The Cypress Swamp

Calabash, NC, Little River To Thoroughfare Creek, off the Waccamaw River. They also call it North Myrtle Beach. November 4 -5mm 342 to around 388

Woke up to a cold morning so cranked up the generator for heat. Today started with a fight to lift the 60lb anchor. We knew it wasn’t going to be easy and it wasn’t. Hooked up the davit winch thinking that would help, which I’m sure that it did but still struggled. When we finally lifted it, it was covered in thick grey mud/clay. Then to the bow to lift the forward anchor and more mud. Our usual wash down system wasn’t strong enough for this mud! I ended up getting a pole, pushing the mud off and then we dunked it several times and I still had to spray it down. After all that, I was no longer cold!

We spent most of the day in the ditch, passing thru Myrtle Beach. During the day we went through a few railroad swing bridges. We didn’t call one bridge tender and it turned out to be a mistake. We figured we were behind two other boats of course he wouldn’t close the bridge on us. However, the bridge tender sounded his horn and began closing the bridge just as we were passing under the bridge. Captain Eddie was calm as he could see that we would make it. I wasn’t so calm as I wasn’t sure we would make it. Whew! I had heard stories that some Bridge Tenders were a$&h*&$#. You can be sure we will call every tender moving forward!

Some sights from the Myrtle Beach area.

More Easter egg houses!

We passed lots of HUGE homes in Myrtle Beach. This one has a putting range in the level closest to water on the right!

The Myrtle Beach spaceship

Check out this speedster. He passed us in the other direction and I guess is on his way back. So much for the no wake zone!

Someone’s home - clearly powerless over signs!

We stopped at Osprey Marina for fuel. Figured we’d fill er up where fuel prices were known to be low. Right Hand went first and as there was only room for one of us on the fuel dock, we tied up at their 90’ face dock and waited our turn. This is us at the fuel dock in the rain.

It’s pretty tight here. On our port is the fuel dock. On our starboard is a few feet and then bow pulpits of the boats in slips. Captain Eddie did great getting us on and off the dock.

After our fuel stop we were in the Cypress Swamp. I really loved it. Water was a little wider, really deep in the channel and there were Dr. Seuss trees everywhere. Either they were dead with really odd structures left or there were ones with Spanish moss. Right Hand was ahead of us far enough that we couldn’t see them and there were really no boats to speak of in front or behind us. I found it super peaceful.

The swamp view, framed by our bimini top.

The sunset cruise to our anchorage.

November 5 Lay / Lazy Day

Today is a lay day. Feels so good, sleep in (sorta). We are so exhausted on cruise days that we have been in bed by 9! Last night for me was 8:30 with my book. So when I’m wide awake at 6, I’m not really sleeping in but I have had 9+ hours of sleep!

I wanted to get the drone out today to get a picture of our anchorage. I am a newbie drone pilot and had to review the YouTube video to remember everything. I got it to fly, was pretty far down the creek and the low battery mode came on. Shit! I thought it may be going for a swim and that would be the end of the drone. My heart was racing as I was telling it to fly home but it wasn’t flying home... I stayed calm, got it to return home and landed back on the bow. Phew! Here are pics of the anchorage.

Seaquel behind Right Hand.

The golden marshes that I love.

Seaquel in the foreground. Beautiful anchorage.

I love this one, such pretty reflections. A little while after this it turned into a rainy day.

What do we do on lay days? Boat projects, cooking, cleaning, mess with the drone, catch the blog up. Regular life. 😎

It rained on and off today and just before sunset the sun came out for a gorgeous sunset. I couldn’t pick just one picture - the light changed quickly. I had to post a bunch. No filters, no editing, straight off my iPhone!