North Carolina – The Tar Heel State

Did you know the term “tar heel” was originally a literal reference? The phrase stems from laborers in the naval stores industry who distilled turpentine – from the sticky sap of pine trees – and burned pine boughs to produce tar and pitch. Many of the workers went barefoot during hot summer months, collecting tar on their heels. However, back then if you called someone a “rosin heel” or “tar heel” you were being less than nice.

Moving forward in history to the Civil War, Robert E. Lee turned the tide as he dubbed the North Carolina soldiers “tar heels” – making it an expression of pride. The term quickly spread, and North Carolina became widely known as the “Tar Heel State.”

Sometime around 1880, when the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill began competing in intercollegiate sports, the school adopted the now beloved “Tar Heels” as their official nickname. There you go Gary Ralph! So proud!

Carolina Beach, NC

Located at the north end of Carolina Beach, we tied up across from “The Barge.” Open 7 days a week from noon to 9, the very popular floating bar is actually 3 recycled cargo containers, riveted together on a barge! Made in the USA.

Inside the ground floor cargo container you find yet another recycled beauty – once a gorgeous wooden boat named “Myralu”, it is now brilliantly repurposed as a bar!

Fun Fact: You can buy a 20 foot, 30 foot, or a 40 foot container, fully equipped as a tiny house, available on Amazon. For real. check it out!

Wrightsville Beach, NC; Bridge Tender Marina

This is the BIGGEST fresh water lobster! This young man was a proud lobster dude.

Hello again to Linda and Mark Cardone – thanks for the tomato plant!

Swansboro, NC; Church Street Town Dock

In the past we stayed at the Casper marina (hello to Craig Adford and Sideways). That marina is convenient but it has dreadful fixed docks. Thanks to a tip from a new friend this time we enjoyed the floating docks at the Swansboro town docks!

Boaters Tip: Transient Boaters – 26 ft. or larger have priority at the Church Street Town Dock. click here for more from the city dock page; Beware: During tidal transitions, a strong current runs parallel with shoreline, making it a challenge to dock.

Incorporated in 1783, the small town was originally spelled Swannsborough, named after politician Samuel Swann who was a Speaker in the North Carolina House of Commons. Sometime later – presumably well after he died – the name was changed to Swansboro.

The town grew over 40% in the past decade – officially measured at 3,744 residents as of the 2020 census. Personal comparision – the coastal community of Seward, Alaska boasts a total of 2,735!

The swan theme caught on, as you see them all around town.  

These birds are a bit bizarre, but worth a photo.

New to Swansboro? You will find abundant dining options highlighted on the city website.

Morehead City, NC

This adorable city is known for it’s fishing tournaments. The most famous is the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. In 2024 there were 302 boats participating – you read that right!! Fishing teams were competing for a staggering total purse of $7,562,700. By the end of the tourney the top three teams each won over $1.8 million! The winning marlin was 516 lbs. Look at this crowd – OMG.

The 67th annual tournament is scheduled for June 6-15, 2025 (happening now!)

Here’s a fun project – artsy manhole covers for Caryl.

We made new friends, meet retired pilots Tom Matovich and Pat Clough.

That’s one dozen fresh oysters – about to be consumed.

They run a beautiful Selene 53, Slip Away.

Oriental, NC

Yet another quaint town on the ICW

Hello Capt. Rick, enjoying a familiar shady tree.

Belhaven, NC

Belhaven is one of my favorite stops. If you stay at River Forest the marina provides free golf carts. First come, first serve, you can take a spin around the town, get provisions, and go to the one of the many nearby restaurants.

– we found a new coffee shop on the main drag. What a great name :-)

Spoon River Artworks and Market, BelHaven, NC

Mark and Teresa own and operate my favorite farm-to-fork restaurant, Spoon River. Located at 263 Pamlico St, Belhaven, NC 27810.

Make your reservations early, they quickly fill up. Call, or Text your request to this Phone: (252) 945-3899

A unique opportunity for wine enthusiasts, instead of a wine list there is beautiful temperature controlled room; just pick out your bottle and take it to your table! You can also buy a few bottles to take home.

Coinjock, NC

We pulled away from the dock at 0605. Moan. The run was ten hours, a total of 76 nautical miles. For us, that’s a long day. We were meeting up with Slip Away and a gaggle of boats. As Pat Clough said, apparently the migration is NOT over!

If you are familiar with this stop you know they serve prime rib, which we typically enjoy. This time, to my absolute delight, the dinner special was soft shelled crab – possibly the best I have ever had! For Donna Wallace – the side was a baked sweet potato. Also delish.

Celebrating Milestones:

Birthdays: June 9 – sister Frances; Sandy de Heer; June 10 – cousin Debra McGhan

Speedy Recovery wishes to Holly Pilato-Scharnweber

Anniversary: Paul and Celeste Amish celebrating 50 years!

June 7 – National Donut Day; go ahead and indulge! Fun Fact: National Donut Day or National Doughnut Day – celebrated by the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the UK – is on the first Friday of June of each year. The Salvation Army established National Donut Day in 1938 to honor the organization’s Donut Lassies and Donut Girls who served donuts and other snacks to soldiers during World War I.

Next Up: Portsmouth, VA