Carolina Cruising Part I

It was a little bit of a struggle to tear ourselves away from Charleston and especially our grandchildren, but we had a dream that we needed to complete.  We headed out on a Monday morning for new adventures to the north.  We came through Wapoo Creek into Charleston harbor and it was pretty lumpy as we crossed it to enter the ICW on the other side, but nothing that our boat couldn't handle.

Cooper River Bridge

Fort Sumter and Lumpy Water

Once we got away from the open water, it calmed down for easy cruising.  The terrain along the northern part of South Carolina is similar to the marshes of Georgia so there wasn't much to see.  We passed by many towns we had visited by car such as Awendaw, McClellanville and Georgetown.  We arrived at Minim Creek and had a little trouble setting our anchor, but the third time was the charm.  Green flies had been attacking us as we were cruising so we shut everything up and had a quiet night on the hook.

The next day we headed to Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach as we had to take on fuel.  As we passed through Myrtle Beach we remembered a golf trip we had enjoyed there in 1989 to celebrate Flint's graduation from school.  We had played golf at Waterway Hills where you ride in a gondola over the ICW to get to the course and we were excited to get a picture of it as we passed. 

Waterway Hills Gondolas

There were many interesting sights as we traveled this section of South Carolina from gaudy, but beautiful, pink houses to various types of wildlife.

Goats grazing along the waterway

We arrived at Osprey Marina and were on their new dock that was a distance from the marina office so they gave us a golf cart to use for our trips to their facilities.  They gave us a bag full of cheese and crackers, a coozie and all kinds of information about the area.  We became reacquainted with two couples who were docked there whom we had met on our Lake Okeechobee trip and in Sanford, FL at the end of the St. Johns River.  It is amazing to us that we meet other cruisers in a port and then months later we meet them again in a far distant place.

Time to move again and our goal on this day was Southport, NC to hopefully visit with Robert and Kay Creech.  We had traveled with them in 2008 on the first part of our loop and they had visited us in Charleston on their way north from the Keys.  Just as we came around a turn in the waterway at the border of North and South Carolina, we were boarded by immigration officers on the sheriff's boat.  There were four official vessels that were stopping every boat coming around that curve as part of a training program.  They checked our documents and ran a check on our backgrounds through our driver's license numbers.  They realized it was Leslie's birthday that day from the date on the license and they sang Happy Birthday to her.  We were finally on our way again and we called Robert and Kay to let them know we were coming to use the free dock in front of their home that the town offers to cruisers.  We found out that they were away for the weekend and we were very disappointed.  We had two options at that point; we could still use the free dock or we could tie up at the Provision Company restaurant for free if we ate there.  Since it was Leslie's birthday, we decided to dock at the restaurant and celebrate with a meal out.  It started raining just before we arrived and we put on quite a show for the patrons as we docked.  Sometimes you watch the show and sometimes you ARE the show!!  We waited until the rain subsided a little before we went in to eat.  A couple greeted us as we entered the restaurant and told us that they were cruising also and that their boat was at the marina up the road.  We told them that we were loopers and were celebrating a birthday that day.  Before they left they brought a slice of Key Lime pie to celebrate the occasion.  Boaters are wonderful people!

We headed out the next morning in a little fog, but it quickly burned off and we had a beautiful run to an anchorage near Camp LeJeune called Mile Hammock.  We had been traveling with Diamond Girl and Sea Flat and we all anchored easily and had a quiet night.  The shoreline is restricted as it is a military facility so we were not able to do any exploring with our dinghy.  We pulled the anchor the next morning and were glad to see that it was clean so Leslie didn't have to wash any mud off of it.  We don't have a water hose on the bow to wash down the anchor and chain, so it is a chore to fill bucket after bucket of water to clean a muddy chain and anchor as we pull it in.  It's on my bucket list!!

Our next stop was Morehead City where we were going to visit with Derna and Bernie who live in Newport, NC.  Derna and I grew up together in Falmouth, MA and have known each other since we were about four years old.  We docked at Portside Marina, which is a very friendly, family-owned facility.  Our friends picked us up and we toured the area before we went to their home for dinner.  We had a great time catching up with each other. 

Derna and Bernie Bernheart

There is so much to share about the Carolinas that I think I will save the next leg for Carolina Cruising Part II.  I will try not to take so long to get the next blog done.