Travelling north from Charleston we retraced our steps in some areas and covered new ground in others. The ICW from Charleston north through South Carolina to Myrtle Beach passes through several wildlife preserves. The terrain is mostly tidal marshes and cypress swamp. It really is quite beautiful. The waterway is noisy during the day with the sound of many birds I could not identify and at night the bullfrogs made short work of what would have otherwise been a very quiet anchorage. We saw many occupied osprey nests and lots of turtles sunning themselves on fallen trees. We even saw a few alligators who quickly ducked under the water when they saw us coming.
Duck hunting tower in the marsh?
Enjoying the early morning sunshine
Navigation markers make good nesting sites for osprey.
American Eagle
As we approached Myrtle Beach it was obvious that there were not a lot of places to get off the ICW and drop an anchor so we stopped at a small marina that was close by. Let’s just say that it was another part of the adventure. The building that housed the toilets and showers burned down about a year ago and it does not appear that there is any intention to rebuild. The docks are in rough shape and the prices are higher than what Skipper Bob reports. They are connected to a boatyard that was apparently quite busy at one time but is now in a sad state of decline. There is a collection of boats that are in various stages of repair. Some might still be salvageable.
Hague Marina – some boats never leave
A long term resident – maybe part of the Prout family??
Myrtle Beach is a Mecca for golfers. We passed by several golf courses that bordered the waterway. There was even one that spanned the waterway with a chair lift to get the golfers and their clubs to the other side.
We are more used to seeing chair lifts in the mountains with their racks filled with skis.
Myrtle Beach Mansion – not on the beach though
Myrtle Beach is not the only game in town. There are many ocean beaches to choose from. We could see some of them from the waterway. I have seen newspaper notices advising which beaches are open to motorized vehicles.
This must be one of them.
High rise storage along the ICW
We were still in the Bahamas when the BP oil well disaster first happened. There was much talk about it among the sailing community with some speculation about whether or not the oil slick would travel around the tip of Florida and get picked up by the Gulf Stream. I don’t know what the chances of that happening are but it would definitely add to the devastation.
Someone has a strong opinion about the situation in the Gulf.
When we stopped in Wrightsville Beach for Halloween 2009 the weather was not conducive to spending any time in the water. Only a few windsurfers with heavy duty wet suits were in the water. This time the water was just a little warmer and the beach was just a little busier.
Wrightsville Beach in season
Paddle boarding is a trademark of Wrightsville beach. You can even take lessons if you are so inclined.
We passed through Camp Lejeune once more without any delays due to military exercises.
Drumming up business for the Disamal Swamp
In spite of these signs enticing northbound travelers we chose the Virginia Cut as our route from the Alligator Bridge to Norfolk, VA as we had taken the Dismal Swamp southbound last fall. The little community of Coinjock looked like it would be a good place for a cruiser gathering but since we were the only cruisers in sight there wasn’t much point in stopping so early in the day. We were also excited about the possibility of connecting with Ajaya after hearing them check in with the Cruisheimers Net on Single Side Band from the Dismal Swamp. We would both reach Norfolk about the same time.
I had not thought about snakes being one of the dangers we would need to look out for during this life on the water. That changed on our trip up the Virginia Cut. We had anchored near the Pungo Ferry Bridge and were visiting with a couple of our very newest friends, Jim and his son Andy, who just happened to be passing by in their skiff and had stopped to say hello. They hardly had time to open the cold beer we offered them when we spotted a snake heading towards the stern of Polar Pacer in a very determined manner. We had apparently intruded on its territory and were not welcome. It was not impressed by Tom’s attempts to chase it away. Each time he picked it up with the gaff and tossed it away from the boat it just turned around and came back towards us. As we were not crazy about being joined in bed by an unwanted reptile during the night the world is now minus one ugly snake. A Google search later confirmed our suspicions that it was a rather poisonous water moccasin which is common to the area. And yes, they have been known to climb up an anchor chain!
No, I did not scream, I ran for my camera.
As we passed through Norfolk we heard Canadian Warship 701 on maneuvers warning all boats in the area to stay clear of the divers in the water. Several days later Tom hailed it on the radio and learned that is was HMCS Goose Bay. We also had contact with Ajaya and made arrangements to meet at the Hampton Public Piers. Luna, a Danish registered cruising boat, whom we had collected at one of the bridges, would join us as well. We hung out in Hampton for a few days shopping, eating, listening to blues and socializing knowing that we would soon be in Deltaville in a boatyard working on a very long job list. We even rented a car and went to the mall. Hanni and Roger – we missed open mic night at Good Fellas and the regular shows don’t start until 10PM. Just a little late for us.
Mimosas for brekkie – then buy all the seafood left at the end of the farmers’ market and have a decadent pot luck of shrimp, scallops, skewers and mackerel.
Shrek For Ever – 3D on the IMAX screen – Awesome!
One cruiser who just didn’t know when to quit.
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