Day 12 & 13 - Osprey Marina to Barefoot Marina to South Port, NC
DAY 12 April 28
We woke to a perfectly calm morning in Osprey Marina. So beautiful!
The marina is set back in a natural keyhole which provides excellent protection in dangerous weather. This is the path to the waterway. With no current and no wind Captain Paul decided today was the day to let me drive the boat out from the dock. REALLY?? This involved 180 degree turn by backing around the end of the dock, along with several forward, turn, reverse, turn, reverse, turn, forward, forward, turn, keep it in the middle, etc. instructions. To make this process possible he stood nearby and spoke instructions into my ear via the "marriage savers". Marriage savers are bluetooth headsets that allow us to speak and hear each other clearly. We use these nearly every time we dock or undock so neither has to yell to be heard. It also prevents the "WHAT???!!" "You didn't speak clearly", "I didn't hear you", "The whole marina can hear you" hence the name of marriage savers. He was right, with his instruction I was able to safely move us back to the waterway.
Thanks for the excellent instruction Paul.
The starting and ending marinas were both in areas of Myrtle Beach so we mostly saw homes.
A golf course close enough to us we could tell if they made it or missed their putt.
This one had a large water fall into their infinity pool (the blue).
Beautiful and large homes.
New construction too.
This hole had it all sand traps and water hazard!
We received a call on the radio from a guy watching the boat traffic go by. He asked about the length and year of the boat. Later we received this picture he had taken. He had sent it via a phone app that shows boats during the Loop. Surprised us.
The turtles were sunning themselves at Barefoot Marina.
Paul talking this time (in italics and different font from now on)- "It was a short day. After the valium kicked in and I had a nap, I mostly recovered from the trauma of getting underway with a novice at the helm. (No, not really. She did great.) At Barefoot we reconnected with the crews of two boats that have been dogging us since Fernandina Beach, Lady Z and Not on Course. We met up for dinner. The restaurant was directly across the waterway from us, but because the walking path on the bridge was closed, it was an Uber ride both ways. We had a Russian driver over and an Arab driver back. What luck, I was able to be polite in two languages!
Meeting up with other "Loopers" nearly everyday carries some risks, however. If the past few days are any indication, there are a lot of restaurants and group dinners in our future."
DAY 13 April 29
Barefoot Marina is directly across the waterway from a place formerly known as Barefoot Landing. The landing was a perennial ICW cruiser favorite because it was a free dock with a shopping center (read that as 'grocery store') Alas, no longer. It is all commercial and the beginnings of the tourist attractions of Myrtle Beach, of which there are many. Like the genuine (?) faux paddle wheeler, we passed a pirate ship that could almost fool a four year old and countless rented party boats and jet skis.
This was a tour boat at our marina.
Can't resist a picture of the tug with a perfect reflection.
One fun spot along the way is a two mile stretch called "the Rockpile"
This was one of the last stretches of the ICW completed in South Carolina because they had to blast the whole thing to cut the canal. As a result, it seems narrower than it is and at low tide you can see some frighteningly jagged edges that provide an incentive to mind your course through the area.
The end of the rock pile, yay!
Party Time!!
No, its not real, but marks the entrance to the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, a favorite stopping point for many Snow Gooses over the years, but this year, they were booked up.
Shrimp boat with the outriggers to hold the nets open.
After clearing the commercial area of Myrtle Beach, we passed the Calabash River and the Little River inlet, which marks the border of North Carolina, the fourth state of this trip. This section is marked by barrier islands to the right and houses to the left, passing by two more inlets, named Shallotte and Lockwood's Folly. Navigation was straight forward, as both of those inlets had been shoaled in the past, but plenty deep now.
Thanks Maris
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