Thursday morning we departed Grand Dunes Marina in Myrtle Beach early for our planned 110 mile 6.5 hour trip to Charleston, SC. Knowing we had a number of twists and turns to make through some "skinny" water, I wanted to take advantage of the high tide for as long as it lasted. While there were a few shallow spots that caused me pause, we maintained our plotted course line without issue.
One of the first hurdles was getting past the Socastee Swing Bridge, a notoriously unreliable bridge for opening on demand. It is old, moves slow, and be cranky when it comes to opening. Add to that the recent high water damage and repairs, we held our breath as we waited.... and waited for it to finally open.
This is normally one of my favorite stretches of the trip, especially the Wacamaw River. This time, however, there was a certain sense of sadness in seeing all the damage from Hurricane Florence and extreme flooding that occurred from all the rain. Damaged docks, boats washed ashore, and most striking, home that had been flooded almost to their roof lines. We felt so sorry for the people whose lives we're impacted. Even the trees that line the river had been striped by the winds. Surprisingly, we did not see a lot of debris in the water which was a relief considering all the damage on the shore line. The balance of the trip to Charleston was delightful and all in all, a good day on the water.
Upon arriving in Charleston at the Charleston City Marina, we were treated to a visit from Randy Jeffrey, an old friend and fellow boater (he also owns a Sabre Yacht) who lives in the area. It was good to catch up and spend time together. After refueling and a quick wash-down, we headed out to dinner at Hank's Seafood Restaurant, voted Charleston's best seafood restaurant for the past 18 years. And as only seemed appropriate, I enjoyed a delicious plate of low-country "shrimp 'n grits" with a side of collard greens.
We are expecting some rain and wind overnight and into Friday but I don't anticipate it holding us back for our next leg to Hilton Head, SC.
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| Moonlit Harbor |
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| Socastee Swing Bridge |
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| Visible bloodline along the Wacamaw River |
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| Low country "shrimp 'n grits" |
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| Inside the "Mega Dock" at Charleston City Marina |
Enjoy Hilton Head! Looks like you've got a nice slip, front and center. Trying to see you on the webcam but no luck so far. Just want to check the fill level on your cocktail.
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