Tooling Around Topsail

WHILE TOPSAIL Island’s beach belongs to the sunbathers and surfers, the quiet sound belongs to kayakers. The Intracoastal Waterway that separates Topsail Island from the mainland communities of Hampstead, Holly Ridge and Sneads Ferry provides a quiet and calm locale to put in with a kayak either rented or owned, and enjoy the quiet beauty of the coast and its wildlife.
           
An hour or a day of paddling the sound is a sure way to clear your mind (for at least a while) of the stresses of work or the rush hour traffic of that city from which you needed an hour’s or a week’s vacation. There’s nothing quite like having the opportunity and the time to watch a great heron stealthily wading through the water or to explore a unique coastal habitat where people long ago lived without electricity, running water and cell phones. Can you imagine?
           
If you’ve never been kayaking, it’s easier than you think. Unlike surfing, it doesn’t take much time to master. If you have a life jacket and can use a paddle, you’re practically an expert at the start. But local kayak renters are always glad to offer a brief demonstration or some extra words of encouragement for first-time paddlers. Kayaking with a partner or group is a great way to experience this relaxing form of recreation for the first time.
           
An interesting paddle trip in the Topsail area is to Permuda Island, a small narrow stretch of land in Stump Sound that is about one-and-a-half miles in length. The island, part of the North Carolina Coastal Reserve, lies between channel markers 41 and 47, almost halfway between the two bridges that lead on and off Topsail Island.
           
With majestic live oaks standing watch, shorebirds flitter around the local marshes and mudflats. Egrets, herons, black skimmers and sandpipers are common while the inner portions of the island play home to sparrows, warblers and other songbirds. Lucky individuals might catch a glimpse of playful river otters occasionally spotted around the area.
           
Permuda Island has an intriguing history about it. Archaeological remains dating back to 300 B.C. have been discovered here, including pottery. In the more recent past, the island was used to grow crops and to allow livestock to graze. Within these old fields grow broomsedge, dog fennel, asters, goldenrod and Mexican tea. In the 1940s and 50s, it was owned by a New Yorker who made it a hunting preserve. In 1983, plans were announced to build a 340-unit condominium and marina complex on Permuda Island, but local and state efforts, along with those of the North Carolina Coastal Federation, were able to preserve this land in its natural state.
           
So have paddle, will travel. There’s plenty to see. Put in and check out this unique Topsail area natural attraction.

Read more feature articles in the print edition of Waterfront Magazine.