May 5 traveled 39.9 miles Total miles 853
Took our time leaving the anchorage, enjoying all the birds and their songs. So many to listen to, one even landed on the boat. I think he was a marsh sparrow. He checked us out by hopping all over the boat.
The Waccamaw River continues to be cypress swamp near the waters edge and heavily forested inland. As we go north, the river continues to narrow for the next 10 miles. This area we are traveling through is called the Waccamaw River Refuge.
Traveling north, we passed the small town of Bucksport, SC. Yes, Mr Buck from Bucksport, ME established this town to provide lumber for his ship building enterprises.
Further north, we passed under the southernmost bridge to Myrtle Beach and we re-entered civilization. Back to homes and docks lining the waterway.
This section of the Intracoastal contains the longest dredged canal in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway-almost 30 miles on length. Part of the dredged canal had to be blasted with dynamite and is affectionally called “The Rock Pile”, as the engineers made the channel narrower leaving rock ledges exposed at lower tides. Of course as we get to this section a barge enters from the other side so we shared to tight space in the channel. The barge operator being well versed in this channel told us to come on and pass him to port. Yes, we both got through!
We continued past Myrtle Beach and anchored behind Bird Island. So close to a beach, we took the dinghy ashore and walked the island and its sand dunes. Was fun to see the Atlantic Ocean also.
A Reflection of what we learned about navigating outside Florida. The currents are much stronger, especially near inlets and where rivers meet. That means if the current is with you, it can add to your speed. But if the current is against you, it can slow down your progress. Also the tide range is 1-2 feet in Florida compared to between 4-7 foot tide swings in Georgia and South Carolina. These need to be factored in when anchoring or planning your trip.
May 6. Carolina Beach. 44.1nm. Total 897
Last night, we enjoyed Bird Island listening to the ocean waves lap on the beach and watching flocks of birds come to roost for the night. You could also see the high rise condos of Myrtle Beach and watch the shrimpers and fishing charters go out the Little River Inlet.
But it was time to leave, so we headed back to the Intracoastal which now is following the Little River. We crossed the state line into North Carolina. Gone are the cypress trees, but the tall pines and oaks remain. Basically we are heading east as the North Carolina coast juts further out into the Atlantic Ocean. We traveled past small towns with marshland separating the mainland from the barrier islands. The barrier islands are a series of beach towns on three separate islands- Sunset Beach, Ocean Isle, Holden Beach, and Oak Island. This area is a mixture of fancy and older beach homes.
Once we passed Oak Island, we entered the Cape Fear River. This area is called Cape Fear for a reason. Many a boat has sunk trying to enter the river due to shoals extending almost thirty miles off shore. Luckily, we did not have to go through the inlet!
Cape Fear was also known for Fort Fisher, which guarded the entrance to the Cape Fear River. This port was one of the few left open for most of the Civil War. Notorious for blockade running, the locals kept the Confederacy in supplies.
As we traveled up the Cape Fear River. We past Southport, originally a small fishing town. There are many historic homes and buildings, but we had to pass that town by. Maybe next time!
If you continue up the river you end up in Wilmington, NC. But we took a channel off the main shipping lane to travel by Smith Island and then through Snows Cut to find a mooring field in Carolina Beach.
After getting settled, we took the dinghy ashore to explore this beach town. We walked the beach, the boardwalk area and shops and then ate dinner. The town reminds me of Ft Myers Beach, a old fashioned beach town.
