We were the first boat to leave the anchorage at Wrightsville Beach, knowing it was going to be a long day with 60 miles to travel. We had the current with us as we traveled the Cape Fear River, permitting Makai to make 10 knots - which is a first! Normally we have a speed of around 6 1/2 knots.
We had several bridges to pass under and only one that needed opening (Sunset Beach Pontoon Bridge). This bridge is a single lane, wooden deck pontoon, that is reported to be the last of its kind along the entire east coast. The opening involves the bridge tender to stop all vehicular traffic. Then he walks down a spiral staircase to the engine room. There sits this huge German-built diesel engine, with a back-up engine as breakdowns are common. The bridge opens and closes with the use of cables and hydraulic controls atop a platform off of the engine. Once the alarm sounds, boats are free to pass by the bridge. Boats must wait for the signal from the bridge tender to continue through or the propellers might get caught on the cables that sink to the bottom of the waterway. In the event of an approaching hurricane or tropical storm, the bridge tender has to wait until everyone is evacuated (only mandatory evacuations) to secure the bridge to protect it from high winds and surf. The bridge cannot be operated during winds higher than 40 mph. Even though this old bridge is strong and well-built, it can be severely damaged in hurricane or tropical storm force winds. It will not open in low tides as it needs water to float. The bridge is wearing out, and is scheduled to be replaced with an unmanned high-rise bridge that will open in 2010. Hopefully the polite bridge tender will be able to retire or be relocated to another location.
We passed the North Carolina/South Carolina border. There was no welcome sign just confederate flags flying proudly. Soon afterwards, we pulled into the Calabash River, a few miles north of Myrtle Beach and anchored for the night.
South Carolina is interesting. The waterway is loaded with tree stumps trying to snag your boat. We passed a tremendous amount of development in the Myrtle Beach area. Golf courses and beautiful new homes line the waterway and more are actively under construction, but there are also a large number of homes with for sale signs. We continued through a 4 mile stretch called "the rock pile". The banks are rock ledges that are invisible at high tide water, so you MUST stay in channel if you don’t want to rip the side out of your boat! It’s noted in the cruising guides and they advise you to call ahead on the VHF to check for any north-bound tugs before starting through it, since it is so narrow.
It started to rain early this morning and turned a bit chilly, making it a miserable day to travel - but we pushed on. We are at anchor in Thoroughfare Creek, a really nice spot for the night but more stumps so caution is necessary.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment