The next day, when we left Myrtle Beach, the sun was out, but it was a little cool. Deb said it was freezing.
I, on the other hand, planned for later in the day, when shorts and a t-shirt would be all I needed
A lot of the waterway near Myrtle Beach is a man made canal
Then it joins the Waccamaw River, and is deep and beautiful
The entire river is lined with trees
This is our dock at Georgetown...the boat behind us was heading to Florida as well.
The boardwalk in Georgetown is lined with interesting bars
And, of course, another picture of "us"
Leaving Georgetown, and heading to Charleston, the waterway is a mixture of wide open lowlands...
And narrow waterways with lots of docks in the water
As we got to Charleston, there were fisherman everywhere
When we got to our marina, they told us to go down this long waterway, with boats on each side
and then parallel park the boat in an open slip at the end
Not easy...but we were in good company
And finally...as I was writing my log this morning, a 55 foot boat was trying to leave, when the current got the best of him and wedged him between the dock and a boat in front of him. I watch them try to get it off for at least 15 minutes, and then I walked over to see if I could help. It took a lot of work to get the boat back into it's original slip, without hurting anything, or anyone.
Then once he was back into the slip, everyone agreed, the best way for him to leave was to back out
Which, after a lot of work, he was able to do
Finally...he left the harbor...without even saying "thanks". Interesting.
Log 184
Day 535
Saturday, November 07, 2009
7:20 AM EST
Location: Charleston City Marina; Charleston, SC.
Weather: 59 & bright sun...not a cloud in the sky. Heading to 73 today
Lots of mega yachts lining the docks here at Charleston City Marina this morning. We are tucked up near the end of a long face dock, in the middle of lots of activity. It’s a little cool out, but the sun is warming things up fast. Many yachts started leaving the docks at 6 am...still lots of migration south.
Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, SC...was an easy 60 mile run, and some of the prettiest waterway along the ICW. The northern part of the waterway is really a man made ditch that travels through the Myrtle Beach area, and has hundreds of homes, all with a dock on the ICW. It’s slow going, but very interesting. Then you drop into the Waccamaw River, and things change considerably. There are no more homes; the waterway widens a little; and it is lined with solid trees on each side. The waterway (in most areas) is also deep all the way to the banks, and very easy to navigate. It is just a beautiful 5 hour cruise. We arrived at Georgetown, Harborwalk Marina, just ahead of a crowd of boats. The chatter on the radio was very busy, as the marinas were trying to find spots for all of the folks looking for slips, and many were turned away. Why they do not make reservations is a mystery to me? Especially this time of year? After getting settled in our slip, and helping tie up a few boats, who came in behind us, Deb and I took a walk into town...just 1/2 block away. We were on a quest for a bar that had popcorn, and good draft beer...but no luck, so we came back to the boat. The rest of the afternoon was spent reading, and returning emails. We had dinner on board, and watched the movie where Eddie Murphy goes to Washington (can’t remember the name...but a good movie).
Georgetown to Charleston...is also an easy run. The first thing you do is head out in the Sampit River, and into Winyah Bay...which leads to the Atlantic. But, in our case, after about 3 miles, we make a hard turn to starboard (right) and join the ICW. The ICW in this area is similar to others, in that it is man made canals, that join several rivers to create the ICW. About the only real town you go through is McClellanville, SC. After about 55 miles of this, you come to the large Cooper River, and Charleston Harbor. To get to our marina we had to cross the Charleston Harbor and join the Ashley River. The City Marina is on the Ashley River, where it joins the Wappoo Creek...the continuation of the ICW. Once there, we got our slip assignment...which was a little interesting. Picture driving a car down a dead end alley, with cars (or boats) on both sides, and just enough room to drive down. About 3/4 of the way down, is a spot where you have to parrallel park. The good news is we made it without hitting anyone...but I can’t help but wonder what it’s going to take to back out of here We arrived at Charleston about 2 pm, and immediately started washing the boat. It did not have a lot of salt on it, but we did not wash it in Georgetown the day before, so it did need a good cleaning. After a complete cleaning, and checking in, it was almost 4 pm, so we settled in for cocktail hour; shrimp and rice for dinner; and watched the Mentalist, and Survivor.
Today...we plan to make it a lazy morning, and then head to downtown Charleston to meet another boating couple (Bob and Charlotte on Foreign Exchange) for lunch. We have never met Bob and Charlotte before, but they know our friends Andy and Mary on Good News, and we have crossed paths several times, and spoken on the radio. So...we decided to meet for lunch, while we are both in Charleston (although, at different marinas).
Tomorrow...is Sunday...and a day of rest. Or...a day of football and racing.
Monday...we plan to continue south, with our first stop being Beaufort, SC (pronounced Bu fort), and then Hilton Head.
Also...
· Deb and I want to give a special thanks to Deb’s Aunt JoAnne, for showing us around Myrtle Beach, and buying us lunch at a terrific spot.
· I also want to give a “shout out” to Pam at Wells Fargo Advisors. Pam works with Gary Hedge (a very good friend, and our financial advisor) and is an avid boater, and hopes to someday go cruising. Gary will sometimes pass along my logs to Pam, so she can have an idea of what this life is like. Go for it Pam!
· As we were cruising the waterways the last couple of days, I have called a number of my friends to tell them how much fun we are having. Not really to rub it in...just to remind them. As one of my friends told me...this work thing is WAY overrated. We are very fortunate to be able to do this...and the good thing is...we know it, and are thankful each day.
· We’re on track to be in Florida, and at Cape Coral the first week in December.
As another friend said...”Life is good on The Tour”
I’ll keep you posted.
Bob
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