Beaufort As A Preferred Jumping-Off Point to The Caribbean

Beaufort makes an excellent jumping off point for your cruise to the Caribbean from the East Coast. In fact, it is considered to be one of the best of a handful of locations, because of location and logistics, to launch such a trip. The other options usually include southern New England, southern Florida and the Virginia capes.

But first, Beaufort North Carolina is not to be confused with Beaufort (pronounced Beuw-fort) South Carolina as the two are only three hundred seventy nine highway miles apart. It is, however, a frequent mistake of visitors to this area. For cruisers departing from northern climates, the Intracoastal Waterway is the preferred route for beginning the journey to the Caribbean. Besides enjoying the milder climate while provisioning, you and your crew will have the opportunity to test yourselves and your craft during this phase of the trip.

Beaufort offers numerous facilities for the cruiser embarking on a long journey. There are numerous marinas in Beaufort, eight of which offer transient dockage. Though some marinas do not offer pump out, Beaufort City Docks, Beaufort Inn, Old Town Yacht Club, Sea Gate Marina and Town Creek Marinas do offer this service. You will find ample boat suppliers in the area including Beaufort Marine Discount. There are six sailmakers in Beaufort and several grocery stores. Both Boat US and Sea-Tow have local branches. To contact Boat US simply hail them on channel 16 or call (252) 728-5088. Sea-Tow monitors channels 7, 9 and 79.

If you're taking a break before continuing your voyage there are numerous good restaurants and shops in the historic downtown area as well as throughout Beaufort, several within walking distance. And we'd love to see you during your stopover. If you'd like to look over our inventory of boats for sale in Beaufort, just walk two short blocks west on Front Street from the Beaufort Waterfront.

Should you need medical care, Beaufort has an Urgent Care Center and Carteret General Hospital is located in nearby Morehead City. The North Carolina Maritime Museum is located on Front Street and strolling through town to admire the beautifully restored historic homes offers pleasant diversion. With all of the resources available to the serious cruiser, Beaufort makes an ideal jumping off point for the Caribbean.