Casino Boat
We finally made it “outside” into the ocean for the first time this past week. Of course, it wasn’t in our boat, but rather a SunCruz casino boat that operates in Little River, SC. We were probably more fascinated by the navigation of the Little River inlet than the splendors of the gambling casinos inside the boat. How we ended up on this boat is a bit of a story in itself.
Read on.
Cape Fear Yacht Club Weekend
After we left Wrightsville Beach, we spent a night in Southport, NC at South Harbor Village Marina. While there, we met a couple of boaters who invited us to join them as their yacht club traveled to Little River for the weekend. At first, we thought they were just being friendly, but after they repeated their invitation a couple of times, we took them seriously, and decided to join them. There was a group of both power boats and sailboats – 18 in total – traveling south. We realized too late that they were all taking the outside route from Cape Fear Inlet to Little River Inlet. We had wanted to go out to the ocean with some company for a while now, and were kicking ourselves for missing the opportunity. At any rate, we joined them at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club in Coquina Harbor that evening, after traveling the ICW past the last of the NC beaches – Ocean Isle, Holden, and Sunset Beach.
Read on.
Cape Fear Yacht Club Weekend
After we left Wrightsville Beach, we spent a night in Southport, NC at South Harbor Village Marina. While there, we met a couple of boaters who invited us to join them as their yacht club traveled to Little River for the weekend. At first, we thought they were just being friendly, but after they repeated their invitation a couple of times, we took them seriously, and decided to join them. There was a group of both power boats and sailboats – 18 in total – traveling south. We realized too late that they were all taking the outside route from Cape Fear Inlet to Little River Inlet. We had wanted to go out to the ocean with some company for a while now, and were kicking ourselves for missing the opportunity. At any rate, we joined them at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club in Coquina Harbor that evening, after traveling the ICW past the last of the NC beaches – Ocean Isle, Holden, and Sunset Beach.
Triumphant Gamblers Return
The weather was perfect for the Veterans Day weekend – unseasonably warm and sunny, light winds. We spent the evening getting to know some of the other members of the Yacht Club and then enjoying a bountiful pot luck dinner along with the fellowship. On Saturday, we joined them for a gambling cruise aboard a casino boat that went out the Little River Inlet to the ocean (past the 3 mile limit) for a few hours of gambling. The boat ride and lunch were free, along with $10 a piece to gamble. (Since we’re not big gamblers, we left with much of the $20.) It was fascinating watching this huge vessel transit the inlet to the ocean, which it did with ease. (We learned that it had gone aground in the inlet only a week before.) We decided that we could have navigated this inlet, after having seen it done.
After returning to our marina, we shared some pizza, snacks and wine with many of the club members, who had included us so graciously. We said goodbye the next morning as they left to brave a windy Sunday trip back to Southport, promising to stay in touch. It was a truly generous group of people that included us in their circle for the weekend.
Moving on
We decided to aim for Charleston by the end of the week, so our route was planned to cover this distance and to avoid bad weather in the process. With time taken out to let weather pass, we made a short hop to Barefoot Landing Marina, which is attached to a wonderful shopping park in Myrtle Beach. We even found a breakfast buffet with a buy-one –get-one free coupon at House of Blues. Cool!
Then it was on to Wacca Wache Marina on the Waccamaw River near Pawley’s Island, a relatively isolated spot, followed by another short day into Georgetown, SC.
After returning to our marina, we shared some pizza, snacks and wine with many of the club members, who had included us so graciously. We said goodbye the next morning as they left to brave a windy Sunday trip back to Southport, promising to stay in touch. It was a truly generous group of people that included us in their circle for the weekend.
Moving on
We decided to aim for Charleston by the end of the week, so our route was planned to cover this distance and to avoid bad weather in the process. With time taken out to let weather pass, we made a short hop to Barefoot Landing Marina, which is attached to a wonderful shopping park in Myrtle Beach. We even found a breakfast buffet with a buy-one –get-one free coupon at House of Blues. Cool!
Then it was on to Wacca Wache Marina on the Waccamaw River near Pawley’s Island, a relatively isolated spot, followed by another short day into Georgetown, SC.
The more notable “challenges” on the ICW this week varied from the last remaining Pontoon Bridge at Sunset Beach to the “Rock Pile”, a narrow, rocky section near Myrtle Beach and the currents and shoaling at the various inlets in NC. None were as scary as the many guides made them out to be.
The trip wasn’t without some humor as well. Such as the trawler still celebrating Halloween with a huge jack-o-lantern on its deck and the golfers crossing the waterway in cablecars near Myrtle Beach.
And some astonishing beauty as well – the fall foliage, rare for this part of the coast – and a sailboat snatching the last winds of a beautiful Indian summer day.
