Sunrise at RedBird CreekMonday 3-9-09 thru Thursday 3-12-09
This morning we left Brunswick Landing to start the cruise northward. The WX forecast for this week looks like it should provide a good window for us to push on up for a pretty fair distance. Conditions were good and we had chosen a spot nearly 78 miles to the north called Red Bird Creek, to anchor for the night. We arrived there at 5:15 and still had plenty of daylight since the clocks were changed over to reflect day light saving. We also found plenty of no-see-ums at Red Bird. They are biting gnats that are almost invisible until you feel their pin-prick bite. We were told that if you rub your exposed skin with fabric softener sheets it will repel the n-see-ums – it doesn’t work. We had to close up the boat and use the generator to run the A/C until darkness fell.
During the day we heard some radio traffic that included a couple we had met at Brunswick and were from the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. Gordon and Sheila Nelson aboard their sail boat CELEBRATION had left Brunswick Landing on Sunday and were now only about 15 miles north of our position at Red Bird. We talked with them and will catch up on Tuesday.
By 07:30 Tuesday there was just enough light to get the anchor up and be on our way. There were a number of shallow cuts we would be passing thru but the tides would be favorable with good depths at the time of our passage. We were heading for Port Royal Landing, a marina near Beaufort, SC that came highly recommended by several boating friends
. About 10 miles south of Port Royal we caught up with CELEBRATION and they too were heading for the same marina. We arrived at 3:30 PM and within 15-20 minutes the Nelson’s arrived and we helped them with their lines. Later we all had a light dinner together at the marina’s casual restaurant and bar. Great Cheeseburgers!
The WX was holding true to the forecast so we left PRL on Wednesday morning early and set our sights on a marina just a bit north of Charleston harbor, about 81 miles north. We arrived a bit after 5 PM but the staff was still on hand to catch our lines and check us in. Isle of Palms is unremarkable and the marina is satisfactory with its biggest plus being that it is right on the ICW so there is not lost time getting underway again.
The WX for Thursday was still looking OK but there were forecasts for strong winds so we planned a very early departure. We got underway just after 07:00 AM Thursday and had to show our running lights because it was officially still dark. Our plan was to make it to Georgetown, SC if the high winds slowed our progress too much. The wind came on as forecast by 09:00, blowing about 20 kts. with gusts to 30 or so. It was mostly right on our bow so the ride wasn’t too bad and didn’t slow our speed a lot. By the time we reached Georgetown we estimated we could push on to a favorite stop at Osprey Marina, near Myrtle Beach. Crossing Winyah Bay at Georgetown was the worst conditions we faced all day because it is an open stretch of water where two rivers flow together to carry on to an ocean inlet. It took us most of an hour to clear the rough water and get into the Waccamaw River where we were more sheltered from the NNE wind. It turned out to be a long day but worth the effort to put the 84 miles behind us. It was a little past their quitting time but Miles and Rich were waiting on us to help with our lines. We will take a break here at Osprey for a few days, because it is a super, well sheltered marina with a great staff and facilities. It also has the best rates we have experienced on the entire cruise. We have moved almost 300 miles north since departing Brunswick on Monday.
This morning we left Brunswick Landing to start the cruise northward. The WX forecast for this week looks like it should provide a good window for us to push on up for a pretty fair distance. Conditions were good and we had chosen a spot nearly 78 miles to the north called Red Bird Creek, to anchor for the night. We arrived there at 5:15 and still had plenty of daylight since the clocks were changed over to reflect day light saving. We also found plenty of no-see-ums at Red Bird. They are biting gnats that are almost invisible until you feel their pin-prick bite. We were told that if you rub your exposed skin with fabric softener sheets it will repel the n-see-ums – it doesn’t work. We had to close up the boat and use the generator to run the A/C until darkness fell.
During the day we heard some radio traffic that included a couple we had met at Brunswick and were from the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia. Gordon and Sheila Nelson aboard their sail boat CELEBRATION had left Brunswick Landing on Sunday and were now only about 15 miles north of our position at Red Bird. We talked with them and will catch up on Tuesday.
By 07:30 Tuesday there was just enough light to get the anchor up and be on our way. There were a number of shallow cuts we would be passing thru but the tides would be favorable with good depths at the time of our passage. We were heading for Port Royal Landing, a marina near Beaufort, SC that came highly recommended by several boating friends
. About 10 miles south of Port Royal we caught up with CELEBRATION and they too were heading for the same marina. We arrived at 3:30 PM and within 15-20 minutes the Nelson’s arrived and we helped them with their lines. Later we all had a light dinner together at the marina’s casual restaurant and bar. Great Cheeseburgers!The WX was holding true to the forecast so we left PRL on Wednesday morning early and set our sights on a marina just a bit north of Charleston harbor, about 81 miles north. We arrived a bit after 5 PM but the staff was still on hand to catch our lines and check us in. Isle of Palms is unremarkable and the marina is satisfactory with its biggest plus being that it is right on the ICW so there is not lost time getting underway again.
The WX for Thursday was still looking OK but there were forecasts for strong winds so we planned a very early departure. We got underway just after 07:00 AM Thursday and had to show our running lights because it was officially still dark. Our plan was to make it to Georgetown, SC if the high winds slowed our progress too much. The wind came on as forecast by 09:00, blowing about 20 kts. with gusts to 30 or so. It was mostly right on our bow so the ride wasn’t too bad and didn’t slow our speed a lot. By the time we reached Georgetown we estimated we could push on to a favorite stop at Osprey Marina, near Myrtle Beach. Crossing Winyah Bay at Georgetown was the worst conditions we faced all day because it is an open stretch of water where two rivers flow together to carry on to an ocean inlet. It took us most of an hour to clear the rough water and get into the Waccamaw River where we were more sheltered from the NNE wind. It turned out to be a long day but worth the effort to put the 84 miles behind us. It was a little past their quitting time but Miles and Rich were waiting on us to help with our lines. We will take a break here at Osprey for a few days, because it is a super, well sheltered marina with a great staff and facilities. It also has the best rates we have experienced on the entire cruise. We have moved almost 300 miles north since departing Brunswick on Monday.
Ship building and repair yard
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