Ditching
13 December 2024 | ICW S.C.
Thursday 5 December 2024
Wind veered enough by 1300 to head across Albermarle Sound on a reach. Still blowing a hoolie and chop in shallow bay made ride a smidge frisky, but should have protection in Little Alligator River for the night with wind to ease later. Looking ahead, forecast shows no good window to cross Gulf Stream then sail to Jamaica. Bugger! May continue suffering ICW further south for protection from ugly sea and adverse wind offshore. Plowing the ditch in a sailboat sucks.
Monday
Plugged on down ICW to Beaufort, NC, and Homer Smith Marina by Saturday afternoon to buy diesel, remove delaminating genoa and refill propane. Great operation and dockmaster Dan was friendly and helpful. Choked down painkillers and dinner at Rhum Bar where we met ten year heart transplant recipient - perfect health. Western medicine rocks.
Finished everything this morning including buying a 120 vac floor heater for use while running generator. Now we be hoofin' down the way and we be warmer. Sometimes.
Tuesday
Anchored last night in Cape Lejeune Marine Base featuring helicopters, jets and bomb blasts. Although Jan is a foreigner, she's a good one so assume they weren't aiming at us. Apparently the case as we left early without incident, until...
About two miles down the track and still on base hit a shoal that extended full width of channel. Kedged off and hunted and pecked to confirm. Waited three hours until tide changed and found a swash channel far off track. Hoped to make Carolina Beach, but now looking to limp into Wrightsville Beach well after dark.
Wednesday
Would have encountered bad shoal area before Wrightsville Beach Bridge in the dark to then wait forty five additional minutes for scheduled opening and another thirty to anchorage, so decided to stop just off ICW and stay all today as wind forecast for over forty knots. Would have been fine, but current and wind, which were both flowing along the channel, conspired to push us closer to shore where, as tide dropped, we again became acquainted with the stuff that defines shallow water. Stuck on outgoing tide, it was several hours at a rather impressive heel before we floated off. Could have moved in the wee hours to a better location with perhaps more swing room back up channel. Coulda, shoulda, didn't. So, here's the good part. Probably stay same location as anchor is well set and wind is now driving us away from shore. If we get stuck again expect to blame the rabbit... or Jan who is very protective of the little malingerer.
As Atlantic weather is crap (highly technical meteorological term) until at least Monday, may work our way down to Murrell's inlet to visit longtime mate for a few days.
Friday
Despite feeling more bottom than a fraternity pledge paddle, made good time to Shallotte Inlet, one of few places that allows anchoring depth off channel. Looks like we can make Wacca Wache Marina (real name) near Murrell's Inlet by 1600 today if we avoid ninety nine hazards listed on Navionics chart (really) betwixt (real word) here and there.
Meantime ICW is lousy with creature features: dolphins, cormorants, egrets, pelicans, great blue herons and even deer. Must not be hunting season - they know.
Although ICW sucks in a multiplicity of assorted ways it can be fairly interesting. Little River, SC, begins tourist destinations that extend past Myrtle Beach. This includes large houses along the water, huge marinas, casino boats and even a couple of lighthouses. No idea what they're for except to warn of a gambling hazard nearby.
Jack & Jan