Today was a bit of a nail biter as we had to cross over two well-known ICW trouble spots. The trouble spots were two inlets: Lockwoods Folly and Shallotte Inlets. Both were perennial problem areas, which had again experienced significant shoaling due to the recent hurricane. This renders navigation aids less accurate posing real risk of grounding even within the marked channel. Tom spent a lot of time on each of the two nights before this leg examining tide and current information and seeking recent posts on Active Captain, Skipper Bob, and Waterway Guide detailing how travelers had found actual conditions in the last week since the hurricane.

It would be best to approach both these areas at mid-tide or higher while the tide was rising, and was certainly to be avoided at low tide. Complicating this plan was the fact that we also needed to negotiate five fixed bridges along this route (four 65′ and one 67′) which we’d prefer to pass under with a low tide giving more room for the top of our mast. As we traveled south, tide times shifted, thus making the whole thing kind of a calculus problem more suited to an engineer than a doctor.

Tom plotted new waypoints to follow that had the best chance of keeping us out of trouble. As we approached Lockwood’s Folly, a powerboat ahead of us radioed the news of the grounding of his fellow motor vessel at Shalotte Inlet (stomach flip).

At the Lockwoods Folly inlet, the currents became swift and confused, and to add to the drama, the wind kicked up-from a somewhat sedate 8kts WNW to frequent gusts of 23kts. Tom had to point the boat aggressively as we were being blown sideways towards the shoal areas at some points. Temporary nav-aids were helpful once we could discern their markings. As they were small red “nun” buoys, this wasn’t always easy, even with binoculars. Waiting for higher water levels to traverse this stretch likely saved our bacon, as we never had less than eight feet.

Paula then piloted a less demanding stretch so Tom could eat and unwind a bit, and she was proud to pilot under three bridges, thus raising her lifetime total to five.

Shallotte inlet was also suddenly very windy and challenging. We saw no sign of the grounded boat, making us hope he got off without damage. We very closely followed a course plotted with the aid of three key waypoints derived from a post Matthew Coast Guard survey of the inlet. The “channel” (such as it was) around this inlet was only 50 feet wide in spots. This would have been exceptionally difficult without the help of good electronic navigation. We did see several wrecked shrimpers, which looked fairly recent, making us wonder if they had been blown from their moorings and grounded during Matthew.

Our entry into South Carolina was celebrated with the sighting of a group of small goats frolicking on the port shore. (Ok, goats? Why?) The South Carolina Coast Guard repeatedly made broadcasts basically stating that all South Carolina Inland waters were hazardous due to the Hurricane’s effects, and to exercise extreme caution, but without giving any specific information as to trouble spots.

The remainder of our trip was less tricky and we were able to relax our focus somewhat and take in some more of the surroundings. Fishermen and women abounded, on piers, in boats, in kayaks. Incredibly lengthy wooden piers extended from all the homes, apparently for the express purpose of fishing, as most had no way to launch watercraft or swim from their ends.

In short order we spied the ornamental lighthouse that marks Coquina Harbor, home to three marinas. Our berth is in one of these, the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club. Our slip is right next to a woman who lives aboard with her dog Jack, and who has a marvelous dockside herb garden. A woman after Paula’s heart. More Southern hospitality-she offered us cuttings if we should need herbs to make dinner.

Paula has dinners ready, but Tom decided we should celebrate our lack of groundings today and we walked next door to Clark’s Seafood and Chophouse where we ate way too much of Cajun Alligator bites, scallops wrapped in bacon with marmalade sauce, prime rib and hog-nosed snapper.

We finished up the day with a small murder in the galley. When we arrived home from Clark’s, Paula discovered upon turning on the lights that a 2-inch Palmetto bug had climbed up the lines from the dock and into the galley. Since all the food storage cabinets are sealed tight, he couldn’t dart in one to escape and could only skitter across the counter. Steeling herself for the crunch, Paula squashed him in a washcloth (shudder) and then sprayed all the lines and bumpers leading into the boat with Raid. (Pictures of the vanquished beast upon request). Tommy provided the poor creature with a burial at sea.