Myrtle Beach, SC

We arrived in another state.  South Carolina started with cool, clear day.   Lots of sunshine and very polite motor boats.

I thought I'd add a few things that we learned from our trip through North Carolina to South Carolina.


The shoaling is very unpredictable.  It seems that erring to the right of the channel is the best way.  If the depth starts to get 7 ft or less, put the engine in neutral and start to search for the deeper water.  Best advice is to go slow and not to panic.  A soft grounding is easy to get off, a hard grounding might mean a call to the TOW boat.

If you really must get somewhere, go out in the ocean.  The ICW can be traveled quickly, but you miss so much.  We found that 30 to 40 miles per day works best for us.  You leave in daylight, you arrive in daylight.

There are many marinas that are cheap enough to stop over at days end.  Anchorages are few and many are shoaled.  Having a 6 ft draft has limited our anchoring options.  Also, we sleep better at a marina.Until we are sure that the anchorage is going to allow us to swing and is protected from wakes we are up checking the anchor and don't sleep well.  It seems that winter is a slow time for the ICW and we have found some great deals.

Purex washer/dryer sheets are the bomb for laundry.  You throw a sheet in with the wash, put the wet clothes in the dryer and the sheet acts as a fabric softener.  No bottles or boxes of detergent.  No spilling and easy to store.

Have a good VHF radio and turn it ON.  We have a hand held that we keep in the cockpit that monitors channel 16.  The VHF at the nav station is scanning channels 9, 13 and 16.  You call the bridges on 13.  We call for local knowledge if we think a bridge may have been replaced or have read that the bridge is under repair.  Vessels that want to pass you hail on channel 16.  It is nice to know which side they are planning to use during over taking you.

It helps to have your boat name visible.  Hailing port is not very important, but if people can read your name and easily pronounce the name, they are more likely to hail you and impart information.  Bridge tenders record your name as you go by.  You chat with folks as you pass each other. 

Be friendly and polite.  Talk to everyone as if you are a guest in their home.  Respect their views.  Religion, politics are part of a free society.  Listen to what people have to say.  You may not agree, but if you learn to listen to what they have to say, there is a better chance that they will listen to you.  You are visiting.  You might actually learn something.  If we want the dialogue to be civil and respectful, it has to start one person at a time. 

North Carolina has been viewed by us from another perspective.  It is a beautiful state.  The wildlife is diverse and exotic yet familiar.  First time I ever saw a deer swim.  Birds are comics.  They fly, dive and land in the funniest manner. 

We are going to go slow and savor the flavor of South Carolina.  The low country promises to have surprises around every turn.

fishermen

other fisherman

really low tide

the 99%

the 1%

myrtle beach

Moving in the cold

I forgot how cold it could get on the water.  We left at 7am yesterday for our 35 mile trek down the ICW.  I was looking forward to traveling the Cape Fear River.  It has been a while since we have been in a wide body of water.  We came through Snows Cut.  The current was fierce.  The engine was at 2200 rpm and we were traveling at 4.2 knts.  You really had to hold on to the wheel as you negotiated under the fixed bridge span.  We used to look up to see if we were close to scraping our antennas on the bridge spans.  That was too stressful; I don't look up anymore.  The Cape Fear river reminded me of the York river in Virginia.  Range lights, marks. but the reds were on the left and the greens were on the right.  We turned into Southport and were greeted by 18 and 20 ft depths.  AWHHH, deep water.  No bridges to open and traffic was light.

We were passed by George and the ladies right after we turned at Southport.  George was 'Captaining' and the ladies were steering.  You go, George!  Traveling down the ICW in his Chey Loy Lee trawler, 'slow roll' at the age of 84 with a group of ladies.  So far he has three ladies traveling with him, but he plans on picking up more on the way.

We had contacted St James Marina at mile marker 315.  We pulled in and were assigned a slip.  The price was great.  $1.05 per foot with the Boat US discount.  Now to do the laundry.  The other draw as the $1.00 washer and dryer.  Floating docks, beautiful scenery, washer/dryer, market/deli/restaurant on premises, what is not to like.

Before we left Wrightsville Beach we had a wonderful treat from Momma Nature, a double bow rainbow and dolphins playing in the water.  Whom ever said that the best things in life are free, was sooo right.  Hope you enjoy the pictures.  We are going to stay here today and try to get to Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Landing, tomorrow.  We are thinking of getting a cab and going to the Margaritaville Cafe and get a cheeseburger and a margarita.  Anyone know of a car/ride we can use? 

sunrise on Snow's Cut

Yum!

Ferry to Bald Head Island

Life at the Beach

We made it to Wrightsville Beach, NC.  Made three bridges in one day after starting at 6am.  We stopped at Swan Point Marina on Saturday night.  The marina had taken quite a hit from Irene.  For some reason (new moon) the tide was very low.  The only place we fit was in the travel lift well.  We got out of the anchorage by inches.  It took us 45 minutes to back out 100 yards.  At least the marina has a new trench. 

The scenery on this part of the ICW is beautiful.  Some of the homes on the shore are breath taking.  The fishing boats scurry around like waterbugs.  The current is a new challenge.  We were waiting for the bridge and Matt said for me to slow down.  I was in neutral doing 4 knts.  My solution was to do donuts until the bridge opened.  Many a motor boat was a bit miffed because they couldn't pass a 42 ft sailboat doing donuts in the middle of the channel.  They were throwing cuss words at me on the radio.  I sweetly wished them a blessed day (it was Sunday) and a Merry Christmas.  I told them Jesus and their Momma would be proud to hear them talk on the radio.  They got very quiet.  Ahhh, the bible belt.

We pulled into a nice marina.  It is actually a bar with a marina.  We pulled in and had three, count them three, guys to help us tie up the boat.  They gave us an extention for our power cord.  The marina doesn't have showers, but who cares, we have our own shower.  Free water, free ice and free wifi.  We ran out of propane and they had someone shuttle us to the hardware store and the grocery.  The costs are great!  $1.50 first night, $1.00 2nd night and 75 cents per foot the third night.  Plan on stopping a Dockside Marina, they are the best!

We met a bunch of folks on a trawler.  They have a blog, boatfoolsgoingsouth, they started at the Rappahanock River.  They are the owner, an 84 year old gentleman, and three ladies and their little dog.  They started with two ladies and enticed another lady to join them in Swansboro.  They are having a blast.  They travel, they stop, they party. 

Added pictures of Camp Lejune.  We crossed through the Marines target practice area.  We found the marked anchorages too shoaled for us.  We are staying at Dockside until a low pressure system passes.  Looking forward to finding anchorages in the low country of the Carolina.

how do you like my hat?

 

It is the day after Jessica D Tate Coon's birthday!  She is our beautiful, smart, wonderful oldest child.

We spend thanksgiving night and last night in Swansboro, NC.  We arrived in Swansboro after a very stressful day on the Bogue Sound.  The first part of the trip through Beaufort and Morehead City were fun.  Lots to see, surfing with the current doing 7.6 knts we rounded a corner and were greeted by dolphins and pelicans playing in the air/water.  We slowed down and just had a moment with our aquatic friends.

We entered the Bogue Sound.  Depths dropped to 12 to 15 ft.  We were following the magenta line and quickly ran aground.  We ungrounded and started again.  At this point the current was against us.  We bumped.  Two sailboat were behind us and asked to pass.  We were elated!  We could follow them and maybe not bump again.  They passed and we noticed they didn't stay on the magenta line, they stayed to the right.  I started steering right at the red marks.  No more bumping!  I was never so glad to get off a body of water.  Many of the charted islands were no longer visible in the water.  As we progressed south, the islands started appearing, first as a small sand bar, then as dune islands.  The dunes were full of bird life.  The grasses were swaying in the breeze.  It was a perfect sea scape.

We got to Swansboro just as the sun was setting.  The current was strong.  We anchored just below a bridge.  Put the Delta down with 60ft of chain.  We took our new Danforth anchor and dropped it off the bow.  I made leftover turkey, wild rice and green beans for dinner.  I went right to sleep.  Matt kept anchor watch.  I woke up about 2 am. Matt was still on anchor watch.  The current had shifted and we were being held by the Danforth.  After about an hour Matt decided the anchors would hold and I went back to sleep.  Morning arrived beautiful and sunny.  We were planning on traveling about 14 km and putting the hook down in a protected anchorage and getting some rest.  First, a stop at the fuel dock.  We pulled in behind one of the boats we followed yesterday.  Brenda greeted us and said that there was going to be a boat parade tonight and they were staying.  I asked the fuel dock attendant and he said they had room if we wanted to stay.  I told Matt we were going to stay to see the parade.  He said GREAT! 

Phil and Jennifer pulled in behind us.  They were traveling with Brenda and Bob.  Phil and Jennifer have a Nauticat 44 and Brenda and Bob have an S2- 36 ft.  The ladies decided to go shopping and the guys tackled Phil's battery problem.  Swansboro was all decked out for Christmas.  The streets were full of people and cars.  The mode was joyous.  I found a tobacco store that had a wonderful black raspberry tobacco blend that I bought for Matt.  The owner gave each of us ladies a cigar for smoking during the parade.

We had a pot luck dinner on the Nauticat and watched the parade.  They had motor boats, fishing boats, party boats and trawlers decorated in lights and music.  Santa was on a boat, there was a little Caesars pizza boat (everyone needs a slice), a swan, a coyote baying at the moon.  The boats made two passes and the judges picked the winners.  Looking at the waterfront, it seemed the whole town was there.  Laughter, children and Christmas carols could be heard throughout the crowd.  Such a great night.

What I learned:
Stop and enjoy the view

Follow another boat, use your charts, read the guidebooks.  Use all tools you can to make your trip easier.

Be flexible.  If we had not stayed in Swansboro, we would have missed meeting new friends and a super fun town event.

If you are not enjoying yourself, you might as well go back and live on the dirt.  Realize that the water
environment will give you challenges and beauty.

The day before Thanksgiving and we are cooking turkey and pie.  With any luck we will be able to get moving further south tomorrow.  The watermaker is working, the battery charger is charging and the wind vane is ready to take on a breeze. 

We went to our new favorite restaurant last night.  Matt and I traveled

Wow!  When you are cruising from place to place just small things can make you sooo happy.  We received the part, the battery charger from ProMariner yesterday and today the technician, Chuck Courtney, arrived right on time.  He got right to work and got the new part installed.  Hard to express how much better the ProMariner is that the Xantrex.  The batteries are reconditioned and charged.  What a concept, a product that works. 

The weather was a bit frosty this morning.  Put the heater on.  Read so many accounts of people living aboard without heat, hot water, pressured water.  I guess that I am spoiled, but I want the stuff that makes everything easier.  One of my favorite books is 'the Swiss Family Robinson', not for the ship wreck, but for the tree house they built.  the fashioned all the modern conveniences on an island.  I wonder if anyone found that island?  Do their inventions still work?  Maybe I'll find that island some day. 

Today the parts are out on the truck for delivery.  So I thought I'd show you the modifications we had made to the salon section of the boat.  The first picture is the boat when we picked it up from the factory in Lake Texoma, TX.  Yes the boat is made in the USA.  When we had the boat made, we decided not to have extra cabinets or shelves installed because we did not know where we wanted them and how our needs would dictate how we wanted the shelves/cabinets configured.  Five years later, still no shelves, and still no decisions.  But, we do use the open areas for guide books, computers and accessories.  We installed a 12 volt 'trucker' hd TV with a DVD player.  We hard wired the TV into the DC panel and it has a separate breaker.  I had a needlepoint that I made and made it into a cover for the TV.  We think we went a bit overboard on the bracket to hold the TV. 

I made mesh screens that hold stuff from shifting when the boat is in motion.  We have gone through some significant weather and choppy that tested the design.  So far, no carnage from stuff moving around.  We installed a fire extinguisher under the TV.  We have fire extinguishers in each section of the boat.  I could not find a place for a fire extinguisher in the galley, so the salon is the closest location. 

When we got the boat we did not have refrigeration.  We installed a 12 volt system under the port settee.  We have two plates that make up a freezer, with a spill over for the refrigerator area.  I can keep the freezer at 25F with a minimum of energy.  The boat came equipped with a divider made in the factory.  We lost that part during a slip on the dock that involved a scrotal tearing.  We try not to discuss the incident.  It brings up bad images.  Anyway, I created my own divider with the garden knee pads from the hardware store.  They seem to work. 

We also installed a tide clock and a half hull of the boat. 

The next section will deal with the galley.  TTFN