Leaving Morehead City.
Onslow Swing bridge, finally opened.
Southport marina docks. Leaving at sunrise again.
A decorated home along the way.
Down the beautiful Waccamaw River.
US 17 to Georgetown, SC
Georgetown SC, beautiful docks.
In time for the Veterans Day parade. Cute Coast Guard float.
Doing the laundry and relaxing in the sun.
Leaving Georgetown early in the morning.
Sunrise along the way.
Finally see signs of Charleston.
Past Patriot's point.
Finally, the 'delivery' to Charleston is complete.
11/08/2021 Monday Leg 7 - Beaufort to Harbor Village Marina in Hampstead NC
The weather is getting better, so it will be an early 6:30 departure to get to our next location before sunset – 66 nautical miles. We will now once again experience the lunar tides as well as the varied current from the inlets. Naturally, this creates unmarked shoals. This should prove to be a bit more challenging than what we have been through so far. The winds have died down considerably but still are in the low teens with gusting to the upper 20’s. Of course it probably will gust to 30+ when trying to leave the narrow slip and the shifting channel out of here. Here is our planned route to Harbor Village Marina.
Today’s adventure started early, with a 6:05 departure. Wind was from the NW which made for a somewhat easy departure out of the slip and then out of the marina. We motored about in a circle waiting for Marty to get underway – around 6:20. It was quite chilly, in the high 40’s and the wind was blowing 15-20 knots so we were bundled up with many layers. But, the sun was coming out and that made all the difference. We motored out of Beaufort and into Morehead City and down the ICW. All was progressing nicely as Sue was admiring the many homes along the waterfront and, even more importantly, seeing more animals and birds. We saw quite a few dolphin and even some deer in the wilderness. About half way, Marty heard something about the Onslow Swing bridge on the VHF radio. Apparently, it was closed as they were trying to repair it. It had a tentative repair time of 3 PM. That would put us late into the next marina (as well as everyone else going down) so I called and explained what was going on. We all decided to anchor in the ICW above the bridge awaiting the repairs. Not a problem. Well, it was for me. I went up to prepare the anchor and for some reason the windlass decided not to work anymore. I removed the chain from the windlass and deployed the anchor manually. Then I tied it off with the snubber line to the cleat. Not too much work. We then relaxed a bit and had lunch in the warm sun of the cockpit. The bridge radioed to everyone that they got it fixed early so we were to weigh anchor and get moving. That was the hard part – ugh, why did I purchase the extra heavy anchor? I finally manually retrieved the anchor and Sue quickly accelerated to get through the bridge opening. Since we will be staying in marinas the rest of the trip, this won’t be an issue. Well, the rest of the day went well. We learned to navigate the different currents at the inlets, some very strong, and stay in the ICW channel. We got to the marina by 5:00 and docked successfully in very nice floating docks. Then we had drinks and appetizers on Marty’s boat and then went back to our boat for dinner. Early to bed as we are tired after a 10 hour motoring day with added anchoring challenges. Tuesday should only be between 6 and 7 hours, so that is good.
11/09/2021 Tuesday Leg 8 - Harbour Village Marina to Southport Marina in Southport NC
Tuesday we are headed to Southport Marina in Southport which is about 42 miles meaning it should be between 6 and 7 hours. We expect similar challenges along the way that we experienced on Monday as we are continuing down a similar path.
Today, Tuesday, was a very pleasant day. I was up early to make coffee and get a quick breakfast so that we could get underway by 8 am. Departure was easy, as I pulled out of the slip and back into the ICW. The sun was warm and the air still a bit brisk so we wore multiple layers. These would be shed once the day wore on. We were enjoying the nature as well as the vast array of architecture displayed in the houses on the water banks. We arrived at the first bridge and requested the opening which was on the ½ hour. All went well and we passed through. The next bridge was 5 miles away but only opened on the hour. At first we tried to get there, but quickly realized that it was not worth the effort so we just slowed down and enjoyed the pretty environment. We were becoming quite used to the many changes of the currents as we motored past the openings to the ocean. One minute you are running with the tide zooming along at 8 knots and the next you are chugging along against the current at 5 knots. We hit a strong current as we were entering the Cape Fear River. We finally made it to our marina and docked on the outside. Tomorrow we will just peel away from the dock and keep on going. After cleaning up, we headed to dinner in the marina’s Josephs Italian Bistro and then back to The Office for some light reading and boater’s midnight.
11/10/2021 Wednesday Leg 9 - Southport Marina to Grande Dunes
Wednesday is a continuation of the same as we travel from Southport Marina to Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach SC 43 miles 6 hours 36 minutes.
Well, Wednesdays trip was just great. We left a little past sunrise in cool air and calm waters. The current hadn’t picked up as much as we anticipated so it was an easy departure. We got back into the groove of staying in the middle of the waterway and/or following the Bob423 line. This is from a sailor who has made the trip for over multiple years and he shares his track information. We find it comforting to know that we have this to follow along. It has been very accurate so far and only a few places have shoaled up to change our course – and those areas have buoys to direct you. There have been very few issues with water level due to the passing storms and king tide. We have had some challenges with the current though. At each inlet to the ocean you are generally fighting the current and then it gets squirrely in the area that meets with the inlet and then you have strong currents to push you along. One minute you are running high RPMs and just barely moving and the next you have low RPMs and are flying along. The current is so strong sometimes it would push you sideways. But, other than those, it was a simple day. We had 2 swing bridges today but both opened on demand so timing wasn’t an issue. Sue identified a new bird and was enjoying her new bird book to verify. We also saw turtles sunning on logs on the side of the waterway. No dolphins today but we did enjoy the various fowl life on the shorelines. We finally arrived at the Myrtle beach area and noticed the different sights and sounds on the ICW versus the I-95 road trip to our yearly vacation spot in North Litchfield, SC. It was 74 degrees so Sue suggested that I wash the boat – so I did. We then had appetizers with Marty and Stephanie followed by a dinner of reheated left overs.
11/11/2021 Thursday Leg 10 - Grande Dunes Marina to Georgetown, SC
Thursday should be a great day as we will be meeting up with the Waccamaw River and motoring past many of the areas we visited during our annual summer trip to North Litchfield Beach. We are both excited to get up early and head to Georgetown SC. 40.6 miles 8 hours
We awoke early for a 7:00 AM departure. The weather was brisk with the temperature in the high 50’s. So we layered up and I sprung off of my stern line to get off the wall and then headed out into the ICW. A sailor friend told me that what we were seeing in this section of the ICW was to be the best along the entire ICW. We were greeted with fall colored bald cypress trees draped with Spanish moss. Of course the herons were dotted along the coastline and the pelicans greeted us when we arrived in the Winyah Bay. We saw turtles again sunbathing on logs and interesting scenery along the way. This area is special to us as we vacationed on the beach side for many years. We had previously taken a Waccamaw River cruise and learned about the history of the rice and Indigo plantations. We motored past Brookgreen Gardens from which we gazed at the river many years before. We passed many places which could be a very nice anchorage – something to plan for as we return. As the day wore on, we removed layers until we arrived in Georgetown where the temperature was a comfortable 72 degrees. When we arrived in Georgetown we were able to walk one block into town and experience their Veteran’s Day Parade. After that we walked around the town and came back to the boat for a nap and then out to dinner. Georgetown is a town that seems to be coming back to life as there were many more restaurants and shops than we remembered. Dinner was at our favorite restaurant, River Room. This was a good-by dinner with Marty and Stephanie as we would separate tomorrow. They needed to get to Charleston earlier. The second day in Georgetown we relaxed on board, I vacuumed and cleaned the inside as Sue used the marina’s laundry facilities. We found an authentic southern restaurant downtown, Soco Grille, walked around a bit, and then called it a day.
11/13/2021 Saturday Leg 11 - Georgetown, SC to Charleston
Georgetown to Charleston is going to prove to be very interesting. There is a strip where we need to pay very close attention to the timing as we must be there at mid-tide or higher. So, as our first time on our own, we get navigate a difficult stretch of the ICW. This picture shows us going out into the ocean to avoid the shallow areas. We might do that or just chance it. You will find out Saturday night or Sunday. Monday starts our dock assignment in the Cooper River Marina.
Saturday morning, in Georgetown, we awoke very early to get underway by 6:30 – right at sunrise. I calculated we needed to maintain an average speed of 6.5 knots to get to the marina before they close. Unfortunately this put us at the location along the way that had the most warnings about shallow water. It was a brisk morning with steam rising from the water as the sun introduced itself to the world. We motored out towards the ocean on the Winyah River until we reached the cut off for the ICW at the Estherville Minim Creek Canal. There was a trawler in front of us that I called to and asked their draft. Since it was greater than ours we agreed that I could follow. Close enough that I could be in their path but not so close that if they went aground I couldn’t back down. We were making great time initially since the current was with us and we were moving along at over 8 knots. An interesting aspect of traveling on the ICW is that the current changes depending on the tide and which side of an inlet you are on. Once you cross an inlet, the current changes. So, it isn’t possible to count on the current pushing you for the entire tidal period. But, we caught enough that we maintained a great average speed. Of course at each inlet one must slow down as this is where shoaling occurs. We arrived at Jeremy Creek at McClellanville where the dreaded low spots were. We slowed, waiting for an impending grounding, but the water depth never went below 8 feet. Once past, we motored along, slowing for the areas noted in the book, but by now the tide was returning and my blood pressure was lowering. About two hours out from the Ben Sawyer Swing bridge I called our lead boat and did a slow pass, so we could speed up to make the bridge opening. Once past the bridge, we popped out into the Charleston bay and motored with the current towards our marina. We arrived around 3 pm, turned around and docked stern to. We tide up securely, plugged in, and then had a final rum celebratory shot. This part of the journey was complete.
If you zoom in on the chart section you will see that the journey from Georgetown to Charleston meandered through the low country of South Carolina. For most of the ride we were in Francis Marion National Forest – he is also known as the Swamp Fox. Anyway, it was full of beautiful marshlands and wildlife. Then returned to civilization at Isle of Palms where we were greeted with fancy beach homes, and too many people and power boats. In hindsight, I would do this leg in two days, either anchoring out in one of the picturesque anchorages or docking at a marina in Jeremy Creek.
Well, this part of the trip is complete. We are spending the next few days cleaning things up and getting the boat ready for our absence as we return to PA. Early next year we will continue out journey south, at a much slower pace, into Florida before returning home to Parkside.