Log 130; Day 356; May 12, 2009; Myrtle Beach, SC

While out in the dinghy Sunday we met this Intracoastal Cruise Ship. There are not a lot of these, but we do see a few.

The Barefoot Landing parking lot was full of bikes with tents and activities everywhere

Deb on the sidewalks of Barefoot Landing

While we are in the south, I always like to see if we can find good BBQ...and we did

Log 130
Day 356
Tuesday, May 12, 2009

6:00 AM EDT
Location: Myrtle Beach Yacht Club; Myrtle Beach, SC.
Weather: 51; Clear, with slight NE winds. 70’s with NE 10 to 15 forecasted

A cold front came through yesterday, bringing rain, and much colder temperatures. It was muggy, and in the upper 70’s yesterday morning, and by afternoon the humidity had gone away, and it was in the 60’s.

Sunday...Deb and I jumped back in the dinghy and went about 8 miles south to Barefoot Landing Marina. The weather was awesome, and it was a great ride. I was surprised how little traffic there was on the waterway, but decided it was because we left at 10:30, and most folks were not out yet. Also, Mothers Day could have kept a few off the water. Barefoot landing is really not a marina...it is a outlet mall, with restaurants and bars. While Deb took a look around, I found a place for lunch, and watched the boats go by. We also discovered that the parking lot was full of bikers...and that this must be bike week in Myrtle Beach (similar to bike week in Daytona) because we were seeing motorcycles everywhere. We had a nice lunch at a restaurant overlooking the ICW, and a great ride back to our marina. Back at the boat, Deb went up and did another couple loads of laundry, and I watched the NASCAR race I had taped on Saturday night at Darlington. For dinner, Deb made some great Mexican food, and the movie was our final recorded episodes of Lie to Me.

Yesterday...the morning started out beautiful, with warm temperatures. I decided to wax the stainless rails on the boat, and took off any signs of rust anywhere on the stainless. We also have a stainless anchor (it’s probably not real stainless, but looks like it) and it has some small rust spots on it, so I took Nerve-Dull and cleaned it up...it looks like new. Because it is hard to get supplies at some places, we decided to rent a car at the marina, just for the day, and run some errands. We went to the post office; liquor store; West Marine; Home Depot &Wal-Mart. As Deb put it...”we are good for another month”. We also used the GPS to help us find a cool BBQ spot for lunch. The rain came through while we were shopping, but cleared up by about 2 pm. Deb made some kind of crab cakes for dinner, and we watched the final episode of The Great Race.

Today...we’re not in a big hurry this morning, but when Deb gets up (usually 7 or so, when we’re not in a hurry to shove off) we’ll fire up the boat and continue to head north. Today’s trip is only about 30 miles NE to a town called Southport, NC...just north or the border between NC and SC. Southport is an historic town that dates back to the 1700’s and (so the cruising guide says) is a nice stop. From a schedule standpoint, we are in great shape, so we will take our time the next week or so, and plan to be in Norfolk, VA, (346 miles from here, and the most southern point on the Chesapeake) by late next week. There are a couple of tricky spots between here and there, that you have to watch the winds closely because they can make some of the “sounds” kick up a lot, but otherwise it’s just a matter of watching the depths, and making sure you stay in the channel. Great cruising.


I’ll keep you posted.

Bob