11/24/15  Tuesday

On my goodness! 37 degrees on a boat is cold. Saw my breath. Put on all the winter clothes I have including my long underwear. Warm enough.

So there's this section of the ICW, a little inside SC, called "the Rock Pile". People scare you with stories of mis-adventures through "the Rock Pile". Deep breath. Coffee. Cheese toast with raisins. Gird the loins. Ready. I was at the helm. A sailboat came out of a marina and I slowed down t let it in the canal. Followed along, through a bridge then that captain hailed us to "let us pass". And I was hoping he would be the leader through "the Rock Pile." But, no. I/we/Grace were going to lead. Deep breath and we're off. We entered just past half tide and falling. I didn't seem a good idea to enter on a falling tide. What if we ran aground? We'd have to wait several hours to be flushed off. However, no worries. Well, we worried a bit but with no bad consequences. The fact of low tide allowed us to see all those rocks that would have been submerged. We stayed in the middle of the channel, called ahead to alert other traffic that we "were constrained by draft" and were coming through (so please, please stay out of our way!). David was TERRIFIC in that, worried as he was, he didn't hover at my shoulder. I watched and steered very carefully, slowing when the water depth changed rapidly or lower than was comfortable. I (we) DID IT! I came through "the Rock Pile" without hitting a single rock!!! Then I took drugs...ibuprophen for tight shoulder muscles...and sat awhile.Only about 1 hour but exhausting.

Not dangerous when you can see them

After the sweat of "the Rock Pile" the passage was really quite easy. The canal is wide and relatively deep, 12'-23' and lots to see...opulent homes along the canal, our first Spanish Moss (w/golf greens in the background). The boat we were "leading" caught up w/us at bridges. Otherwise, we saw very few boats traveling today. We did hear a bridge call from Claire de Lune with whom we anchored 2 nights ago.

I think this belongs in CA but here it is

Spanish Moss w/golf course in background

I love how the graffiti is sandwiched between 2 layers of rocks and is then reflected in the water

David installed our AIS transmitter last night so now other boats can "see" us coming as we've been able to "see" other boats on our computer/gps screen. Funny. On our screen of our electronic chart we have our boat symbol that is moving along the ICW and we now have this AIS triangle tailing the boat symbol. The triangle will get closer and closer then....pounce!  and the two symbols travel along as one for a few seconds. Then the boat symbol takes the lead again. David tells me that the AIS "updates" less often so lags behind then pounces.

Tonight we're anchored at Enterprise Bow, a lovely turn out around a tiny island where the ICW is a river. We're close to Bucksport SC. and south of Myrtle Beach which is a BIG vacation beach. We planned to stop here then blew right past it, noting what a lovely place another boat had found to overnight. A couple of navigation markers later we realized our mistake and made a U-turn.
This what we expected the Dismal Swamp to be like.

We sat on the fore deck with Dark & Stormy drinks and enjoyed the quiet and the beauty. Amelia came out and sat with us then got cold so enjoyed the view from inside. Sun setting. Moon rising. All being reflected all around us.

Something large-ish swam across the water some distance away and disappeared in the undergrowth. Wasn't a bear or a dolphin...maybe a beaver? an alligator? too fat and short for a snake or manatee. Will, likely, never know.

Patience, but find the moon twice.