Thursday, June 4
Enterprise Point – Southport, NC
57.67 nm 9.25 hours underway
Friday, June 5
Dock day
We were up with the sun—well, technically with Wimbi’s food dispenser—ready to get an early start. At nearly 60 nautical miles, this would be our longest day to date. We debated a Myrtle Beach stop, since Kevin has friends with a place there, but with them out of town, the decision became easy: push through, skip the chaos, and head straight for Southport.
It’s more simple to get underway from anchor. No shore power to disconnect, no dock lines to wrangle—just fire up the engines and step on the windlass.
Thankfully, we got through Myrtle Beach early – because even on a Friday morning, it was insanity. I never thought I’d see a Cracker Barrel billboard along the ICW – but there it was – opposite a Rooney & Rooney on the other bank. Unfortunately, Heather was on a call and not able to take a shot.
North of Myrtle Beach – we crossed in to North Carolina – state #4. This is the first time Heather has witnessed a “border crossing” so she took advantage and took the helm.
Pulling into Morningstar Marina in Southport was tight, but Kevin handled it beautifully, easing us onto the dock like it was nothing. Not long after we secured the lines, we were warmly welcomed by Robert Creech.
Robert and Kay Creech are legends in the Looper community. Though they’ve retired from boating after completing the Loop multiple times, they’ve built something special—hosting Loopers for docktails almost nightly on their “Front Porch.” And lucky for us, we were invited.
We wandered a few blocks to their home and found a lively group already gathered. Familiar faces included Lady Jane (yes, that Lady Jane—the one responsible for Heather looking like a drowned rat), Jim and Finnegan from Up Next, who had just completed their Loop, and Robin from You & Me.
The unofficial drink of the porch is the “Tom Tom”—a mix of vodka, cran-grape, and orange juice—so naturally, we had to partake. Stories flowed as easily as the drinks, and in true small-world fashion, we learned Kevin from Lady Jane had been a professor at the University of Tampa.
Robert shared a guide he’s put together for the ICW north to Norfolk, walking us through crossings, weather windows, and anchorages. It is invaluable—and a reminder of just how generous this community is. The Creeches are truly a gem of the Looper world.
From there, we made our way down the pier to Provisions—a unique spot where they take a personal item to mark your table and operate drinks on the honor system. With a seafood-heavy menu, Heather opted for wings, while Kevin scored a win with CONCH FRITTERS!
We finished it off with our first ice cream of the trip!
Friday was a half workday for Heather, so Kevin took on laundry duty and gave the boat a good exterior cleaning. By afternoon, it was time to explore.
Southport has recently been compared to Nantucket by Travel & Leisure. While that might be a bit of a stretch, there’s no denying its charm.
We had hoped for a golf cart tour, but with it sold out, we grabbed a map and made our own. Southport is best known as the setting for Safe Haven, the Nicholas Sparks novel turned movie filmed here. The town embraces its Hollywood ties, complete with a map of filming locations. Even the Creeches’ home made an appearance in Netflix’s The Waterfront.
Our wandering tour included a (longer than expected) visit to the old jail, followed by a leisurely stroll through town. One of the highlights of the day was as we were touring the sights, a group of children who were playing on the playground randomly broke into “God Bless America” and continued to sing at the top of their lungs about 3 times. Lunch was at Blue Cow, where Heather had the burger special—goat cheese and hot bacon jam—while Kevin went for a “grown-up” grilled cheese.
After a bit more exploring, we treated ourselves to cocktails at Royal James. A Paloma for Heather and a Mai Tai for Kevin—arguably the best cocktails we’ve had on the trip so far.
Next stop: Cape Side Brewing, where Kevin sampled a few local beers, followed by Southport Tap House & Cellars (though “cellars” might be a bit generous).
The tap house bartender pointed us toward Fizzy Jane’s for dinner, and we’re glad we listened. We started with brie, then Heather had the Crunchy Spicy Tuna, and Kevin went with the blackened drum tacos. Everything was spot on.
On to tomorrow!
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