Wind ripples the sails of Bella, a 45-foot catamaran, as she floats quietly through the gentle blue waters of the Intracoastal Waterway. On board the brunch cruise, passengers dine on pastries and sip mimosas, bloody Marys, and coffees while gazing upon the white sand beaches of Masonboro Island. The experience is one of several new offerings from Soundside Adventures, which offers water excursions and experiences out of Wrightsville Beach.
After growing up in Wilmington and studying marine biology at UNCW and Marine Technology at Cape Fear Community College, learning to sail was a natural next step for Soundside Adventures’ owner Matty Roberts. Once he graduated, he worked on sailboats and taught marine biology and scuba diving through Sea|mester, an at-sea study abroad program, then worked on racing sailboats in the Caribbean and the Mediterranean before returning to his hometown.
Bella offers curated sailing excursions, from a mid-morning Brunch Cruise to an evening Cocktail Sail. Photography courtesy of Soundside Adventures
Back in Wilmington, Roberts befriended the late Bill Baggett, former owner of the Blockade Runner Beach Resort — now Trailborn Surf & Sound — and helped him with the resort’s sailing charters. Together, the pair started a sailing school, which transitioned into cruises and excursions. Now, Roberts is the sole owner.
The two-hour brunch cruise, like all of Soundside Adventures’ cruises, begins at the Trailborn Dock in Wrightsville Beach. It then sails down Banks Channel, through Masonboro Inlet, into the Atlantic, and along the Intracoastal Waterway. It passes iconic restaurants like Dockside, Bluewater Waterfront Grill, Fish House Grill, and Motts Channel Seafood, as well as gorgeous homes in Wilmington near Airlie Gardens and on Wrightsville Beach and Harbor Island. Passengers often see dolphins cresting in the waves, sea turtles popping their heads up, and black skimmers diving into the water in search of fish.
Another of Soundside Adventures’ new offerings is the half-day charter. For this customizable cruise, passengers can bring their own food and drinks and have the flexibility to choose the destination, whether it’s Carolina Beach, Bald Head Island, Southport, or through the Cape Fear River to the Wilmington Riverwalk. Passengers can disembark to explore their destinations and can even stay overnight before hopping back on the charter the next day.
A third and final new cruise is the two-hour cocktail cruise, which sets sail aboard Bella in the evening and follows the same path as the brunch cruise. The star of the experience is sunset over Masonboro Island, and during their journey, passengers can sip on custom cocktails like the Sound Side Spritz, made of white rum, pineapple juice, coconut water, club soda, and lime juice. As an optional add-on, the crew can bring a grill and serve dinner.
Soundside Adventures also offers hands-on sailing lessons, where guests can learn the ropes under the guidance of expert instructors. Photography courtesy of Soundside Adventures
During the cruises, the crew shares tidbits of local history, points out bird nesting sites, sets up a boom swing for passengers to jump off the boat, and invites passengers to help sail. “We normally tell people that they can learn as much or as little on the cruises as they want,” Roberts says. “They can be involved and help steer the boat and sheet in the sails, or they can sit back and relax and sit in a beanbag up at the bow and just have cocktails served to them as we cruise them around our beautiful areas.”
Ready to set sail? Click here to learn more and to plan your experience.
Soundside Adventures
275 Waynick Boulevard
Wrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 622-2503
soundside-wb.com
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