Osprey Marina/Myrtle Beach to Carolina Beach

Today we crossed over to North Carolina! Don't ask me where the line was, but we crossed it for sure, just after Myrtle Beach, somewhere...Little River Inlet is where it changes, Waz  says.

The day dawned cold and overcast, as we left the marina around 7am. Waz had set the alarm for 6.30am, but his clock managed to wake us at 5.30 instead. We snoozed for the next hour and got up a bit groggy. Made coffee and got ready to hit the road. We needed an early start to do the 80 miles predicted. One reason for getting fuel yesterday, was so that we could run straight through to Carolina Beach without the extra hour needed to fuel up. It always takes that time.


My parting photo this morning. The sun is trying to come up, and you can see how still the water is. The light was horrid for photos ALL day, and it got colder the further north we went. Originally we had put shorts on, this morning, but soon changed into sweaters, sweat pants, and even hat and scarf, and raincoat for wind protection. We had to have the windows open in order to see because of the dew on them.

Too bad this marina was private...it serves the homes somewhere in the trees...didn't see the homes, however...per usual.

Now this is interesting. We havent seen Graffiti for a loooong time. So why now? Younger population?...I don't mind graffiti as long as it is directed and used in places where it can be shown as ART! In other words, get some of these young people who fancy their own work...and perhaps others fancy it too, and get them to put it out in places that need public ART. Some of these kids/young people are very talented. Cant say this lot were tho, lol...However, I decided to turn it into art anyway!

I liked the way it looked in our wake, so that's what I have created with it. like it?:)

We had been told by the Dockmaster at Osprey Marina that things would get busy on the waterway once we left their marina, and he wasn't wrong. The swamp gave way to houses, developments along the waterway, more bridges of course means more people, roads etc This rail bridge had been decommissioned and was permanently up, thank fully.

We have wondered why people need to build such HUGE homes...this one in particular stuck out like...well, you know...a sore thumb?

and on the other side of the neat canal, these homes on steep lots leading down to the water. Some better landscaped than others. They badly need to plant some TREES!

We had come through the area known as The Rocks...calling on the radio a Securite warning that we were approaching the area, as there is no room to pass here...well, very little, and we didn't want a commercial tow coming our way and finding ourselves compromised. It is a tricky negotiation at the best of times, and we did get down to 4ft at one place, but then it was almost low tide! We followed another boat...a yacht...and figgered that if they didn't have any trouble with a 6ft draft, then we wouldn't either.
As we went past one Marina, on the outskirts of Myrtle Beach, we got a call on the Radio from Sue and Jim, folks we had met somewhere in Florida (I think...Sorry Sue, if we don't remember that right!). It was great to hear from them...they had watched the boat go past them at the marina.

We joined a parade of boats that had to wait for this Bascule bridge to swing on it's axis to let us all through. We had upped the revs a bit to catch up to the yacht, so we wouldn't have to wait for the next opening.

 You can see the broken wooden fender on the Bascule bridge...We think a Barge must have run into it, submerging it and literally breaking it!

Yes, lots going on in and around the water as we made our way parallel to the Atlantic, sometimes separated only by a thin slice of land with lots of houses on stilts.
This boat looks like fun, but I don't think we want to be on the water around his wake!

We have watched all the birds in and around these Gourd nesting boxes...they are everywhere right now, and how great are they?:)

One of three light houses we saw yesterday..this one on a point on the left side going up the river.

Ok..I just had to take a photo of this home...They had lots of sculptures in the yard...can you see the mermaid just to the left of the house??

Because Gambling is illegal in North Carolina, these Gaming Cruises go 3 miles offshore, apparently, so that their clients can gamble out of Carolina waters! They could both have done with some maintenance!

Lots of fisher folk along the banks..

That is the Atlantic Ocean out there on the right...and all the homes are on stilts. Cant imagine a Hurricane coming through here...marshes in the foreground...again.

Hurricanes were very much on our minds when we passed this Dry Stack..heavens...they would go over like matchstix! the marina was not that far from the ocean.

It kind of cracked us up...HUGE homes on our right, looking across the ICW (not very wide here) to this RV park, which obviously have lots of permanent occupants. It was CHOCK full of people and Rv's.

There it is...the Atlantic Ocean...and not far away either.

 Now, don't get me wrong here...but we were still bundled up in hats and coats and a rug over our laps, and thinking it was VERY COLD, and here was this half naked wench!!! Is it normally so cold here that they thought the temps were semi- tropical today??

Lots of people out on the water that were similarly half naked..aieee!!

The yellow line on this paper chart is where we had to go, from the bay through Snows Cut , on the ICW, as you can see...and then turn right at the far end (right) into the bay that we are now parked in. Good water depth here...about 15 feet. The channel was narrow with some critical obstructions along the way...ROCKS! But boats go blatting through there...and big boats too, so what were we (I) worried about??? (Yes Karen, you can see the look on Waz's face:) )

but here they are, and that close! Some of you will be laughing at me, saying they are miles away...tis ok...Im used to Waz saying the same thing. I tell him he will thank me one day, because we might actually need me to be paranoid!!! It's not what you can see that worries me, it's what is underneath that out into the channel! This is granite!

And finally, after an 8 hr day, we came to put down the anchor at exactly 4pm. This is the view up the channel/Bay to the end of the Pleasure Island, at Carolina Beach.

Today, Monday, we went into town...well, if you can call it that. We needed a few veg and some groceries, so sought those, as well as walking on the Atlantic Beach...for real.

Beach Patrol...I like!

Don't I make him do some horrid things.??...Just stand there!!! That is the Atlantic Ocean.
It was a bit rough and the wind was cool. I still had a sweater on!

Hardy soul!! He was having the time of his life, in the waves.

Training day for the Life Guards who didn't look too 'hot', to be honest...too cold to have so few clothes on, if you ask me.

Apart from the wind, it might have been quite nice...I guess. But then we are spoiled for glorious beaches, in NZ.

Downtown Pleasure Island, North Carolina.

aren't they stunning? Cactus flowers!

I am in LOVE!! My next car..promise!

Gosh are we ever happy to get back on our baby! It was cup of tea time...I wont tell you about the meal we had in town..suffice to say...DONT GO TO HAVANA"S for a meal. They have untrained staff who have no idea what good food is or front end staff who know how to deal with a complaint...well justified too, I might add.
Good thing it is a sunny day, but it sure aint hot! It might have made 70F today.
Time to go and think about dinner. Waz just emerged from doing the Oil Change, with an impeller that is broken. Looks like we will be here another day! bah humbug.