We're still alive!!

Note - These are posts that we couldn't get on the internet on the days they were written: The first post is Saturday night and the second post is Sunday night.

We’re finally on the move again after 5 nights in Charleston. The storm that was supposed to occur on Friday never came - it went north of us. We left the marina this morning at about 9:50am after a last minute pumpout. The tide was outgoing and was predicted to be low at 12:30pm. We drove about 1 hour before it finally happened - we touched bottom! Fortunately, we were able to motor through it and the bottom was soft! I moved from the center of the channel to the right side to avoid an oncoming boat. But once out of the center of the channel I was immediately in 2 feet of water. After that first reality check I paid very close attention for the rest of the day. We were following a large sport fishing boat later in the day in a similar “cut” - a narrow canal-like passageway - and I noticed that his line was further to the starboard side than our charts and GPS indicated. We figured “he must know what he’s doing” - but I refused to follow in his wake. It was a good thing I didn’t - he ran hard aground and stalled both engines. We stood by to assist while 3 men worked to free the boat by pushing with boat hooks. They got the boat into deeper water and we left them behind. We traveled 65 miles today to Georgetown Landing Marina. We are in a tidal river off the ICW by about ½ mile. I have never seen current like it is here in the marina. The water is swirling through the docks at about 4-5 knots! The wind at our landing was blowing about 20 knots. I had no trouble getting to the finger we were assigned because both the wind and the current were headed to the dock. I put the boat sideways and they did the rest - however, we didn’t have time to get bumpers down so we had to rely on the hard rubber bumpers of the dock. No damage and my ego is still intact. We didn’t get gas because I was done driving for the day. We’ll get it in the morning. We have to walk about 1/5 mile to get off the dock we are assigned and get on dry land. There are signs all around telling us to be careful of the alligators - especially when walking small dogs. We’ll have a quiet night tonight playing games and watching the one channel on TV that the rabbit ears can pickup. See you later - Ken
Hello from Linda- I miss Charleston after seeing this marina! It’s funny how you get used to one place after just 5 nights! Here in Georgetown, we both had SEVERE trouble understanding the dockmaster’s instructions of where to dock & what side to put lines & fenders! The accent was just too thick. After asking for him to repeat it the third time, we gave up & just waited for the dock hand to appear! Everyone is still friendly, but we are definitely OUT of the city & into the country. We saw a sign at the local restaurant that on Thurs nights they have “shagging”. I think it’s something like clog dancing, but I really don’t know. I’ll have to ask Dave, our Carolina expert. Speaking of Dave- he called last pm to tell us he just earned his red belt (I think it’s in Tai Kwan Do). We are always very proud of him, but especially for his continuing with martial arts. We go to Myrtle Beach Sun pm (HOPEFULLY we’ll finally have wi-fi that WORKS!) and then 3 nights in Wrightsville Beach, NORTH Carolina!! We’ve been “on the road” for 3.5 weeks, and there’s still a bunch to go! But the days have been sunny, the people friendly, and we’ve still got pelicans & palm trees & dolphins!!! Love to all- Linda


Greetings from Linda- Those of you who know me, know that I am hyper-sensitive- especially to odors. During this trip I have been blessed to smell orange groves, honeysuckle, roses, magnolias, and fresh fish. Yesterday we stopped overnight in Georgetown, SC- home of a paper mill. Never again will I use a sheet of paper without thinking of the poor people of Georgetown! We read in our guide book that only when the wind is just wrong do you smell the mills. Well, yesterday the wind was from the West. Not only were there signs posted for missing people- (last seen at our marina)- and signs warning of alligators eating small dogs- even Ken could smell the stench! As we left this AM, I got a good strong whiff and it literally gagged me! We had a PRETTY smooth ride to Myrtle Beach- still SC! We’re surrounded by condos and bigger boats and within 100 steps to walk the dog! The princess is happy! Today I swam in the pool & talked with my cousin Judy- we’re getting close to her home. And somewhere between Georgetown & Myrtle Beach- we lost the dolphins and pelicans and palm trees. We’re finally too far North for them (unless they prove me wrong tomorrow!). We’ll be off to Wrightsville Beach in the AM- where we’ll park the boat for a few days, rent a car, and go visiting folks! It sure will be nice to see a familiar face or two- especially cousins! Love to all- Linda
Today we traveled about 65 miles. Leaving early, about 9:00, we traveled on a slack tide for the first hour. After that we were in the Waccamaw River for about 35 miles. The guidebooks told us that this stretch was one of the prettiest of the entire ICW - I agree with the books! We passed abandoned rice paddies and plantations. The trees were covered in hanging moss and the river was wide and deep (about 12-15 ft.). We cruised on plane for most of the distance, only slowing down for ‘No Wake Zones’ and the few other boats we saw. As we approached Myrtle Beach we entered the area called the “Rock Pile” - we had been warned by boaters and chart books to stay in the middle of the channel or get towed by SeaTow after you hit a rock. I was apprehensive all day - the reality was that we cruised through the 3 miles in about 10 minutes never seeing an oncoming boat and never moving out of the middle - no problems! We arrived in Myrtle Beach and proceeded to North Myrtle Beach to the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, arriving at about 12:30pm. We got gas and pumped out and then docked in a 20 mph wind - no problems. How come no one is looking when I make a good docking? While I washed the boat Linda went for a swim in the pool. We walked out to the road and I immediately recognized where I was from all the golf trips that I have been on. In fact, Linda’s father, Paul, Dave Veeder and I have eaten several times at the restaurant that is on site here - Umberto’s. Linda and I are going to eat there tonight. Tomorrow we are heading north 70 miles and entering North Carolina. We are going to pass the only ‘pontoon bridge’ left operational on the ICW. It only opens on the hour and the bridge tender is reported to take his job very seriously - it won’t open a minute early or late - be there or wait for the next hour. A pontoon bridge is one that is dragged to the side with a cable to open, the cable is then dropped to the sea floor and you can proceed. The bridge is then dragged closed. It can’t open when the tide is dead low because it is resting on the mud. We will have to time our leaving here with that opening and the tides in mind. The weather tomorrow is predicted to be beautiful for traveling. We sure have been lucky with the weather to this point. We saw a sign today - “New York 672 miles.” That seems about right. We’re all in a good mood today - good weather, nice marina, easy traveling, clean showers … Ken