So here's the low-down on Portsmouth Island (PI) in the southern Outer Banks...
PI is a rugged island. There are only two things available for purchase on the island and both are sold by the park service at the Ranger Station: ice and $5/gal gas/diesel. Everything else you need for the long weekend (Thu-Sun) will need to be packed in and packed out. There is cell service on the island. I have Verizon Wireless and had between 1 and 3 bars LTE while out there.
To get to PI from Charlotte it's 345 miles and 178 miles from Raleigh.
The actual meet up point is the Morris Marina in Atlantic, NC. It's there we will make arrangements for the ferry to take us and the trucks over and arrangements for the ride back. To the extent we can coordinate the time we all want to ride over, the ferry service will make a special trip for us.
The Morris Marina has a small diner with breakfast and lunch where you can grab a bite before heading over.
$75 round trip/vehicle including 1 driver
$14 round trip/person (6 yrs old +)
If you are trailering a truck you can drop it in their yard or for a fee they will ferry it over.
The ferry ride from the marina to PI takes 30-45 minutes. Once docked at PI, the trucks drive off the ferry and are free to drive anywhere on the 22 mile long island that is between 1/2 mile and 1 mile wide. The only exceptions are areas closed for birds or turtles but the forest ranger on PI said everything should be open in November.
For sleeping arrangements there are a couple options:
1) The National Park Service for the Cape Lookout National Seashore rents duplex cabins. Most have A/C. They sleep 6 people in bunk beds, have electricity and propane stoves. See last year's thread for pics of the cabins - link below.
2) Camping is available anywhere on the beach but has to be 100 yards from the cabins or of course you can sleep in your truck. PI can be cold, windy and/or rainy so cabins are probably best.
The cabins are in high demand so earlier this year I reserved two cabins (#5 and #6). #5 is pretty much full with people that went last year and #6 is up for grabs (see attendee list below).
Once #6 is spoken for, please use the following website to reserve a Long Point Cabin, see map of the cabins, check availability, see cabin specific amenities, etc.
Fires are allowed on the beach. We'll need to bring our own firewood.
Last year was our first trip to PI and we found it's a long drive to get to the Outer Banks for most people, so to make the drive and ferry ride worth it, we found that it really makes the most sense to take a morning ferry ride on Thu, tool around the island and be at check in at 1:00pm so that we have 3 full days (Thu-Sat) to play around. Since it was such a long drive, Sun was really a get-up-and-pack-day only so people could get home at a decent time.
There is plenty of surf fishing to do as November is supposed to have some of the best fishing on the Atlantic coast for Blue, Cobia, and Drum.
Check out last year's thread for lots of pics:
***********************
Attendees (10 people; 6 trucks):
Cabin #5:
@JohnVee (John Vargosko) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 2:45pm ferry
@FJ Junkie (Sarah Stabley) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 2:45pm ferry
@forrest5000 (Eric Forest) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 2:45pm ferry
@77 KROOZER (Mike and Marie Shandor) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 8:45am ferry
@Green Hell Mustang (Alex) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 12:00pm ferry
Cabin #6:
@SeanLX (Sean and wife) arriving Fri via the 1pm ferry; departing Sun on the 8:45am ferry
Camping:
@RYAN BARNARD (Ryan and Ashley) arriving ?
PI is a rugged island. There are only two things available for purchase on the island and both are sold by the park service at the Ranger Station: ice and $5/gal gas/diesel. Everything else you need for the long weekend (Thu-Sun) will need to be packed in and packed out. There is cell service on the island. I have Verizon Wireless and had between 1 and 3 bars LTE while out there.
To get to PI from Charlotte it's 345 miles and 178 miles from Raleigh.
The actual meet up point is the Morris Marina in Atlantic, NC. It's there we will make arrangements for the ferry to take us and the trucks over and arrangements for the ride back. To the extent we can coordinate the time we all want to ride over, the ferry service will make a special trip for us.
Morris Marina Kabin Kamps & Ferry Service, Inc.
1000 Morris Marina Rd.
Atlantic, North Carolina 28511
Phone: (252) 225-4261
Fax: (252) 225-0366
Email: info@portsmouthislandfishing.com
http://www.portsmouthislandfishing.com
1000 Morris Marina Rd.
Atlantic, North Carolina 28511
Phone: (252) 225-4261
Fax: (252) 225-0366
Email: info@portsmouthislandfishing.com
http://www.portsmouthislandfishing.com
The Morris Marina has a small diner with breakfast and lunch where you can grab a bite before heading over.
$75 round trip/vehicle including 1 driver
$14 round trip/person (6 yrs old +)
If you are trailering a truck you can drop it in their yard or for a fee they will ferry it over.
The ferry ride from the marina to PI takes 30-45 minutes. Once docked at PI, the trucks drive off the ferry and are free to drive anywhere on the 22 mile long island that is between 1/2 mile and 1 mile wide. The only exceptions are areas closed for birds or turtles but the forest ranger on PI said everything should be open in November.
For sleeping arrangements there are a couple options:
1) The National Park Service for the Cape Lookout National Seashore rents duplex cabins. Most have A/C. They sleep 6 people in bunk beds, have electricity and propane stoves. See last year's thread for pics of the cabins - link below.
2) Camping is available anywhere on the beach but has to be 100 yards from the cabins or of course you can sleep in your truck. PI can be cold, windy and/or rainy so cabins are probably best.
The cabins are in high demand so earlier this year I reserved two cabins (#5 and #6). #5 is pretty much full with people that went last year and #6 is up for grabs (see attendee list below).
Once #6 is spoken for, please use the following website to reserve a Long Point Cabin, see map of the cabins, check availability, see cabin specific amenities, etc.
Fires are allowed on the beach. We'll need to bring our own firewood.
Last year was our first trip to PI and we found it's a long drive to get to the Outer Banks for most people, so to make the drive and ferry ride worth it, we found that it really makes the most sense to take a morning ferry ride on Thu, tool around the island and be at check in at 1:00pm so that we have 3 full days (Thu-Sat) to play around. Since it was such a long drive, Sun was really a get-up-and-pack-day only so people could get home at a decent time.
There is plenty of surf fishing to do as November is supposed to have some of the best fishing on the Atlantic coast for Blue, Cobia, and Drum.
Check out last year's thread for lots of pics:
***********************
Attendees (10 people; 6 trucks):
Cabin #5:
@JohnVee (John Vargosko) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 2:45pm ferry
@FJ Junkie (Sarah Stabley) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 2:45pm ferry
@forrest5000 (Eric Forest) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 2:45pm ferry
@77 KROOZER (Mike and Marie Shandor) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 8:45am ferry
@Green Hell Mustang (Alex) arriving Thu via the 3pm ferry; departing Sun on the 12:00pm ferry
Cabin #6:
@SeanLX (Sean and wife) arriving Fri via the 1pm ferry; departing Sun on the 8:45am ferry
Camping:
@RYAN BARNARD (Ryan and Ashley) arriving ?
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