Southport is located at the junction of the ICW and the Cape Fear River. It is a cute little town of 3,800 who are working to preserve the historic homes. The houses are generally modest and privately owned but they are identified with a sign on the front giving names and dates. The Cape Fear House is for sale if anyone is looking for an investment.
Walkways and piers follow the shoreline out to the Cape Fear River. During the Vietnam war 1,200 ships a year ran up the river for ammunition. We watched one ship negotiate the 90 degree turn at the inlet. Pretty incredible to see an ocean going ship turn like that. Also, interesting to note that ocean going vessels take advantage of an outgoing tides too.
The port pilots’ facility is right along the shore and each ship needs a local to help negotiate frying pan shoal which extends 20 miles from the mouth of the river, plus some apparently challenging currents in the river itself. Made me realize that during the last ice age the coast would have been 60 miles further east where the water depth is more than 350 feet.
The rest of our leg stretch revealed restaurants, bars, and seafood market. We took a tour of the maritime museum. The highlights included the tooth from a 50 foot pre-historic shark and using a periscope. We also picked up some fresh scallops for an appetizer tonight.
Moon Dance IV 
I hope we will be able to create scallops that are even half as wonderful as those scallops look when we make it there 😀
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