is nice too, clear up past Surf City to North Topsail Beach... ;)

If you look at the map, you could use US64 or US264 to shorten your drive toward the coast, there are marinas over there by Manteo & Wanchese, but I think those are pricier than other marinas farther south, you'd have to check online. Maybe just drive I-40 till you get close enough to peel off toward Topsail Beach and Surf City. Again, you'll have to pull web searches to find the ideal slips, some sort of compromise between slip fees and location. I mean seriously, why opt for heavier traffic and congestion if you can avoid it? Both on and off the water.. :confused:

I know there are also some cool marinas & beaches at the bottom of the state, between Southport & Sunset Beach, but that would mean driving a little farther than you would to other locations. I really like the Outer Banks, but I think those marinas on or near Roanoke Island are pretty expensive... again, you'd have to check the web. Given your situation as you described it, I'd probably look for something between Topsail Beach and Beaufort (near Morehead City). Kind of like a "best of both worlds" scenario, though it'd take a bit longer to arrive once you left Wake Forest... meh, the scenic route. :)

A check on the web will give you various marina locations, only the smallest absolute podunk marinas won't be on the web, and those marina websites will undoubtedly break down the pay schedule for moorage or slip fees. In case you change your mind about putting a boat in a slip, you can always rent storage space on shore for a smaller boat on a trailer, just my $.02 but something to consider, as it'd be much cheaper. Well, good luck with your search, I just drew up a bunch of marinas in a hasty web search, but I also speak from experience with regard to traveling through those areas and seeing them with my own eyes. :cool:
 
Last edited:
I'll bite on this one... I don't live in the 'Tar Heel' but I've traveled through there quite a bit, and I once considered buying a home over there toward the NC coast, so I did a bunch of research, though I wasn't specifically looking for marinas. However, I know there are marinas near Topsail Beach & Surf City, plus there are marinas between Cape Carteret & Beaufort, near Morehead City. Moi, I was looking at cartopping or trailering a boat to launch sites on Pamlico Sound, or launching through the surf on the Outer Banks, combining sailing & camping trips. :rolleyes:

Looking at my trucker's atlas, I see you may have chosen Wilmington because it's a relatively straight shot once ya hit I-40, but I wouldn't choose Wilmington myself, due to traffic on the roads in or near the city, as well as heavy marine traffic at and near the Port of Wilmington. I've seen that traffic too, having visited the port in my "trucking daze"---I would prefer a slip in an area with less overall traffic and headache, but that's just the way I think. Topsail Beach is nice too, clear up past Surf City to North Topsail Beach... ;)

If you look at the map, you could use US64 or US264 to shorten your drive toward the coast, there are marinas over there by Manteo & Wanchese, but I think those are pricier than other marinas farther south, you'd have to check online. Maybe just drive I-40 till you get close enough to peel off toward Topsail Beach and Surf City. Again, you'll have to pull web searches to find the ideal slips, some sort of compromise between slip fees and location. I mean seriously, why opt for heavier traffic and congestion if you can avoid it? Both on and off the water.. :confused:

I know there are also some cool marinas & beaches at the bottom of the state, between Southport & Sunset Beach, but that would mean driving a little farther than you would to other locations. I really like the Outer Banks, but I think those marinas on Roanoke Island are pretty expensive... again, you'd have to check the web. Given your situation as you described it, I'd probably look for something between Topsail Beach and Beaufort (near Morehead City). Kind of like a "best of both worlds" scenario, though it'd take a bit longer to arrive once you left Wake Forest... meh, the scenic route. :)

A check on the web will give you various marina locations, only the smallest absolute podunk marinas won't be on the web, and those marina websites will undoubtedly break down the pay schedule for moorage or slip fees. In case you change your mind about putting a boat in a slip, you can always rent storage space on shore for a smaller boat on a trailer, just my $.02 but something to consider, as it'd be much cheaper. Well, good luck with your search, I just drew up a bunch of marinas in a hasty web search, but I also speak from experience with regard to traveling through those areas and seeing them with my own eyes. :cool:

Cowboy that was very generous of your time. I truly appreciate your insight and think I'll look at Topsail and Moorhead. Your help is much appreciated.
Best,
L&K
 
I'm a writer, so it didn't take that long, LOL... I like the 'Tar Heel' and its beaches, and there's some beautiful country out there on that coastal plain, so a little scenic jaunt through the woods might not be a bad thing, compared to sitting in a traffic jam in Wilmington, LOL. :eek:
 

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