Happiness Is A Nap In The Sun

Southport   

This morning the emphasis was on the "North" in North Carolina. It felt more like the North Pole. We even had to turn on the heat pump to warm up the boat. I attempted to jumpstart my body's heater by knocking out my hour of stretching. It had been way too long since my last yoga session and it took a while to get my creaky joints moving. A hot shower followed and we then prepared to take a walk. I pulled out my jeans and a sweatshirt. The wind was still whipping and the marina's flag flew straight and stiff. Dutchman Creek Park was a short distance up the road. We walked to the little beach, while keeping an eye out for any logs with eyes. We did not see an alligator, but did wonder why the metal sign was so bent and crinkled. Seems like whatever did that damage may be a bigger threat. A bench in the sun by the playground called out to us. Barry played on his phone while I dozed off in the warm sunshine, out of the wind. He only threatened to leave me there looking like a homeless person. For me, on this day, this was my happy place.   

The hours after lunch were spent dusting, vacuuming, and restocking the pantry. We have a week to go until we are home so this was hopefully the final time for these chores while underway. A longer walk closed out the day. That stretch of road traveled was more about the sights and smells of North Carolina. Roadside muscadine vines were loaded with small grapes. The honeysuckle was mature, yellowing, and fragrant. The still stiff breeze carried the scent across the parking lot. I smelled the honeysuckle long before I located the vines. Carolina jasmine also added sweetness to the breeze. I'm not sure if the evening's sign warning of nuclear emergencies was scarier than the morning's warning of alligators. Neither one applied to us, so it was a good day. On our return to Crossroads, I spotted an interesting boat name, Veruca Salt. I was reminded of the character's song from Willy Wonka -- "Don't care how, I want it now."  This point of our travels is draining and tiresome. We both are ready to get home and the weather is not being cooperative. Added to the stress of ICW travel is the reduced operating schedule at the Great Bridge Lock. We have several plans and even more contingencies in place for when we leave Southport on Thursday. Tomorrow, however, we'll enjoy visiting with several friends who will share their time with us and stop over to visit. 

Going With The Flow

Butler Island to Southport |  10.2 Hours  |  75 Miles  

Whoa, this was a shocker. The temperature in South Carolina plummeted overnight and had me scrambling for a blanket sometime in the wee hours of the morning. The alarm again sounded early and I layered up to raise the anchor. We were off before the sun rose over the trees. We departed at high tide and traveled with the current, happy to see 9 knots. The rising sun was directly in front of us for a short period and made early morning navigation a challenge. We followed the ICW through the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge. Swirls of pollen floated on top of the shadowy water's surface to the east. 

To the west, the water was mirror-like. The reflections were perfectly beautiful. Along the way we saw Canada geese, mallards, herons, and osprey. Channel markers often served double duty as foundations for osprey nests. This one came with its own landscaping. Once we exited the refuge, development took over the waterfront. The Socastee Swing Bridge opened for us and we entered the sprawl of Myrtle Beach. It was a very busy passage with new construction everywhere, people out in force on the many golf courses, and increased boat traffic. I always smile when I see the Myrtlewood sign as it reminds me of Bushwood from Caddy Shack.

We lucked out and were able to go with the flow of the current for most of the day. This was beneficial until we had to hold station in front of the Little River Swing Bridge waiting for an opening. By this time of the day, the wind had built and was gusting over 25 knots. The bridge operator had to call to receive special permission to open in the high winds. A compromise seemed to emerge that had us wait until the three boats behind us caught up, then send us all through with a single opening of the span. Reverse idle was not enough to keep us stationary with three knots of current and 20 knots of wind pushing us from our stern toward the closed span with seven feet of vertical clearance. After a tense 15 minutes we were finally able to move along. We navigated Little River Inlet at dead low tide without incident and crossed into North Carolina at 1:00. At Tubbs Inlet the current switched to on our nose and we slowed to 6.5 knots. Just like yesterday, the current vs. wind opposition resulted in a choppy sea state. On the other side of Shallotte Inlet we again picked up a favorable current and accelerated back to over nine knots. Soon we were passing under the Holden Beach bridge and reliving memories of previous trips along this stretch of water. One last inlet crossing put us on the home straightaway to Southport. The wind was whipping as we pulled alongside the floating dock to tie up. The dockmasters and I worked together quickly to get settled, much like a NASCAR pit stop. A few clean-up chores were followed by dinner and the end of another long day on the water. We'll stay here in Southport for a few days, hoping to meet up with a few friends and also hoping that the wind lays down for our crossing of the Cape Fear River.