Lea Island Staycation
After a night (or 2 or 3!) out here it sure is hard going back to the real world. The beauty of area is astonishing, especially after the handful of day boaters head out leaving you with your own personal, pristine barrier island. Lea Island stretches for about seven miles between Figure 8 and Topsail Island. It used to be 2 separate islands (Lea to the north and Hutaff to the south) with an inlet in between. After the inlet naturally closed up, most folks refer to it as Lea although I still hear both. And of course there’s no better way to start the cruise up from Wrightsville Beach than a beautiful brunch board from our friends at Collective Law!
Known for crystal clear water, huge sand bar flats ideal for paddle boarding, fantastic beach combing and surf fishing, Lea Island is a popular hotspot for locals as it’s a few miles off the Intracoastal Waterway and a bit tricky to reach.
We always provide the 4 person dinghy and SUPs for transportation to and from the beach, sandbars, etc. Some of the best paddle boarding of my life has been on the sandbar flats and back creeks in this area. Catch the incoming tide to really get fantastic water clarity and paddle around with hundreds of sting rays, red drum, terrapins and more!
One of my favorite things to do is catch, clean and cook some fresh caught seafood. Whether it’s oysters and spanish mackerel ceviche in the fall or blackened drum and clams in the spring, there is always something in season year round. Catch an upper slot red drum on a paddle board in 1 foot of water and just hold on and try not to fall in!
After an evening of fresh seafood and a beautiful sunset, settle down for a relaxing night on Civility. After hours you can play Yahtzee and board games, read a book out of the on board library, watch a good movie on Amazon Firestick TV or just enjoy each other’s company in the climate controlled cabin with full bathroom and shower. The gentle lapping of the water against the hull beats any white noise machine in the world!
If you’re an early riser, sunrise out here is tough to beat. I love to brew some fresh coffee and take a morning jog along the ocean while it’s still cool and beach comb for treasures along the way. The mako tooth below is 2.5 inches long and incredibly rare, the author of the book had only found a partial fragment in all his years of hunting!
This is truly an experience that does not disappoint. The only complaint I ever get is, “we wish we had more time!”. We can customize your staycation to include an offshore fishing or diving trip, waterfront dining and more! Never be afraid to think outside the box and get adventurous, that is precisely why we do this. These trips are ideal for birthdays, anniversaries or just taking a break from the craziness of life. Give us a call and start dreaming today!
