11/29/2011 RIVERS, CUTS AND CREEKS

TUESDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 46 NM

DOCKED AT: DATAW ISLAND MARINA ON MORGAN CREEK - 3 MILES SW OF 521       (? /FT W/P OVERALL)

SUNRISE AT ST JOHNS MARINA: 7:02 AM

SUNSET AT DATAW ISLAND: 5:17 PM

HIGH: 54

LOW: 39

Dan was ambitious this morning and installed the necessary pump for the as yet unused water-maker. It took him all of 15 minutes. Now he has to install a switch and complete the electrical hook-up and we will be able to make our own fresh water from salt water. Since fresh water in the Bahamas is almost nonexistent, each island must desalinate the sea water for its residence as well as mariners docked at their marinas. You are charged by the gallon for all water used. Understandably this can be quite expensive for everyone. Now the guys at Rocky Point Marina in Oregon installed our “watermaker” but we found that an additional pump was needed and never finished the process until now. Yea, another project “almost” completed. It will be working when we leave for the Bahamas this year.

Carl Graack (843-834-6666), the diver that arrived this morning to save Dan from having to make a plunge into the cold waters, found the problem right away. First he took off about 20’ of old, rusty chain from the propeller and then the 10’ of attached rope. He also scrapped the mass of barnacles from the running gear, plucked a few from the hull and installed new zincs on the shaft. Now we are all “ship shape” and ready to go.

THE CULPRIT AT THE ROOT OF OUR  PROBLEM

CARL'S TRUSTY ASSISTANT

THE MANLY TOOLS OF DIVER CARL
NOW THAT'S A PIPE WRENCH!

Meanwhile, Flint and Leslie from Grace Full kindly gave me a ride to the local Piggly Wiggly Market to replenish supplies. Thanks so much! Be sure to send healing thoughts for Leslie when she has surgery to replace her knee in two weeks.

Image via Wikipedia

YEP, THE PIGGLY WIGGLY REALLY DOES EXIST

GRACE FULL

With all our chores done we were able to cast off about 11:30. Our destination was Beaufort, SC but we knew that was going to be a real push.

The ICW utilize an assortment of waterways. Today’s travels in North Carolina took us from St. John’s on the Stono River into a cut to the headwaters of the Wadmalaw River. From there we entered the Dawho River at White’s Point and proceeded through the North Creek and Watts Cut before entering the broad South Edisto River. Then came the short Fenwick Cut to the Ashepoo River, the Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff, Coosaw River and finally entered Parrott Creek that took us three miles up to Dataw Island Marina at Morgan Creek. Whew!!!!

With sunset past and darkness swiftly approaching we had amended our day’s plans that took us to Beaufort and sought refuge at the closer Dataw Island. After trying sever times to rouse someone at the marina (it was by now after 5), we slipped up to the empty transient dock and tied up for the night.

RUNNING LATE ENABLED US TO CAPTURE THIS SPLENDID SIGHT

It was a short evening, coming in so late and retiring early for our projected dawn departure. This peaceful local was only interrupted by the frequent drone of military planes from the nearby installations.

11/28/2011 WAVING TO CHARLESTON AND ON TO ST. JOHNS YACHT HARBOR ON THE STONO RIVER

MONDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 50 NM

DOCKED AT: ST JOHNS YACHT HARBOR MILE MARKER 472.5 ($1.50 /FT W/P OVERALL WITH BOATUS DISCOUNT)

SUNRISE AT THE SANTEE RIVER, NC: 7:00 AM

SUNSET AT ST JOHNS YACHT HARBOR ON STONO RIVER: 5:00 PM

HIGH: 75

LOW: 45

After our night of interrupted sleep we were pulling up anchor by 7:00 and enjoying the morning skies and balmy temperatures. By 8:30 it was already 67 and rising.

THE MORNING SKIES AS WE LEAVE OUR SOUTH SANTEE RIVER ANCHORAGE

Following the ICW through connecting rivers, cut canals, expansive bays and ocean inlets offers up a wide variety of experiences for us boaters. Not only are the waterways varied but the scenery along the way spans from derelict vessels to working dredges, from expansive marshes to expensive developments and an array of abundant wildlife on top of all that. Just think, all of it ours to marvel at and appreciate. How lucky are we?

HARD TIMES HERE

THESE WORKERS ARE DRIVING PILINGS FOR THIS DOCK

A GRANDIOSE WATERFRONT HOME

GEESE AND CORMORANTS SCATTER AS QUEST APPROACHES

Since the traveling was going so well we just scooted by our original destination, Isle of Palm, and waved as we passed by Charleston. We were making great time and the conditions were good. We happily sailed Wappoo Creek then came almost to a screeching halt entering the narrow Elliott Cut. Holy cow! Quest’s engines were churning out the RPMs that should have pushed us along at 10 knots but we were barely making 4.5 knots in the forceful ebbing tide. One sailboat trying to enter the cut before us had to throw in the towel and wait for the currents to moderate some.

THRIVING CHARLESTON HARBOR

ENTERING THE NARROW, SWIFTLY EBBING ELLIOTT CUT

At the junction of Elliott Cut and the Steno River I found my house. There were rivers on two sides, massive oak trees that offered shading from summer sun, an inviting porch encircling the hose, rocking chairs, dormers peeking out from the roof and lovely craftsman style pillars. I love it!

THIS COULD BE IT!!!

Once on the Steno River we headed for St. Johns Marina to fuel up and, once again, seek shelter from the approaching storm. While fighting the swift current and maneuvering tight quarters in the approach to the fuel dock, the lack of sufficient power in the starboard engine and a peculiar slapping sound alerted us to the fact that we had wrapped something around our shaft. Always something! We now have a diver scheduled to remove the obstruction tomorrow morning.

While fueling, Flint on “Grace Full” introduced himself and reminded us that we had all been at the Eastern Shore Marina in Mobile Bay last November. He and Leslie later joined us on Quest for cocktails and lots of good stories while the rain storm settled upon us.

St. Johns Marina is one of those places that makes you really appreciate your BoatUS membership. The fuel was decently priced to begin with but discounted .05/gal for BoatUS and another .05 if you purchased over 300 gallons. No problem! They also discounted the dockage by 20% with your membership. Nice deal!

11/27/2011 A NIGHT ON THE HOOK IN THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER

11/27/2011 MYRTLE BEACH TO ANCHOR IN THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER


SUNDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 59 NM

ANCHORED IN THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER

SUNRISE: 6:59 AM IN MYRTLE BEACH

SUNSET: 5:11 PM IN THE SOUTH SANTEE RIVER

HIGH: 72

LOW: 52

The Waccamaw River section of the ICW was resplendent with cypresses dripping with moss and turtles basking in the sun. We were on the alert for a possible gator sighting but alas, our efforts were fruitless!

THE WHOLE "FAM DAMILY" SUNNING ON A LOG

MOSS DRAPED CYPRESS

At one point today we did encountered a north bound barge and at the same time there were three little fishing boats zipping around like flies. You almost needed someone directing traffic!

MAKING A "ONE BELL PASS"

Creeks like Prince, Bull and Cow House dumped into the waterway as we continued south. Crossing Winyah Bay we attracted a seagull following. We were like the Pied Piper leading these “flying rats” south.

SEAGULLS HOT ON OUR TAIL

INTRIGUING TO WATCH THOUGH

Tonight we anchored in the South Santee River, delighted in the sunset, barbecued fish and got the cards out for Gin. I am happy to report that I “whipped” Dan then had the sense to quit while still ahead.

DAN MADE A QUICK RECONNAISSANCE OF THE ANCHORAGE

ANOTHER LOVELY SUNSET 

Sometime after 1:00 AM the lovely lapping of the waters changed to the sound of the tender tapping on the swim step. It turned out to be a blessing because Dan found that our anchor was dragging when he got up to re-secure the tender. The drag alarm on the Garmin is a good thing but the sound of its soft beeping doesn’t quite make it to our stateroom. Kathy and Garth reported that they solved this dilemma on their Hatteras with a baby monitor, the base unit at the source with the receiver in the stateroom. Kathy also thought this was a good excuse for a trip to Target. Good girl!

11/26/2011 AND NOW WE ARE IN SOUTH CAROLINA

SATURDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY:   38 NM

DOCKED AT: BAREFOOT LANDING MARINA IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC
($1.60 /FT W/P OVERALL)

SUNRISE: 6:54 AM IN SOUTHPORT, NC

SUNSET: 5:07 PM IN MYRTLE BEACH, SC

HIGH: 72

LOW: 50

Even though Southport is not a bustling town, the eager fishermen had the Quest swaying in their wakes as they left seeking fertile waters around 5:30 this morning. Even the sport fishing boats that were being delivered south were off just as the sun began to think of peaking above the horizon. We, however, enjoyed a leisure morning until 9:00 before starting our day’s travels. We have no need of the heater now and the skies, once again, were clear with the sun displaying his brilliance all day.

THE CAPTAINS IN A RUSH TO GET THEIR BOATS DELIVERED SOUTH

Today’s voyage took us past shrimp trawlers and kayakers in the Holden Beach area, offered us a view of the calm ocean through Shallotte Inlet and gave us great samples of the magnificent old oak trees that we are now amongst.


SHRIMP BOATS



ENJOYING THE DAY ON KAYAKS

SHALLOTTE INLET AND THE CALM SEA





OAK TREES NOW PEPPER THE LANDSCAPE

Well, check off another state as we are now in South Carolina. Barefoot Landing Marina is adjacent to a complex rife with shops and restaurants. After meandering through the bazaar we dined in Greg Norman’s Shark Pub, just outside our door.

Here is a little tidbit about how Myrtle Beach got its name.  It seems that after incorporating in 1957 they ran a contest to find the perfect name.  The winner came from a suggestion to honor the abundant Southern Wax Myrtle.   

Image via Wikipedia

NOW YOU CAN SEE WHERE WE ARE ON THE EASTERN COAST
Image via Wikipedia MYRTLE BEACH IS IN THE NORTHEAST OF SOUTH CAROLINA

11/25/2011 SURF CITY TO SOUTHPORT, NC

FRIDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 43 NM

DOCKED AT: SOUTHPORT MARINA ($1.88 /FT W/P OVERALL)

THE  ""MISS JUDY

SUNRISE IN SURF CITY: 6:53 AM

SUNSET IN SOUTHPORT: 5:04 PM

HIGH: 62

LOW: 30




Folks, let me tell you that the bridge openings really dictate our schedule. The adjacent Surf City Swing Bridge opens only on the hour between 7 AM and 7 PM. We missed the 8:00 but were eagerly queued up for the 9:00 opening. The next bridge, the Figure Eight Island Swing Bridge, is a distance of 18 miles and opens on both the hour and the half hour. We stepped up our slow pace to a slightly-quicker slow pace to make the 11:00 opening then took our time getting to the Wrightsville Beach Swing Bridge for its noon opening.

Nearing the Wrightsville Beach area we appreciated the beautiful homes lining the channel as well as the whimsical “beach” scene with its dilapidated palapa, plastic palm tree and the requisite parking meter that so often restricts your beach time.

BEAUTIFUL HOMES LINING THE CHANNEL

CAN YOU BELIEVE THE SETTING?

 

WHAT MORE COULD YOU ASK FOR AT THE BEACH?

Once south of the Wrightsville Swing Bridge we waved to the diners at The Dockside that specializes in seafood and super Bloody Mary’s rimmed with Old Bay spices.

THE DOCKSIDE MARINA AND RESTAURANT













The waterways were congested with families and anglers on this Thanksgiving holiday weekend. More than once Dan had to deal with passing boats that didn’t have the knowledge to slow down for us cruisers or just didn’t care. That certainly was not true of all the boaters we encountered though as most are truly courteous. We passed the community dock for our Wilmington home but it was pretty quiet today as many people already have their boats out for the season.

OUR DOCK FOR THE SOUTHEAST HARBOR HOMEOWNERS

Moving on we took Snow’s Cut to the Cape Fear River where we headed south, away from downtown Wilmington. Now the Wilmington area is not only home to the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (Steven graduated from there two years ago) but also the battleship U.S.S. North Carolina, the largest domestic TV and movie production facility outside of California and the cutest little international airport. This airport is on the site of the old WW II POW Camp. Also, the eastern end of Interstate 40, the 3ed longest east-west major Interstate Highway, shows that it is only 2,554 miles to the western end in Barstow, California.

Tonight was spent in charming Southport, our last stop in North Carolina. Scenes from TV’s Dawson Creek and the movies Night’s in Rodanthe, Dreams of the Heart and I Know What You Did Last Summer were shot here. We discovered this little gem several years before Steven’s schooling brought us to Wilmington but our schedule never allowed us to dock here while cruising.

THE PIER IN SOUTHPORT

11/24/2011 THANKSGIVING DINNER ON A REPLICA ON AN 1880 RIVERBOAT WITH A PIRATE

MORHEAD CITY TO SURF CITY ON TOPSAIL ISLAND, NC


THURSDAY

TOTAL MILES TRAVELED TODAY: 50 NM

DOCKED AT: BEACH HOUSE MARINA IN SURF CITY,NC ($2.00 /FT W/P OVERALL)

SUNRISE: 6:50 AM IN MOREHEAD CITY, NC         
 SUNSET: 5:01 PM IN SURF CITY, NC

HIGH: 61
LOW: 36

What a beautiful Thanksgiving morning! As last night’s wind blew the front on through it ushered in some cooler temperatures but the skies are crystal clear and the sun is bursting at the seams to shine on us all.

WE WAVED GOODBYE TO OUR NEIGHBORS

DAN TENDING TO THE TENDER

We are beginning to see more sea life with the presences of jelly fish and even a few dolphins to brighten our day. The seabirds are plentiful and include seagulls, pelicans and cormorants.

A DOLPHIN LEADING US OUT THE CHANNEL

THE PELICANS HAVE TAKEN OVER THIS LITTLE ISLAND

The homes along this stretch of the waterway range from small, old abodes to those exceptional ones that really catch your attention. This one was one of my favorites.

WHAT A PERFECT SETTING THIS BEAUTIFUL HOME OCCUPIES

Before 11:30 we passed into Camp Lejeune territory. Since they often engage in small-weapons firing, landing exercises with and even a few bombing maneuvers the area is well posted with warning signs. Luckily the lights were not flashing to warn us that the area would be restricted from passage today. Camp Lejeune was also the first site of America’s space program before it relocated to Cape Canaveral.

LUCKILY THE LIGHTS WERE NOT FLASHING TODAY

THIS DERELICT TANK USED FOR SMALL-WEAPONS
EXERCISES IS RIDDLED WITH HOLES

Our timing was great and we arrived at the USMC owned and operated Onslow Swing Bridge just prior to their noon opening. Our group of 5 boats passed south, one passed going north and we all gratefully thanked the bridge tender for being there on Thanksgiving Day.

WAITING FOR THE NOON OPENING OF THE
USMC ONSLOW SWING BRIDGE

Our destination for the night was Topsail Island. This resort community was established as an Indian fishing village but got its name from the pirate era. The evil pirates would hide their ships in the small channels behind the dunes and watch for approaching merchant ships then attack and take off with their booty. The merchant ship learned to watch for the “topsails” of the hidden pirates, thus the name Topsail for the island.

Now speaking of pirates, we were lucky enough to have our Thanksgiving meal with one. Just after securing Quest at the marina we assisted The Belle of Topsail, a 55’ replica of an 1880 riverboat, in docking after their Thanksgiving Day Cruise. Captain David and his wife Sharon generously invited us to join them and the crew (including the requisite pirate) to a scrumptious turkey dinner from the leftovers of the cruise. David and Sharon run The Belle and The Raven, a pirate ship, in the ICW for an enjoyable, relaxing, entertaining, and informative escape back in time. You can get more information from their website at www.belleoftopsail.com. Thanks including us in your Thanksgiving feast!

THE BELLE OF TOPSAIL

ALL DECORATED UP FOR TOMORROW NIGHT'S HOLIDAY FLOTILLA