WaterTribe^TM North Carolina Pamlico Challenge (NCPC)

Driftwood Motel Beach, Cedar Island, North Carolina

Both the NC Pamlico Challenge (NCPC) and NC Challenge (NCC) start and finish on the beach at Cedar Island to the east of the ferry dockage on the grounds of the Driftwood Campground and Motel. Boats should be assembled, packed, and left on the beach above the high water mark Friday night. A guard will be posted. There will be plenty of parking at the campground to leave cars and trailers during the challenges.

Friday afternoon there will be a captain and crew meeting which is mandatory. Your boat may be inspected for final class determination.

The beach start and finish to the right of the Public Wildlife boat ramp is tidal, and shallow (see photo above). Larger boats can launch at the boat ramp into a small jettied inlet before heading out to the right and landing on the start beach just around a breakwater point. Kayaks and canoes can be easily hand carried to the beach from the temporary parking area at the boat ramp. Boats may be left above the high tide line on Thursday night for the Friday morning start.

NOTE: If you arrive late, you may still participate. Race officials will be at the starting line for at least one hour after the official start. As long as you complete gear inspection and check in with a race official before you launch you can still enter. Your time however, will not be adjusted for a late start.

The route starts following the coast around Cedar Island in Pamlico Sound, to the North and West into the Neuse River. Piney Island is a military training facility and target range. There are restricted areas marked on the chart on both the outside and inside of Piney Island.

Cedar Island is also home to the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge, providing habitat and protection for endangered species such as American alligators and brown pelicans, and provides habitat and protection for migratory waterfowl and other waterbirds. Though not marked on the charts, these areas are well marked with signs prohibiting landings and camping.

The Neuse River, named in 1584 for the Neusiok Indians, flows about 275 miles and lies entirely inside the state of North Carolina emptying in Pamlico Sound at Cedar Island and into the Atlantic Ocean. On the NCPC and NCC route, the Neuse is a wide river (~5 miles) with miles of sandy beaches and with little noticeable tidal effect, though its large fetch is much affected by winds. A strong easterly or northerly wind will raise the level, while a sustained westerly breeze, say 25 knots, can lower this level by as much as 2 feet.

Historically, the river's ties to human history are long. Many artifacts traced to ancient Native American settlement have been found along its banks. And in 1865, one of the first ironclad warships built by the Confederate Navy, the "Ram Neuse", was burnt and sunk to the river bottom by occupying Union Soldiers. Later discovered during historically low water, and raised in 1963, the hull remains reside beside the river at a Memorial in Kinston.

The Harlowe canal is the required route and is entered thru Clubfoot Creek WP2 off the Neuse River, and is the old original Intracoastal Waterway (ICW), located west of the current ICW, connecting the Neuse River with the Morehead City and Beaufort waterfronts. Known locally as the Slave Canal because it was deepened to five or six feet by slave labor, the Harlowe is one of the oldest canals in the United Sates, originally created untold centuries ago by Indians who dragged their canoes across the lowlands to the Neuse.

The canal is narrow but deep enough (but take care with the shallow twists and turns entering and exiting the canal), with three bridges that will require the sailboats to step their masts. Beautiful and tree-lined, the Western side of the canal is part of the Croatan National Forest. There is some tidal influence on the southern side and from wind effects on the Neuse.

Beaufort, North Carolina

Roughly 48 miles from the start you will need to check-in at CP1 which is located on Taylor Creek in the center of the historic Beaufort waterfront. This checkpoint is the mid-way point for the NCC and a brief rest for the NCPC.

Upon leaving the Harlow Canal into the Newport River towards Beaufort, you will be entering an area of very busy boat traffic and possibly strong tidal currents. Morehead City and Beaufort are sound side seaports situated on opposite banks of the Newport River. Both are very busy commercial, recreational and fishing ports.

Beaufort, pronounced ''Bo-furt'' by locals, is the third oldest town in the state with a rich maritime history. This quaint town was originally established in 1709 for its close proximity to the excellent deep-water inlet now called Beaufort Inlet. Throughout history, Beaufort has always been an important seaport for whalers, fisherman, merchants and even pirates. In fact, the notorious pirate Blackbeard and his crew spent quite a bit of time in Beaufort, and their legacy still remains in the form of the many legends and ghost stories that are still told.

In 1997, Beaufort was highlighted in national and international news as the wreckage of what is presumed to be Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge, was discovered in 20 feet of water, two miles from Beaufort Inlet. Artifact recovery operations were immediately able to identify—and in some cases retrieve—many pieces, including the ship's bronze bell, cannons and deck guns. Some of these artifacts are already touring the country or are on exhibit in Beaufort at the NC Maritime Museum.

You’ll need to go under a car bridge exiting the Newport River and entering Beaufort. The NCC checkpoint (just a few hundred yards down the street from the NC Maritime Museum) is located on the historic waterfront of Beaufort’s Taylors Creek at Paul Graden Park, WP3. The park contains a small public canoe and kayak beach landing and a small public dock for the larger boats. Sailboats coming into the dock must come in on the starboard side as entering. There are no public facilities at the park, however there are water spigots and hoses all around the nearby docks (walk to your left up Front St), and a public restroom a few hundred yards left up Front St (at the end of the marina), not to mention some nice (yet expensive) seafood restaurants and tourist shops, if you’ve got the time :)

Physical Check-In Station

An ORANGE LOCKBOX will be located in the gazebo. In the ORANGE LOCKBOX you will find a logbook for each challenge. You must sign the logbook and fill out each section adjacent to your name in the.

Opposite the checkpoint across from Taylor’s Creek, the string of small islands (pictured below)—Carrot Island, Town Marsh, Bird Shoal and Horse Island—more than three miles long and less than a mile wide—include the Rachel Carson Reserve, part of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve & National Estuarine Research Reserve. Accessible by boat only, visitors are allowed and there are even walking trails. But, NO CAMPING is allowed and this is strictly enforced. As you pass by these islands, you are likely to see the small herd of feral horses which roam the island, and many of the 200 bird species which have been recorded there.

CP2 - Hobucken, North Carolina

Upon leaving CP1 you’ll travel east for the remainder of Taylor’s Creek, and choose to go inside or around Harkers and Browns Island to reach Core Sound.

Roughly 58 miles from CP1 you will need to check-in at CP2 which is located at  Pate Boatyard in Hobucken on Goose Creek Island.

After traveling north on Core Sound, all NCPC challengers are required to take either 1) the Thorofare Canal between Thorofare Bay (sometimes called Barry Bay) and West Bay or 2) Salter’s Creek from Nelson Bay into Long Bay and West Bay, which will take you out to Pamlico Sound and the mouth of the Neuse River. One could also take the additional Old Canal Cut from Long Bay into Turnagain Bay to cross the Neuse. Old Canal is shallower and narrower than Thorofare Canal, no deeper than 4’ and no wider than 20’. These canals are over 300 years old with histories going back to the indigenous Native Americans before European settlements. Beware the biting flies, and posted signs as some of this area is military restricted.

North from the Neuse River, CP2 can be reached by entering the Bay River and finding the ICW, or by entering Jones Bay. There are a number of little cuts one can take in and out of Goose Creek Island; beware, some of these are private and gated, most derive from an old and abandoned Corps of Engineers project for mosquito control in the 1960’s. Yes, there are lots of BIG mosquitoes on Goose Creek Island; there are also lots of black bears.

At Pate’s Boatyard, there is a small boat ramp and docks at the end of the canal on the right. Challengers will be able to tent camp and refill water. There is also a small convenience store next door.

A bit of history of Pate Boatyard can be found in this blog posting  http://sandybottomkayaker.blogspot.com/search?q=Hobucken.

In more recent history, Goose Creek Island was devastated by Hurricane Irene in 2011 with 90% of all homes flooded. There are markers inside the Boathouse indicating the flood’s high water mark.

Click the pictures for a larger view.

Pate Boatyard

Pate Boatyard (photo credit: Steve Earley)

Pate Marina Backside (bear right to docks and boat ramp) (photo credit: Steve Earley)

The canal in and out of Pate Boatyard (photo credit: Steve Early)

Alligator River Marina, North Carolina

CP3 is located at the immediate North West corner of the Alligator River bridge off highway 64 at the mouth of the Alligator River and the Albemarle Sound. Depending on your route, you will have reached this either by:

1. Crossing The Pamlico River into the Pungo River, ICW connector ditch (20 mi with cypress marsh on both sides) and into the Alligator River
2. Taking Pamlico Sound into Roanoke Sound then Albemarle Sound and into the mouth of the Alligator River.

Your return to the finish from CP3 can also take any of the above routes.

CP3 is a refueling port for yachts on the ICW heading to or from wintering in Florida. The CP contains a small boat ramp, docks, Shell gas station, convenience store, and a short order grill. A ‘heavy lifter’ boat cart will be available for kayaks and smaller boats needing to exit the boat ramp. The boat ramp and parking area must be kept clear at all times. Larger boats may need to be assigned dock space, the CP Captain and the Boat Captain (you) will work this out with the marina.

The Alligator River Bridge is a 2.8 mile long swing bridge with closed vertical clearance of 14 ft at the center. This bridge will not open in high winds (35+ kts) or reduced visibility (they are afraid cars won’t see the stop lights), there are no set standards it is up to the bridge tenders discretion. The bridge opens on demand VHF channel 13.

There is a large grassy field to camp, but we ask all to be considerate of the owner Ms Wanda (who lives on the property) and her other clients by being quiet at night.

CP3 is located along the Alligator National Wildlife Refuge, composed of 152,00 acres, 28 miles from north to south and 15 miles east to west and lying in North Carolina’s Coastal Plane. It is bordered on the West by the Alligator River and the Intracoastal Waterway, which is crossed by the 2.8 mile bridge on the North by Albemarle Sound, on the coast by Croatan and Pamlico Sounds, and on the South by Long Shoal River and incorporated farmland.

The refuge is one of the premier strongholds for American Black Bear on the Eastern Seaboard. It also has concentrations of ducks, geese and swans. The wildlife diversity includes wading ducks, shorebirds, American Woodcock, raptors, American Alligators, White-tailed Deer, Raccoons, Cottontail rabbits, Bobwhite Quail, Northern river Otters, Red Wolves, Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and neotropical migrants.

The refuge was established to preserve and protect the unique wetland habitat type – the pocosin – and it’s associated wildlife species. Pocosin is a Native-American word meaning "swamp-on-a-hill" and is characterized by poorly drained soils high in organic materials.

Diversity of habitat types including high and low pocosin, bogs, fresh and brackish water marshes, hardwood swamps, and Atlantic white cedar swamps. Plant species include pitcher plants and sun dews, low bush cranberries, bays, Atlantic white cedar, pond pine, gums, red maple, and a wide variety of herbaceous and shrub species common to the East Coast.

Nyssa Aquatica Tree in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Pamlico Sound, is the largest lagoon along the U.S. East Coast, 80 mi long and 15 to 30 miles wide. It is a body of water separated from the Atlantic Ocean by the Outer Banks, a row of low, sandy barrier islands, including Cape Hatteras. The Neuse and Pamlico rivers (the latter is the estuary of the Tar River) flow in from the west. Pamlico Sound is linked on the north with Albemarle Sound through Roanoke Sound and Croatan Sound. Core Sound is the narrow southern end.

Explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano mistook the sound for the Pacific Ocean. The sound and its ocean inlets are noted for wide expanses of shallow water and occasional shoaling, making the area hazardous for larger vessels. In addition, the shallow waters are susceptible to wind and barometric pressure-driven tidal fluctuations. This effect is amplified on the tributary rivers, where water levels can change by as much as two feet in three hours when winds are aligned with the rivers' axes and are blowing strongly.

Pamlico Sound is part of a large, interconnected network of lagoon estuaries. As a whole it is the second largest estuary in the United States; (Chesapeake Bay is the largest). Seven sounds making up the whole: Albemarle Sound, Currituck Sound, Croatan Sound, Pamlico Sound, Bogue Sound, Core Sound, and Roanoke Sound.