Lots of photo so little room - North Myrtle Beach to River Dunes

Oh what a relief it is!

The last post we were doing great, left Georgetown with a new battery bank, arrived in North Myrtle Beach with no problems.

We live in a Boat.

Sunday was a bright sunny day we left the landing in perfect timing for the swing bridge-- off and running. We actually did 61.3 nautical miles (A statute mile is 5,280 feet in length.
A nautical mile is 6,076.11549... feet in length.) All was well in the world.

Monday---- the evil genie descended. This portion of the ICW is marsh grass, homes, dozens of little inlets creating  shoals in the ICW. I will do a little complaining,  the ICW does not appear to be well maintained in North Carolina. Channel markers are missing, but more to the detriment of boaters the channel is not dredged. We came to a place where there was less than 50’ between us and a dock or less than 4’ of water, and getting through this portion is shallow. We bumped but managed to free ourselves.  Then there was a crazy zig-zag with a crucial marker missing. We had frazzled nerves but got through arriving at the Onslow Bridge.

It would not open-- stopped because live fire exercises going on between Navy Warships and Camp Lejune-  water way was closed until 5 pm  or later, maybe.  We arrived at this point at 2:45. They finally opened the bridge but we still could go no farther than the patrol boats. You can actually here the BOOM when they fire. I will tell you if there was a huge splash that would have been the end of my nerves.  We were given the go ahead and motored well past the range, dropped anchor just a tad off the ICW … it was a fretful night for both of us, fishing boats going by at full speed and a change in tide set off the anchor alarm and you do have to check it out every time.

Dawn came with gray skies, thank heaven no rain. We listen to the new announcements of live fire exercises with a grateful smile that we were well past that mess. I think on our return trip we will skip this part of the ICW and go outside. I think braving the Atlantic would be less nerve wracking.

We arrived at 4 pm at one of our favorite marinas River Dunes, outside of Oriental NC. They have a car available, with Cool Hand secured to the dock, we went out to dinner and did some much needed grocery shopping.

Tomorrow we are off again… still 180 miles to go 

Bridge at Wrightsville

It is amazing to see these large Herons perched in a tree

dredging of a channel to the ocean... not the ICW

this is for Jennie and Meggie

I love the blue on this house... it just pops on this sunny day

I remember this house from 2012 -- they have kept it us and
added some new paintings of birds and fish

all stop at the Onslow bridge 

this Heron was perched in the pine tree I used as a visual
marker all night to check that we were not drifting 

sunset after a hectic day

Navy patrol boats keeping the waterway closed

Broad Creek entrance almost to River Dunes

Neuse River 

Navy war ship --- 

feeding time

Turtle watching day... 10/4

October 4^th

Georgetown to North Myrtle beach by way of the Waccamaw River.  

The landscape has changed dramatically. We no longer have flat marsh grass to the horizon but our coffee colored river is bordered with cypress, live oak, tall grasses, with a smattering of fall color here and there to add panache to the scene. There are very few birds that can be seen, however we soon started to spot turtles sunning themselves on the logs, roots, and stumps along the riverbank.

We started the morning in jackets and sweatshirts… mid-afternoon sun warmed the cockpit, shimmered in the trees. We still had a brisk wind that gave this river a good chop, nothing that Cool Hand Too could not comfortable motor through.

Our new battery bank is working keeping instruments on and all other things operating. We did take readings throughout the day, Tom very relieved that everything was running great.

This section of the ICW quickly finds civilization and we motored by houses of all variety, the channel getting narrow… no anchor sites. We finally docked at Barefoot Landing Marina, right in front of a restaurant. Hopefully it will be a quite night for them.

We are at mile 354.4 – getting closer. 

new battery bank, Interstate GC 2
golf cart batteries. 

Leaving Hazzard Marina, windy, cloudy... no rain in
forecast 

Hot Oatmeal with fruit for breakfast

ok ladies... lets see you stretch that leg, feel the burn

only bridge we had to have opened for us, 

Sunset, Georgetown Part two 10/1

Returned from a walk in memory lane. Tom and I went for a stroll to Georgetown to get some lunch. As we were passing various land marks, homes, museums and shops, our visit here in 2012 returns. We ate lunch at Thomas Res truant, both of us ordering Philly cheese steak sandwiches. Finished with lunch we walked on to Kudzu Bakery and purchased fresh baked bread, rolls, and cookies. Also got some unique ravioli- pear and Gorgonzola  and bacon, cheese. 

We passed a yarn shop but the scowl on Toms face prevented me entering. :)

It has gotten quite warm, so hatchs all sealed and air conditions rumbling on. 

Tomorrow, I might stroll back to town for another stroll in memory lane.

Hat I finished while in Johns Marina
It fits

finished Christmas stocking - first try
already started on the second one

what a wonderful peaceful sunset

off again in the Ditch on a beautiful sunny day

peek a boo

9/30 to 10/1 there is sun in South Carolina Part One

10/1/2014 Georgetown SC

Hello again from the Carolina ICW, specifically South Carolina. … 410 miles to Norfolk.

We left Johns Island 9/30 with the sun trying to burn away the clouds. There was a little chill in the air, had long pants, jackets and sweatshirts on.  We made it through Elliott cut with no problems, timing the opening of the Wappoo Creek Bridge perfectly. It is a narrow cut with a fast running current so timing is everything. 

The skies cleared by noon, jackets and sweatshirts were discarded and we made our way up Charleston Harbor, passed Fort Sumter, back in the winding creeks, rivers and cuts of the ICW. It was a bird watching day with egrets, herons, and osprey. We caught glimpses of dolphins but they were elusive creatures, very camera shy.  

We decided to anchor in Santee Creek and much to our --- rather Tom’s chagrin --- the anchor winch would not work.  We believe this is still part of our ongoing electrical, battery, and generator, trying to figure it out, problems. The anchorage was splendid. We had a gorgeous sunset, then hordes of mosquitoes arrived and we hurried down below, sealed up and swatted at buzzes all night.

Morning promised another great day- after Tom manually hulled up the anchor. We decided to go as far as Georgetown and Hazzard Marina. They are a repair facility and a electrician that comes highly recommended. We may need new batteries- no easy job as they weigh over 100 lbs. It is a nice town and we will be here at least a couple of days getting this latest “boat thing” taken care of.

For now we have eagles, jumping fish, derelict boats, and places to walk to in Georgetown.

L and T on

Cool Hand Too

Sun starting to brighten the marsh grasses 

I thought this was a cool house in Elliott cut

Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry sea fort located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots that started the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861.^[4][5] In 1966, the site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.^[3]

Pelicans sunning 

Whappoo Creek Bridge opening for us

gathering of White Herons and Egrets

There has to be over a hundred birds on this dock

there is actually an inlet that the shrimp boat is traveling on
it did look like it was floating on a sea of grass