We should have known better than to dawdle and let the barge pass us before we started out. We just had to have that last cup of coffee before we pushed off for Georgetown. About 10 minutes out we saw the tugboat pushing the barge. ok. It was ahead of us. Then we realized it was moving really, really slow. We slowed to 5 knots, then 4 and then finally realized it was moving at 3 knots. The channel is narrow for 25 miles and although we asked him if he would move over for us, and he agreed, we decided that nudging that rock yesterday was enough of a reminder and we assurred the captain that we were ok with staying behind him. So for 25 long, excruciating miles we followed the tug and her barge. The slow journey gave us a chance to really see Myrtle Beach from the waterway. Jim didn't fall asleep because there was enough excitement keeping the boat from getting too close to the edge. The area isn't called the 'Rock Pile' for nothing.
Twenty five miles later the tug captain slowed and told us it was ok to pass. We gunned the motor and waved goodby. I took a nap and woke when Jim said he needed me to look for flotsam. What is that? Usually debris, logs, etc. It was raining and blowing and there was flotsam in the River. We had reached the Wacamaw River and it was full of flotsam. So I grabbed the binoculars and tried to decipher if a bunch of leaves in the water was indeed attached to a log or if it was bobbing along by itself.
We survived the rain, wind, and flotsam, but as we approached the turn to the marina a tugboat called and requested that we wait because they would be using our side of the channel because of shoaling. So we turned around a few times, then were able to find the HarborWalk Marina and dock.
Dinner was excellent at the Portofino Restaurant in the quaint, tastefully decorated village of Georgetown. I would like to spend more time here.