Crew Log for November 22nd, 2022
Trip Summary:
Little River Inlet, NC to Waccamaw River (Wacca Wache Marina)
Trip Distance of 40 NM, Total Distance To-Date of 1,913.4 NM
Departed at 07h00, arrived at 15h00
When you cross State lines on the ICW, the transition is almost invisible. There is certainly no row of flags and a replica of a state icon as there when you cross into Nova Scotia from New Brunswick on the Trans Canada Highway. In fact, the transition between States is so gradual, it is easy to miss the subtle differences. For example, South Carolina has a more “Southern” feel to it than North Carolina, although it is quite possible the weather is just warmer. However, there was no doubt we were in South Carolina.
As we left the peaceful remoteness of our anchorage, we very quickly entered a very narrow section of the ICW, past Myrtle Beach, enveloped by development. Each condo development, and there are many of them, seem to also have its own golf course winding through the neighborhood. Thankfully we didn’t get hit by a golf ball on the way through. And then there are the amusement parks. The roller coasters and water slides along this stretch looked awkwardly out of place and detracted from the natural beauty of the ICW.
Fortunately, this section of the ICW also takes you through the Waccamaw River, which was the most remote section we experienced to-date. The channel cuts through stands of cypress and live oak trees covered in Spanish moss, interspersed with swamps and marshes that look a bird’s paradise.
Our morning started with gun fire. As weird as that statement would sound if we were home, we have surprisingly become accustomed to waking to the sound of gun fire. It starts early, well before first light. I am not even sure how the hunters would see, let alone retrieve ducks. We did have one casualty however. As I was lifting the anchor, I was startled by a gun shot and inadvertently kicked our anchor snubber line and hook overboard.
For those of you unfamiliar with an anchor snubber, it is a line (rope) attached to the anchor chain by a hook. It dampens the pull on the chain and minimizes the force the anchor rode (chain) applies to the windlass (the winch that pulls up the chain and anchor). I don’t miss the rope, it was the stainless steel hook that was attached to the rope that I teared up over. More boat bucks literally dropped in the water.
Despite the diversity of development or lack of development, this was a pretty easy section of the ICW to navigate. The only positive of the Section past Myrtle Beach was that the ICW was perfectly straight and so it was impossible to take a wrong turn. The Waccamaw River Section on the other hand required a bit more attention since it would be easy to stray down the wrong creek or wander off into the shallows.
We had intended to anchor but opted instead to take a slip at the Wacca Wache Marina, which is right on the ICW. The time getting to the marina flew by as I practiced how to say Wacca Wache, so I didn’t screw it up when I called on the radio. It turned out, they had cheap diesel, which is “nice” for us and huge for the trawler who was there shortly before us. Our diesel bill might have been $100. The trawler took 10,000 gallons of diesel, more than $50,000!!!!
We have been really fortunate to stay in some really comfortable marinas and Wacca Wache was no exception. The facility was well maintained, the staff were super helpful and the washroom facilities were excellent. The only thing lacking was access to laundry facilities. There was a marine store on site and a restaurant, which was closed on Monday and Tuesdays, which was likely a good thing given we were docked right next to the outside patio area of the bar.
We felt like we were out in the wilderness it was so quiet, which it was surprising in the morning when the Manager had asked if we Uber-ed over to the beach. What beach? Turns out Murrells Inlet, an actual place with sand, shells and water was 2 miles away. At least we know for next time.
While we were only 40 miles across the State line, it felt great to be in South Carolina. Somehow, we felt like we were finally “south”. We decided to take a short, 18 nautical mile, trip to Georgetown, South Carolina’s third oldest city, the following day.
But more about that, next time.
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