While you were away for Memorial Day weekend, we did some major boat movin’ up the Carolina coast. We violated our usual rule of not doing this on any weekend, and to do it on a holiday one is kinda crazy but we had a weather window and experienced ICW boaters to accompany us.
We left Charleston Harbor alone on 5/21 at 6:15 a.m. in the rain, 20 knot wind and 2 foot seas so I was not able to get a picture of Fort Sumpter. As we journeyed up, around and through the narrow ICW, we had low tide, high winds and white caps and Marker 86 was missing in a very difficult section. Yikes. We then noticed seagulls following us. We had just passed McClellanville where we saw the lowest ever depths of 4.6 feet at Red 36/Green 37. Were the seagulls going to dive bomb us; did they think that we were a shrimp boat; or were they drafting behind us as they could not get airborne? Choice #3 as they followed us for 20 miles and then left us for a bigger trawler—birds are fickle that way. We were so glad to pull into the Georgetown Landing Marina and meet up again with Mike and Pegge on Avalon. They are liveaboards on their beautiful Kadey-Krogen trawler, both have their Master Captains license, and are the nicest people you could meet. It is such a stress relief to hook up with boaters who have ICW experience and are willing to take us under their wing. Mileage: 67 statute miles.
We explored Georgetown a little and here is my sweetie having a cup of homemade praline ice cream with carmelized pecans at Sweeties. A tough day deserves a reward. We left Georgetown with Avalon on 5/22 at 8a.m. to take advantage of the high tide almost all the way to Myrtle Beach. What a difference a day makes—a clear sunny day, decreased wind and a wide channel in the Waccamaw River. We started to see holiday boat traffic as we waited for the Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge made more difficult by the 2 knot current and increased wind. But we had good luck at the infamous Little River Swing Bridge which opened in comparatively record time. Myrtle Beach came into view with a gondola looping over the ICW, beautiful ocean beach houses on stilts to protect them from hurricanes, and more speeding boats. Avalon arranged a very good docking rate at Lightkeepers Marina and we took on fuel at Myrtle Beach Yacht Club for $2.09 per gallon cash and a free pumpout. Mileage: 60 statute miles.
Up and away again on 5/23 with Avalon on 5/23 at 6:30 a.m. to go 65 miles to anchor in the Wrightsville Beach area. We crossed into North Carolina so check off another state. We started the day with the Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge 8 am, opening, but this unique underwater cable bridge will be demolished next year to make way for a high bridge. Even experienced ICW boaters like Mike and Pegge have respect for this part of the ICW as it traverses 4 Inlets to the Atlantic Ocean (Little River, Shallotte, Lockwood’s Folly and Cape Fear) known for shoaling and cross currents that have led to their fair share of boats going aground. You cannot cross all 4 with the same tides, and by the time we reached Cape Fear, we were bucking 3 knots of current with an opposing wind. Sailboats in our group handled the problem by putting up their furling jib and enjoyed scooting ahead of we slow trawlers. Then the real fun began with serious holiday boat traffic of jet skis, sports fishers, runabouts, boats being towed, little kids being towed in tubes through horrendous wakes, everybody going every which way and it was my shift to steer. Look at this picture of the Carolina Beach area packed with sunbathers and boats and we were ok with passing through. We are anchoring in Wrightsville Beach area and are grateful that the skies are clouding over and the wakes will stop mercifully soon but no, here comes another weekend reveler. Mileage: 65 miles.
This is getting too long so I will succinctly say that on 5/24, we traveled 75 miles and made 4 bridge openings (Wrightsville Beach Bridge, Figure Eight Island Bridge, Surf City Bridge, Onslow Beach Bridge) by leaving at 6am and luckily could ride the tide as we got the current boost all the way. At the New River Inlet, we did see a brief patch of 6.9 feet but we were getting to low tide. Other Inlets had no water depth problems. We anchored with Avalon at Spooner’s Creek which is surrounded by high priced homes, and the dinghy dock is now private but we scaled the seawall and were able to walk to town--you have to be creative sometimes on an adventure.
On Memorial Day, 5/25, we had a comparatively short cruise of 30 miles to Oriental NC. This was an easy day filled with great scenery on the Newport and Neuse Rivers connected by the narrow Adam’s Creek. We will rest here for awhile.
We left Charleston Harbor alone on 5/21 at 6:15 a.m. in the rain, 20 knot wind and 2 foot seas so I was not able to get a picture of Fort Sumpter. As we journeyed up, around and through the narrow ICW, we had low tide, high winds and white caps and Marker 86 was missing in a very difficult section. Yikes. We then noticed seagulls following us. We had just passed McClellanville where we saw the lowest ever depths of 4.6 feet at Red 36/Green 37. Were the seagulls going to dive bomb us; did they think that we were a shrimp boat; or were they drafting behind us as they could not get airborne? Choice #3 as they followed us for 20 miles and then left us for a bigger trawler—birds are fickle that way. We were so glad to pull into the Georgetown Landing Marina and meet up again with Mike and Pegge on Avalon. They are liveaboards on their beautiful Kadey-Krogen trawler, both have their Master Captains license, and are the nicest people you could meet. It is such a stress relief to hook up with boaters who have ICW experience and are willing to take us under their wing. Mileage: 67 statute miles.
We explored Georgetown a little and here is my sweetie having a cup of homemade praline ice cream with carmelized pecans at Sweeties. A tough day deserves a reward. We left Georgetown with Avalon on 5/22 at 8a.m. to take advantage of the high tide almost all the way to Myrtle Beach. What a difference a day makes—a clear sunny day, decreased wind and a wide channel in the Waccamaw River. We started to see holiday boat traffic as we waited for the Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge made more difficult by the 2 knot current and increased wind. But we had good luck at the infamous Little River Swing Bridge which opened in comparatively record time. Myrtle Beach came into view with a gondola looping over the ICW, beautiful ocean beach houses on stilts to protect them from hurricanes, and more speeding boats. Avalon arranged a very good docking rate at Lightkeepers Marina and we took on fuel at Myrtle Beach Yacht Club for $2.09 per gallon cash and a free pumpout. Mileage: 60 statute miles.
Up and away again on 5/23 with Avalon on 5/23 at 6:30 a.m. to go 65 miles to anchor in the Wrightsville Beach area. We crossed into North Carolina so check off another state. We started the day with the Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge 8 am, opening, but this unique underwater cable bridge will be demolished next year to make way for a high bridge. Even experienced ICW boaters like Mike and Pegge have respect for this part of the ICW as it traverses 4 Inlets to the Atlantic Ocean (Little River, Shallotte, Lockwood’s Folly and Cape Fear) known for shoaling and cross currents that have led to their fair share of boats going aground. You cannot cross all 4 with the same tides, and by the time we reached Cape Fear, we were bucking 3 knots of current with an opposing wind. Sailboats in our group handled the problem by putting up their furling jib and enjoyed scooting ahead of we slow trawlers. Then the real fun began with serious holiday boat traffic of jet skis, sports fishers, runabouts, boats being towed, little kids being towed in tubes through horrendous wakes, everybody going every which way and it was my shift to steer. Look at this picture of the Carolina Beach area packed with sunbathers and boats and we were ok with passing through. We are anchoring in Wrightsville Beach area and are grateful that the skies are clouding over and the wakes will stop mercifully soon but no, here comes another weekend reveler. Mileage: 65 miles.
This is getting too long so I will succinctly say that on 5/24, we traveled 75 miles and made 4 bridge openings (Wrightsville Beach Bridge, Figure Eight Island Bridge, Surf City Bridge, Onslow Beach Bridge) by leaving at 6am and luckily could ride the tide as we got the current boost all the way. At the New River Inlet, we did see a brief patch of 6.9 feet but we were getting to low tide. Other Inlets had no water depth problems. We anchored with Avalon at Spooner’s Creek which is surrounded by high priced homes, and the dinghy dock is now private but we scaled the seawall and were able to walk to town--you have to be creative sometimes on an adventure.
On Memorial Day, 5/25, we had a comparatively short cruise of 30 miles to Oriental NC. This was an easy day filled with great scenery on the Newport and Neuse Rivers connected by the narrow Adam’s Creek. We will rest here for awhile.
