06/04/08 South Carolina ICW

Leaving Charleston we pass by Fort SumterMarkers continue to have occupants with families

Another bridge...this time with company


Bright, visible homes

and barely visible ones that blend in

We are anchored for the evening in Dewees Creek
and marshland that goes on forever between us and the ICW
The next day we make 40 miles, a good days travel for us, to Minim Creek.
The canals in this area can be quite narrow so we're glad to
be at anchor when these very hard working tugs come along.

Visiting Dragonflies
The wind is beginning to blow. Notice their wings are blown forward. They seem to have a pretty secure grip to withstand the wind.This time of year the ferry is running across the Estherville Minim Creek Canal.
Not a very big ferry but gets the job done.

Lots of tall straight pines growing here
They soon give way to an almost jungle look
With Osprey nests all about

Some in the very tops of the trees...
and others living happily on the waterway.


Of course there's other homes along this section of the waterway also.
Our home for the evening will be Bull Creek
It turns out to be the home of many others...
If you look closely, left of the center of the picture you'll see an
Anhinga drying it's wings...
swimming it like a snake at first!

a Swallowtail Kite was swooping at something in the trees...

a Heron was wading near the shore...
and a family of Turtles were sunning themselves...little ones
kept marching up from the bottom and either falling or jumping off?

Oh Yes, our own Alligator cruising the creek
We are told that they don't come to the middle of the creek? So how do they get to the other side? There will be no swimming tonight no matter how hot!!
The next morning, we're escorted out of the creek.
Is he smiling?



No Jungle Cruises Today
but all of a sudden...we are not alone anymore.
a secret spot to hide out and watch the traffic
Everything is so green...even the posts are blooming


Launching your boat can get pretty tricky
but so can launching your ducklings...
We're coming into the Myrtle Beach area. There's bright colors
and signs of summertime all around us.




Last time through we were fascinated with the Vortex that looked very scifi. This time a plane kept passing by and diving past the Vortex to what must have been an airport. Is he practicing landing approaches? take offs? and what's that he's trailing behind?
We watched the plane pass over, dive into the airport, come up and circle above us just to do it again?
Then....Ah Hah!....Success
We're going through the area called The Rock Pile.
The tide is down so it's easy to see where not to be.
We pass up the busy Myrtle Beach area as the temps have sky rocketed again and our fan died. We make a lucky choice to go to Coquina Yacht Club where Sandy, the dock manager makes sure we have a ride to purchase a new fan to keep Cool Cats. We spend a couple of great days there doing laundry (in the airconditioned club house) and being escorted around by Steve who knew where the worlds greatest Chinese Buffet with great seafood was.
The marina also has potted duck!
Wish we could have waited around for the hatching!
EXACTLY!