One of the places I enjoy anchoring in the ICW is in the North River south of Coinjock where it just starts to open up. The area is HUGE and there has to be room for 1,000 boats easy. The big complaint seems to be the lack of shore access and the lack of services. But that’s not entirely true.

The Secret Canal

There is a “secret canal” that leads to the town of Grandy NC and gives access to a handful of restaurants, an excellent grocery store, and even the ability to Jerry can diesel in an emergency.

Reflections on the Landing.

The canal is easy to find, can be found on the chart, and is simple to navigate. We tend to anchor close just in case we need to use it. There is however an important caveat. The landing spot is inside of a private community and when we returned to the dinghy we started seeing “no trespassing” signs. And signs saying that the area was for residents only. Which is truly unfortunate.

I must confess that I wish the signage were more clear and more welcoming. There are places that are for “residents only” but also make it clear that transient cruisers can also use the dock. I’m thinking about Capt. Jack’s Wharf in Provincetown Mass is the best example. Because this would make the anchorage that much more practical and pleasant.

Will we go back?

1,000% we’ll be back. It’s a great anchorage. But the bigger question is if I’ll do down the “secret canal” to the tiny private neighborhood marina to hit the grocery store. Probably not as a rule but knowing it’s there certainly makes me much more comfortable staying in the anchorage. And it’s a fun spot to hut down and discover.