Hey Ron,

...is that it can be a LONG haul back into there from out around Cape Lookout, especially if there's a breeze from the NW... One loses a lot of ground that way, you don't lose nearly as much by continuing on to Masonboro/Wrightsville... Although, if the wind is NW, you can't fetch Masonboro from Cape Lookout Shoals, better to keep pressing on to Charleston... Winyah Bay was also mentioned, but I don't see any point in going back inside there when southbound, another route that involves a massive amount of backtracking to the N and NW..

Masonboro is one of the easier/better inlets along the entire coast, IMHO, wide and very straightforward, the only tricky bit can be once you get inside... Wrightsville is a nice stop as well, with a choice of a nice anchorage or several nice marinas, some good restaurants, etc... I don't often seem to stop there anymore, but always enjoy Wrightsvill whenever I do...

best regards,

Jon