As we write from our anchorage in Bull Creek off the Wacama River, we feel totally isolated from other human beings even though we are only 1/2 mile off the ICW. The surrounding woods is full of eery birdsong, the pecking of what must be fifty pound woodpeckers, and echoing unidentifiable noises reminiscent of the Blair Witch Project. It’s about 4:30pm, we’ve just anchored into a strong current, and there are only a few biting flies (as yet). No other boats to this point, and given what we saw on the waterways today, we may not have neighbors tonight.

Today was a game of feet and inches. Yesterday our concern was too little water (grounding) and today the concern was too much. The water levels from Matthew remain high in many areas of South Carolina, especially Socastee, where homes along the ICW continue to be flooded, and the water is only receding at about four inches/day. There is a fixed bridge one-tenth mile past the Socastee swing bridge. It’s nominal clearance height is 65′, but due to the extra water load, reports at low tide were giving 60′ of clearance or slightly less. This was the most worrisome of 13 bridges we had to negotiate this day. The trick, again, arrive at Socastee at dead low tide, but try not to pass the preceding bridges at higher waters. The timing of this was further complicated by the fact that we had to leave our marina at sun up this morning because there is a troublesome shoal right at the entrance to Coquina harbor where we stayed last night.

The tide was receding and we had to get out before it got too low. Once out though, we had to go very slow so as not to arrive at these fixed bridges too soon since we wanted to go under at the lowest possible tide. That meant we had to go an agonizingly slow 3 mph most of the day. On the bright side, it did give us the opportunity to take in a lot of good sites in the Myrtle Beach area.

We were radioed by a 63′ masted sailboat currently docked at Grand Dunes Marina as we passed by. The Captain explained that he had severely bent his antenna two days before attempting the Grissom bridge, well to the North of trouble spot Socastee, and was in the marina till the waters subsided. He asked us to radio the bridge clearance at Socastee once we passed, or let him know if we were unable to pass, so he could predict his own chances over the next several days. We agreed. Apparently a number of taller-masted vessels are hung up in various marinas preceding the bridges.

Once again boaters helped each other. We let the first swing bridge know that there were two sailboats coming behind us, so that the tender would allow us through in a group. Many of the fixed bridges lacked number boards (Arrrggh!) and so these two smaller-masted vessels (55′ and 58′) then offered to go through first, so we could make a guesstimate with binoculars as to how much additional space was available at the tops of their masts. As they passed us, it gave us an opportunity to wave, and finally put faces to the voices we’d shared radio communications with on this and previous days.

When we arrived at Socastee the numbers boards read 61′, and we squeaked through with just a few inches to spare.

More sobering was the devastation still ongoing that the hurricane and flood has wrought on the homes and people in the area. Most yards are still flooded, and watermarks on some of the houses show how high the flood had risen. The sound of circular saws and hammers were everywhere. Debris was being gathered and carted away, even though the disaster has not yet fully receded.

In and around Myrtle Beach there was markedly less damage. There wasn’t as much trapped water and the land was on a higher elevation. We saw many golf courses in use, apparently unscathed.