The crew of the Eleanor is giving thanks for a safe passage so far!  We toasted with coffees (The ICW is no place for a cocktail!) to all of our good fortune to be sharing this experience. Jon and I are lucky to have found each other, found Eleanor, and have our great friends and partners in crime and other ridiculousness, Jenn and Craig Barnabee, aboard. 

We’ve been able to stay in the ditch since we left more-Moorehead City, but that didn’t mean it was simple. There was red everywhere on the sonar – meaning the water was treacherously shallow on the edges of our course and sometimes in the middle!  The occasional signs advertising boat towing services don’t inspire a lot of confidence. We took turns helming, brows furrowed over the depth sounder, but Jon never really got a break as he navigated, calling out marks and possible trouble spots like an auctioneer.  

“Red, right – see red, aim there, okgreenseeitturnharderI’mslowingusdowneretheresanothertrawler!”  

Happy hopping dolphin pods brought us some relief from the constant concentration. And for some reason I love these old fishing boats. 

Yippee skippee, at around 4pm we got to use our Chesapeake Yacht Club reciprocity to check in at Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, featuring big clean showers and restrooms. It’s amazing how happy I get these days over these seemingly small amenities. We ate at Clark’s (next door to the club) which featured only oysters from Virginia.  Backtracking on my oyster tour proved disappointing. Still, I pigged out on shrimp, scallops and grits. We capped the day with hot toddies. 

Lots of frost on the bow this morning as we cruised out of port at sunrise. Hadn’t we come south??  

Today we hit the wide and winding Waccamaw River, dripping with Spanish moss and a bit of fall color. 

I don’t want to steal Jenn’s cool bridge photo thunder, but here’s one I liked: 

We had second breakfast of bagels and locks, served on Thanksgiving themed paper plates. That could be about it for any sort of traditional celebration today. It may be a Chinese take-out sort of evening, though we do have plenty of wine, bourbon and beer stowed.  However we celebrate our arrival to our final destination, we’ll be grateful.