Two Tin Cans Conmnected By A Piece of Waxed String

SHIP'S LOG:

This is the first time since Cape Fear that I have been able to get online. I thought that North Carolina was bad. It has nothing on its sister to the south. Along the coast, except in a couple of places where there is a small concentration of people, it is hard to even get cell phone coverage! s It was, and still is, very frustrating.

Sunday, November 14, 2010
I left South Harbor Village Marina with the intention of getting into South Carolina. This area of North Carolina is really quite built up. Lots of Housing, private and condo, on both sides of the ICW. One thing there didn't seem to be a lot of was places to anchor. The prospect of going for longer stretches than I wanted or having to dock and pay again, or dropping the hook in an exposed spots was not something I anticipated eagerly. The wind was basically no existent so it was motor time again. There was a "pontoon bridge still listed as being in operation just before we crossed into South Carolina at a place called Sunset Beach. Most of the other "odd"bridges had been replaced by new, 65foot fixed bridges but this one was supposed to be in place. AS luck would have it, they must have recently completed its replacement as the new bridge was in place and they were in the process of dismantling the old pontoon bridge. Of course, fishermen were crowded around the opening in the old bride for the "best fishing" and powerboaters were busting through like someone was after them. It made the 50ft transition through the old bridge opening nerve racking. i ended up spending the night in a little place off the Little River called CALABASH Creek. It was as far out in the boondocks as you can get, though if one has a working dinghy, a short ride up the creek gets to to civilization and places to dine out. Other wise, you spend the night in basically a cypress swamp with all the noises such places produce and they produce a lot. And that includes Cooter and Bubba and Billy-Jo having at something with their assorted armament. Still, it was peaceful and still and I slept like a log.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Now that I was in South Carolina, I think I entered golfer's heaven. I have never seen so many golf courses along one stretch of anything. Golf courses and condo. I am sure the two go together. Many of the courses have at least one hole that runs along the ICW and at least one green that is dead up against it. Several golf balls were launched in my direction, though I am sure unintentionally. There was even on golf course where the parking lot was on one side of the ICW and you took a cable car across to play. It was called the Waterway Hills Golf Club. Most of the golfers also played with carts. They sped to their ball, hit and sped away. It was speed golf at its finest.
Passed by two floating casinos, one called "AQUASINO", that looked to be out of business though one still had a crew aboard. Spanish Moss has begun to show up on the tress as well, along with more palm trees and other "tropical " plants. Now if it would only climb into the 80's!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Got away about 8:15 as the weather doesn't look promising. I wanted to get away from the cypress swamps but they are just everywhere. Passed by some wonderful homes that once had a view of the cypress swamps and n ow get to look over at condo, ugly condos across the ICW. Some of the homes are really wonderfully decorated though some people don't know where to stop. Someone has a full-size copy the "the David" in his backyard looking out over the ICW.

On this part of the ICW, I am beginning to feel like Mark Twain/Samuel Clemens as a riverboat pilot. Even thought there is "supposed to be" a 100 yard wide ICW channel, it rarely is that wide. You have to watch the water and, especially at turns, figure out where the shoals have inserted themselves into the channel. You live by you depth sounder and the jingle, "Hey, diddle-diddle, Stay in the middle." You have to watch for trees in the water, stumps, piles and all sorts of floating debris. It is a stressful part of the trip. I passed by my first selected anchorage, Cow House Creek, because it was early and the rain hadn't happened yet. I did another 15 miles to Thoroghfare Creek and pulled in near the abandoned town of Belin. Why it was abandoned I don't know. During the night, the ghosts came and got me because my anchor dragged in the high wind and I went aground. Nothing serious, because of the anchor just a bump. But backing back out to deep water, i snagged something and could get the anchor to release. That meant another call to the guys in the red boat "Towboat/US" who came by 8:30am and with a tug released the anchor. I had affixed a trip line to the head of the anchor for just such a purpose but the line and float were nowhere to be found. The line had rubbed against something and severed, necessitating the Towboat/US guy's visit. (Bill $210.50 paid by Boat/US!)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010.

I know what scares Coasties . . . Sailboats! Heading down the Waccamaw River, I passed under the Lafayette Bridge only to be stopped by the local sheriff's boat and being boarded by a Coast Guardsman and a Customs and Boarder Patrol Agent. It was a routine check, they were stopping everyone. Unfortunately, I was under sail at the time and rather then have me stop. they told me to keep going and boarded. They asked a whole bunch of question and then asked to see the ship['s papers. I turned to the Coast Guard guy and said, "Here, take the wheel," and wen t below to get the papers. When I came back he was alternating green and white and looked scared to death. Probably really good with power boats but was clueless when it came to sail. Dropped the hook in Minim Creek south of Georgetown. I don't know what they make in that tow but it has a very funky smell!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Got to Whiteside Creek just north of Isle of Palms and about 25 miles from Charleston and I can get online . . .as you can tell. This was along push, about 43 miles but I wanted to get cell coverage and Internet access , Just so that you know I am alive and well.