A Gem Found in South Carolina

I finally got my photos in.  Enjoy!

We left Wrightsville Beach and arrived at Pipeline Canal around lunch time.  Since we were in early we thought we would see what is on shore there.  There is a boat launch where the fishermen put in there high-powered boats and is quite a busy place.   Al made an observation about the fishermen not just here but along the ICW.  He said, “The bigger the Bubba, the less likely they are to wave.”  I had a good laugh at that one!  One fellow did go by in a kayak fishing which was out of the ordinary, so he wasn't a Bubba!

Al wanted to speak to someone on a sail boat further in to shore because we know it is quite shallow and was wondering how they got in.  He wanted to get the local knowledge, so we went over and talked to a single-hander who was a woman.  Her name was Victoria and she gave us the low down on how to get in off the channel.  She was an interesting woman who had sailed to Australia with her husband.  He has since past away and she lives on the boat.  More power to her!  You do meet interesting people on the water.

Derelict boat on its side every day at low tide.

We finally made it ashore to discover there are two restaurants in walking distance (seafood or Italian) , a nice park and that the no-see-ums were ferocious,  so back to the boat and into the cabin.  We did watch a derelict boat turn over on its side.  Victoria says it does it every day and so explains why the one side is yellow and black!

Derelict boats are a problem everywhere!

Pipeline Canal

The next day we moved on to Calabash Creek on the NC and SC border.  We wanted to get in early because it is well liked by cruisers but rather narrow and only so much room to anchor.  We were the second boat in and got settled by early afternoon. 

The town of Calebash, NC

  We decided to take the dinghy up to Calebash to see what was there.  When we got up there, it looked like a commercial fisherman’s dock with no dinghy dock.  We asked a gentleman on a sport fisherman boat if there was a place to tie up for an hour.  He said, “Well, I own the dock, so why don’t you tie up to my boat and come across and up to the dock.”  His name was Russell and he went on to explain that Calabash once was considered the “Seafood Capital of the East Coast.”  There had been over twenty some restaurants at one time and now they are down to eight.  His family owned “The Dockside,” the original Calabash restaurant. 

Finally a fall scene we are used to seeing in PA at the gift shop!

We walked up the street and we had that “déjà vu” feeling.  Then we realized we had been here by car about 10 years ago and had eaten at one of the restaurants and went into a huge gift shop across the street.  We could not resist buying fresh shrimp at the dock and some sweet potatoes, dug up the day before according the owner.

Blair and Dennis coming for Happy Hour

When we returned to the boat, our friends, Blair and Dennis, on Ar-turus were in the anchorage along with about 5 other boats, so we ended our day with Happy Hour on Blue Heaven.

Entrance into Myrtle Beach Yacht Club

We were in to Myrtle Beach Yacht Club(which is really in Little River, North Myrtle Beach) by 9am to find our friend from home, Bob Castello there ready to take us to the condo they were staying for a big cooked breakfast.  We deemed Saturday a work day, so I started 5 loads of laundry and then went with Al and Bob back to the boat to put the repaired wind machine back on top of the mast.  We had it sent to the marina and were glad it was there when we arrived.  With Bob’s help, it wasn’t quite so bad cranking him up and we were done rather quickly, but the boat needed a good wash down from picking up so much salt being out in the ocean.  JoAnn took me food shopping so I replenished our fresh fruit and vegetable supply.  After church we came back for a happy hour overlooking the harbor at Mariner’s Point where her brother’s condo was located.

Yesterday was work, today is play day!  By car we headed south of Myrtle Beach to Brookgreen Gardens.  What a gem!  “Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina” on this most beautiful seventy degree day in the midst of all this beauty and history.  We can understand why this is designated a National Historic Landmark.  The only unfortunate part is that the ticket is good for seven days and we only had one!  That is an indication of how much there is to see. 

Beautiful water lilies

Our friends from home, Bob & JoAnn

Pegasus

We started the day with a guided tour of the gardens with a super docent who explained how the 3 abandoned rice plantations were purchased by a very wealthy couple, Archer and Ann Hyatt Huntington of the railroad family wealth.  Ann was a sculptor and he wanted a place for her sculptures.  Now it has world-renowned sculptures and Brookgreen has more sculptures on display outdoors than any other place in the US and all are US sculptors and many are women. 

Pools with statues.

What detail!

The serene gardens and fountains were magical.  The detail of the sculptures was exquisite.  One of the trails to walk explained the history of the rice plantations.  There was a zoo where you could see native animals in their natural habitats. 

Night Heron

 I loved the aviary where you could see the birds you see on the bay or on the waterway up close and personal!  I tried to give you the experience with my video, but I am definitely just learning to use the video portion of the camera, sorry for the bouncing! 

Fox in a tree.

We saw river otters which were so much fun to watch, several foxes, and one in a tree.  I wasn’t aware they could climb trees!  We missed out on the butterfly house, other trails and sculptures, and the creek cruises because we tired out about 4pm.  We returned to Little River and after dinner we said good bye to our friends because we were moving on the next day. 

We left at fairly low tide but it was on the rise when we hit the “Rock Pile” area. You could see the rocky ledges and gave us wonderful views of all the turtles sunning themselves on the rocks.

Turtles in the Rock Pile sunning themselves.

More turtles playing follow the leader!

We had a change of scenery on this part of the trip, with lots of businesses and house of all types; mansions, expansive homes, medium and modest, to small homes and trailers. 

Scenic Thoroughfare Creek

Then we hit the Wacamaw River with its brownish water from the tannins in the various trees which are on both sides of the river.  There is a marina every once in a while, but not much else.   We pulled into one of our favorite creeks, Thoroughfare Creek with just one other boat there.  We had the most spectacular sunset which of course I took pictures of, but somehow I erased the card before getting it downloaded!  What a downer!

We left the creek around 8:30am and two hours later we were anchored in Georgetown, SC.  We were anchored right off the shrimp boats docks watching the shrimpers bringing in their catch. 

Our view from our anchored boat in Georgetown, SC

 This is a quaint harbor town but also has some industry on the one side.  Luckily, once again the wind was blowing the smoke away and so did not smell the steel or paper mill while  there.  We were going into town and stopped to talk to a fellow on his boat.  While talking he said, “Is that your wallet floating away?”  Sure enough it was but luckily we were able to retrieve it!  Whew!  That was a close one.  I guess the way he was sitting on the inflated tube of the dinghy just help to push it up and out of his pocket.  Why a leather wallet floated is beyond me, but luck was with us or God was looking out for us!  We went it and looked around town.  Al got a haircut and finally had ice cream for which I was craving.  Later Ar-turus pulled in with our friends Blair and Dennis.  We knew they had a long day because the came from Myrtle Beach so we talked but said we would see them tomorrow.

We had lunch in town at The Big Tuna with Blair and Dennis and planned a shrimp dinner on board Blue Heaven.   They brought a Key Lime pie from the Kudzu Bakery in town.  It was the best Key lime pie I have ever eaten, melt in your mouth creamy in a wonderful chocolate crust.  If ever in Georgetown you must try one! We had a great time and I took all sorts of pictures, only to have accidently erased them along with the sunset pictures from Thoroughfare Creek.  So we will have to do it again soon.

Sunrise leaving Georgetown headed to Charleston to wait out Hurricane Sandy.

We are watching  Hurricane Sandy closely and decided to go to a marina in Charleston for two nights, Friday and Saturday. Today was quite windy even in the ICW and we and about seven other boats are anchored in the marsh north of Charleston for the night, hoping the wind dies down.  Supposedly we are in one of the better locations on the east coast for this hurricane because the land indents in at Charleston so we should be further away than a north Florida or the Chesapeake.  We hope so!