Bucksport and Georgetown

In between Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, we stopped for a night at the Bucksport Marina. The marina staff in Myrtle Beach warned us that it was not a good stop. However, we found the staff and locals to be friendly, and the atmosphere rustic. I enjoyed the opportunity to do laundry without competition for the machines and with the laundry building in proximity to the boat. The atmosphere reminded me of something we could find in Pamlico County outside of Oriental. With the 50Amp cord plugged in at the dock, we turned on the heat and slept deeply through a 36-degree night.

We had been traveling parallel to another sailing vessel - Solveig II. We were in Myrtle Beach together and stopped at Bucksport together. Wayne and Lindell are the owners. They are from north of Toronto and are heading to the Bahamas, retracing their cruise of 20 years ago when their sons were with them. They left home in August. I was feeling grateful to live in Oriental, so much closer to the FL Keys. Meeting people is one of the most fun parts of cruising so far. We invited them to our boat for a glass of wine. Elvis Ann entertained them with her usual tricks. Being the center of attention makes her so happy. :-)

The next morning we headed for Georgetown, SC. We stayed two nights at a marina on the waterfront. Let's just say that the dockmaster will not be voted "Mr. Congeniality" any time soon. Despite the dockmaster's disposition, we found Georgetown to be delightful. The highlight of our visit was a trolley tour given by a long-time resident. My southern history was a bit lacking. I never realized the level of religious tolerance South Carolina had during the 1700s and 1800s. People who were persecuted elsewhere settled in Georgetown and around South Carolina. For instance, many Jewish people found a happy home in Georgetown. I enjoyed seeing the historic homes and the quaint historic downtown area. Tree-lined streets, a clock tower, and lots of flowers make Georgetown charming. I felt as if I'd stepped into a Jan Karon novel.

Did I mention Confederate Roses in my last blog entry? We are fortunate to be here while those bushes are blooming. The leaves are large and green, and large pink blossoms cover the bushes like a hydrangea bush in the NC summer. We saw many of these bushes in bloom in the ICW and in Georgetown.

From Georgetown we moved 67 miles to Charleston Harbor. We followed John and Honey in Hielan Lass. We had seen them on our way to Wrightsville Beach, and then we saw each other again at the same marina in Georgetown. They are from NJ and are also heading to Marathon, FL. John and I enjoyed traveling the waterway with them.