Nov 5

Myrtle Beach to Georgetown

Happy Birthday Clara! Sorry I'm not home to help celebrate.

Georgetown was the Southern extreme of our attempt two years ago to go South.  That trip was in February and it was COLD all the way down and back.  At that time, we decided to head back home rather than continue.  We are determined this time to make it, although we haven't had the best weather.  This morning it is 46 degrees.

After a rather messy day traveling the ditch, we arrived in Georgetown, SC.  We settled in for a rather rainy evening on the anchor in the harbor.  But good sleeping.

We needed fuel, so started the engine to go a marina.  On starting the engine, the batteries were weak and we had to switch to battery selector to "all".  This raised a "red flag".

We were able to leave the boat on the dock and walk downtown to get breakfast.  The more we thought about it, we thought there might be something wrong because of the problem starting the engine.  After breakfast, we got back to the boat and started doing some checks and it didn't take long to realize that we were probably having alternator problems. 

After some conversations with the dock master, we were able to arrange for a marine technician to meet us in the afternoon to confirm our concerns.  And he did.  After a few checks, he determined that our alternator was not working.  A few phone calls later and we determined that we are stuck here in Georgetown until probably next Wednesday while awaiting a new alternator and getting it installed.

I've heard it said about cruising that it is just working on your boat in exotic places.  Georgetown is nice, but not exotic.  However, it is a nice community, somewhat like Beaufort.  There are some events going on this weekend and we plan to make a run to the local Walmart. 

We are sitting at the dock beside a big shrimp boat at "The Boat Shed Marina"  and will be here for a while.

Nov 4

The Picture pretty well tells the story of the day.

We left the marina around 9:15 this morning in heavy fog - and it gradually got worse.  By the time we got to the Waccamaw River, it had started to rain - and then it got worse.  It started raining hard.

Tonight we are sitting in Georgetown, SC.  This is a historic point for Joe and I.  We've been here before.  This is the Southernmost point that we accomplished in our previous attempt to "go South".  However, we will not be defeated this time.  We have time, and we won't be embarrassed. 

Actually our spirits are quite high.  Joe is working on a new cover for the anchor windless.  Our's blew off night before last.  He is very diligent. 

I've been working on trying to learn how to use some new navigation software using GPS and Google Earth.  If I can ever get it working, it will be great.

It's raining in Georgetown Harbor as I write this. 

We are on our 5th night for dinner and we haven't even touched the food we bought for the trip.  We're living off chicken pastry that Clara fixed and chili that Joe fixed.  And Clara laughed when we bought $200 worth of food and $100 worth of booze!

Nov 3 - day 4

Tuesday, Nov 3

Southport to Myrtle Beach

A rather uneventful day.  The weather has been cloudy, windy and cool all day. 

We left early from our anchorage in Southport and headed South (actually Southwest), fixing coffee and breakfast after getting underway.

The winds are in a good direction for motor sailing and we do that most of the day.  We put up both the main and the Genoa, generally adding about .5 to .7 knots to our speed.  It sure is nice having the roller furling main. 

Going down the ICW, we are constantly going with or against a tide it seems.  There are several inlets in this area and they obviously affect our speed with the tide going and coming. 

This is probably the ugliest part of the ICW - literally a ditch.  We try to make as much mileage as possible - just to get it out of the way.  The goal is still to get around Georgetown, SC tomorrow and hopefully wait out the weather and get a good break so we can go outside and do some real sailing.  The leg between Georgetown and Charleston is only about 50 miles, and with any decent winds (except the Southwest) we should be able to make that. 

This part of the journey is not even worth a picture.

The Journey so far!

We stopped this evening at Barefoot Landing - supposedly one of the nice shopping centers around Myrtle Beach.  There are very few people out tonight.  We have supper at a steak house, come back to the boat and settle in.

Maybe tomorrow.

Nov 1 and 2 - days 2 and 3

Wrightsville Beach to Southport

Halloween was memorable.  We went to the party for a few minutes.  It was rather loud if you had not had enough to drink.  There were plenty of people who had had enough to drink.

Monday, November 1

We don't start early today.  Yesterday was a long day and we sleep in and get a slow start.  We refuel at the marina - however we had a hard time getting away from the fuel dock.  The wind was blowing us straight into the dock and we could not get enough headway to get the bow around.  Finally with some help, we got away.

We were real near the bridge and made the 9:00 am opening.  At all bridge opening the traffic was pretty intense.  There are a lot of "snowbirds" heading South.

We make this a short trip day and anchor out at Wrightsville Beach for a nice evening.  However, it is rather cool - and the forecast is beginning to look "not good".

Tuesday, Nov 2

We start early.  We put the coffee on and head out.  We want to make the outgoing tide on the Cape Fear River - we've tried bucking the tied on the river before and it ain't fun.

We make the outgoing tide with a following wind.  It makes for a fast trip to Southport, making nearly 10 knots ground speed.

And the weather forecast is not good - and it's cold already.  This kinda reminds me of another trip a couple years ago.  Then we picked to coldest part of the winter.  Now we're getting the first cold snap of the winter.  We decide to pull into an anchorage for lunch and consider our options.  The forecast until Friday (this is Tuesday) is for 25 to 30 knots offshore - not very conducive to small boats like us.

After some quick checking of the map, we decide that we'll try to make Georgetown SC by Thursday ON THE INSIDE.  Maybe then we can get offshore Friday or Saturday to Charleston.

To Florida on Eureka

October 31 - Day 1

Beaufort to Wrightsville Beach

After months of thinking, weeks of planning and days of waiting, we finally get under way on our trip South.  We have a vague notion of going to the Keys or the Bahamas, with no other real planning.  No time limits - other than being back in time for Christmas - probably earlier.

We left MBYC at 6:30 am - in the dark.  Our first trip out of the marina and down the waterway at night.  It's like flying an airplane at night.  You have to trust your instruments.  But there are sure a lot of red and green lights out there. 

We get to the high rise as the horizon starts to show.

Forecast winds are from the West at 15-20 knots.  We figure that will be good for a close reach to Wrightsville Beach and confidently start out Beaufort Inlet - to be immediately greeted by 30+ knots out of the Southwest - right on head.  It doesn't take but a second to reconsider. 

We head "down the ditch" - which brings back memories of a trip about two years ago. 

We do keep good company.

After motoring all day - and going aground only once - we don't have any idea where we're going to stay for the night.  There are NO anchorages between the New River and Wrightsville Beach.  And we arrive to early at the New River and press on. 

There aren't any marinas listed until Surf City.  We start calling on 16 but no answer.  We get to the Surf City draw bridge and get local information from the bridge tender - there is a marina - Beach House Marina just North of the bridge.  We either stay there or travel the ICW in the dark - not something either us want to do.  We turn into what looks like the marina, see an empty slip and pull in.  No one is around.  We talk to a couple of boaters and they say - "stay the night, someone will be here in the morning"  -  so we do.

It turns out that the biggest party in town - (it's Halloween) is at the marina about 5 slips down from us.  We briefly visit the party, but tiredness sets in and we quit early.