November 3, 2019 - November 9, 2019
We left Beaufort at around 7:45 am on Sunday which is later than usual, but we needed to time the tides to some areas we would be encountering later in the day. The weather for the first two days of travel was mild and sunny and our days ended by 3:00pm. The first night we anchored in Mile Hammock Bay which is within the grounds of Camp LeJuene. We were one of the first of twelve other boats to anchor there for the night. Lola had been a little lethargic lately so I made a point of playing with her out on the cabin top that afternoon. She attacked a line I teased her with with great vigor. We have to remember that she needs this kind of play time.
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| The Pink House, as we have named it, sits on its own island on the west side of the ICW. |
Our second night we anchored at Wrightsville Beach. The wind had picked up in the afternoon, but calmed down in the evening. We woke up to cloudy skies, warm temperatures, and a short rain storm. We raised our anchor and headed off to Southport. On the Cape Fear River we were joined by a pair of dolphins. They swam, dived, and surfaced along side the boat for several minutes. The pair was most likely a female and her young as the young dolphins stay with their mother for about three years to learn the social and food gathering behaviors necessary for survival. It was a short trip and we arrived in time to have lunch at one of our favorite spots, Fishy Fishy. As we were walking home the rain that had been threatening all day began in earnest. We relaxed inside listening to the sound of the rain on the boat. Southport is one of our favorite stops on the ICW, it seems almost like a home port. On our stay over day in Southport we got out our folding bikes and road around town and out Howe Street to a great Italian Restaurant, Bambini’s. The whole trip was about five miles.
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| Brightly painted shutters at Fishy, Fishy |
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| The seafood market with brightly colored floats hanging outside |
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| Pelicans are one of my favorite marine birds.
On Thursday we had three trouble spots to get through. We left at 6:30 am just as the sun was rising in order to hit these spots with a favorable tide. At low tide we would be more likely to go aground or touch bottom at some point. Lockwood’s Folly Inlet was the first trouble spot, next came Shallot Inlet. We got through both with no trouble. Bob studies many sources of information on issues like these and plots our course meticulously saving us from making mistakes. He is usually at the helm through these tough spots and I am watching with binoculars to identify buoys and day markers. We make a good team. The last spot of concern was Little River Inlet which we breezed through with no problems. Inlets from the ocean like these are particularly difficult to navigate because of the strong currents which produce ever changing areas of shoaling.
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| Seeing this large casino boat as we rounded a bend in the ICW channel was quite a surprise! |
We docked at Barefoot Landing Marina by 2:00 pm, tired, but happy to be through the trouble spots. Barefoot Landing is in the Myrtle Beach area. Jimmy Buffet’s sister, Lulu, has recently completed a complex including a restaurant, arcade and rope climbing area across the ICW from Barefoot Landing Marina. It looks like the area is headed toward being a major stop on the ICW.
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At night Lulu’s takes on a carnival spirit with bright lights and music.
Leaving the marina at 7:30 am we were in for a rather boring day of canals and a long the winding Waccamaw River. The weather changed drastically from the day before. I was in shorts and a tank top yesterday, but in jeans and a sweatshirt today.
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| Palatial houses lined the ICW in the Myrtle Beach area. |
We were docked at the Dry Stack Marina in Georgetown, SC by 2:30pm. After checking in we walked downtown to get some ice cream.
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| Sweeties has delicious ice-cream. |
On Saturday the marina dock master gave us a ride to the Food Lion and back to the marina after we purchased all of the supplies we needed. After I stowed all of the groceries I took my camera for a walk around the marina and town. Georgetown is the third oldest town in South Carolina and contains historic houses, the rice museum, and the old shrimp dock. Nearby are old rice and indigo plantations that can be toured.
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| This is the view of the harbor and Harbour Walk from our dock. The shrimp boats are docked in front of the old shrimp processing plant. |
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| Here's the entrance to our Marina. |
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| This is a window in the old fish house next to the marina. |
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| The Cleland House, pictured here, was built in 1737 by John and Mary Perry Cleland on Front Street. Local legend claims it is haunted. To read the story go to this link .https://www.hauntedplaces.org › item › leland-house |
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| Front Street is lined on both sides by live oaks. |
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| The Harbor Walk a is lined with restaurants and shops. |
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| Costal Carolina University docks its marine research vessel in Georgetown. |
Tomorrow we will start our three day trip to Beaufort, SC.
Thanks for reading my blog.
