Nov 1 to 5, 2014 To Southport, Myrtle Beach, Georgetown and Whiteside Creek near Charleston

Nov 1- Randee and Dave hosted a wonderful dinner for our group. We dined on oysters, grouper, rice and beans, plantains, with key lime pie for dessert. What a nice respite off the boat on a rainy, windy day.

Randee even took us grocery shopping and let us do laundry at their house during dinner.  The simple things that become a challenge living on a boat…. Mechanic came and we have a temporary engine fix until Charleston when a certified Yanmar mechanic can hopefully fix the problem.

Nov 2- Too windy and a blown out tide force us to stay put in Southport, NC.  We had a great lunch with Randee and Dave, then the group cheered on the Eagles game at a pub.  Hoping for better weather for departure tomorrow.

Nov 3- Our coldest morning yet- 38 degrees!  Did warm up later. We crossed into South Carolina today.  We survived the "Rock Pile" cut  (miles of jagged rocks along water edge)
and saw shrimpers at work.

Spent the night in North Myrtle Beach (Barefoot Landing).  A shopping mall on the ICW actually had a dock for boaters! We are trying some southern type food- had fried pickles and shrimp and grits.  We walk around town at every stop to get some exercise.

Nov 4- A windy, cooler day.  We wind down the Wacamau River and see many sphagnum moss laden cypress trees and an occasional floating log (deadhead ).

 Motored to Georgetown, SC, an historic seaport known for indigo in the 1700s, then rice plantations, now steel and paper mill factories.  Many majesties historic homes with gorgeous live oak trees lining the streets.  These oak trees grow wide not tall. The side walks are 20 ft from the road!

There was a lovely boardwalk at the harbor and we had a great dinner out at The River Room restaurant (fresh seafood).  Wish we had time to ride the bicycle built for 2 at the marina, but it was getting dark.  Cruising is early to rise and early to bed.  Georgetown sunset:

Nov 5- We had a sunny and warm day today, almost 80! Hit some shallow, shoaled areas on the ICW,  (full moon exaggerates tides) but did not run aground!  Stayed in a beautiful anchorage in low country and cooked up some fresh shrimp.  Our highlight of the day was a dolphin who followed along with us for quite awhile.