After 20yrs of cruising up and down the East Coast, we finally stopped at Cape Lookout last year. It is normally very rough and windy getting here scaring us away but, last year the weather was fine. It is now our favorite spot mainly because of all the seashells Sue collects here.
This year we arrived on a morning with light winds but, after anchoring and walking the beach in the morning, we had to move over by Shackleford Bank for the next two nights because of the strong winds the Cape is famous for.
One advantage of anchoring off Shackleford is that it is closer to the lighthouse and pathway to the ocean. We ran over to check out the shells on the oceanside but it was mid-tide and not that many shells. We only got a little wet riding the waves in the dinghy back to our boat.
We found some shells on Shackleford Bank but it is fairly protected from the direct ocean waves so not that many shells. We did see several of the 100 or so wild horses that live on the island.
One of our neighbors in the anchorage, the 180ft megayacht Adele. Owned by some billionaire businessman. We saw on the Internet he has a 84ft tender/support boat that shuttles him out to the yacht. They sat out the 2 days of high winds then departed.
We didn't find nearly as many Atlantic Welks as last year when they were sitting on the beach every 100ft or so. I suppose it depends on the winds and waves and storms that throw them up on shore and how many people have been walking the beach before you get there.
My significant contribution. I found this one just off the shore on the bight side of the cape.
Even though there weren't as many as last year, Sue still found several good size welks.
In addition we picked up many of the pretty clam and scallop shells which are everywhere.
We found this guy our last day ashore who unfortunately had run into some misfortune. He had an interesting notch out of his shell that happened some time ago as the edges were well rounded off.
Last night at Cape Lookout. The winds finally settled down and we were able to return to our anchorage spot off the cape spit. Tomorrow we will head north up the ICW and across the North Carolina sounds.
When you are boatbound at anchorage because of high winds its time for games.
