Sunrise to Sunset

Southport to Georgetown  |  11 Hours  |  75 Miles  

Our one day layover in Southport was great, but at first light this morning it was time to get moving. We eased off the dock and I observed the sunrise from the stern as I stowed our fenders and docklines for travel. The silhouetted Oak Island Bridge reflected in the still water of the ICW, the ripples of our wake the only disturbance. Ahead of us, the reflections of waterfront homes were magically complete. Several herons perched on docks and daymarkers, soaking up the soft light of the morning sun.

This morning was our coldest yet, but the sun was bright and the pilothouse warmed up nicely. We made good time through familiar territory. Conversation flipped between "that is new" and "I remember when." We reached the inlet at Lockwoods Folly and watched as breaking waves from the Atlantic Ocean approached within two hundred yards of our path. Two dredges were at work in the area, but today's passage was aided by a directional sign on the bow of the first dredge. On the second dredge, we had the opportunity to see the drilling head as it was out of the water. Speaking of heads, today's oddest sight was the boat delivering two heads (or Porta Johns) to the dredges. It all makes sense, but we'd never really taken time to consider the logistics. At 10:30 we crossed into South Carolina as the sky turned to mostly cloudy. The Little River Swing Bridge opened upon request and we proceeded into the sprawling development of Myrtle Beach region.  

For hours we were in a No Wake Zone, which meant we were going slow and had plenty of time to sightsee. The storage yard full of aids to navigation (ATONs) captured our attention for both the bright colors and the assortment. The VOR (radio navigation aid for aircraft) at the Grand Strand Airport reminded us of Pedro's Sombrero at South of the Border. Herons, egrets, pelicans, cormorants, and seagulls were all plentiful. Also plentiful was the amount of new construction taking place. There are very few empty lots remaining in the Myrtle Beach area. Miles and miles of houses compete with each other for superlatives in the categories of homes, pools, and hardscapes. Seemingly endless miles of development suddenly ended when we passed through the Socastee Swing Bridge and entered the Waccamaw River. This final stretch of our day was in deep and wide water through the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. We were able to pick up speed and make it to our intended anchorage just north of Georgetown before the sun set on our day. We pulled off into the oxbow behind Butler Island and dropped the hook for the night. Tomorrow we reach Charleston, one of our favorite stops along the way.