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North Carolina has the largest area of inland waters on the East Coast. The Outer Banks enclose several large inland sounds: Currituck, Albemarle, Pamlico, Core and Bogue, which are laced together north to south by 265 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). This liquid highway of inland waters makes the numerous coastal resorts and historical points of interest easily accessible by boat.

Of Carteret County's total 1,063 square miles, 531 miles are water. The bountiful brine giving definition to the Crystal Coast challenges the greater portion of the populace and most annual visitors to see the area by water. The weather lures pleasure boaters and sailors almost year round. Even in the coldest months, you'll find a few days that are too pretty to stay ashore.

Because many boaters enjoy the shallow, protected waters along the Crystal Coast, numerous marinas are available to serve the fleet of water traffic. There are more than 35 marinas, most on or just off the ICW. And, via the ICW, boaters can sojourn to nearby Oriental (see our chapter on Oriental) and New Bern, where a number of marinas serve power and sailing vessels. See the Marinas section of our New Bern On the Water chapter for those marina listings.

Crystal Coast marinas have varying water depths, services, amenities, transient accommodations and proximity to sights and services. Many condominium developments and campgrounds provide private docks for their owners and renters.

In this chapter we list many of the Crystal Coast's marinas. Please call to inquire whether a marina offers the specific services you'll need. For you boaters who don't leave home without your craft trailing behind, we've also given the locations of public launch ramps. There is no launch fee at these locations. At most of the marinas we've listed, launch ramps are available. In general, marinas charge a small fee for use and to leave your vehicle and trailer while your boat is in the water.
 

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