A Busy Junction

Calabash Creek, SC
N 33 52.328 W 077 34.184

We crossed over the North Carolina, South Carolina border sometime today. We had a great three weeks in North Carolina Waters this year. Still, there are interesting NC waterfront towns that we have yet to visit.

We also crossed over the dreaded shoal at buoy 81A near an inlet this morning. We timed it just right, and the tide was 6 feet above MLW when we passed. The minimum depth I saw was 10 feet. That means that we would not have made it at low tide. We have had very good luck with the timing of the tides this week.

For a while this morning I was worried. From the time we left at 0630, until 0930, we saw no other cruising boats at all. Typically, on the ICW we are passed by two or three other boats per hour. I was afraid that perhaps the ICW was closed and that everybody but me knew about it. No problem. At 0930 we saw two other sail boats behind us. Both of them were boats we have seen every day for the past three days. That's typical of ICW travels. Although each boat travels at it's own speed,
the faster boats tend to stop earlier in the afternoon and start later in the mornings. Therefore, we get passed by the same boats day after day.

We are anchored in Calabash Creek, right at the junction where the creek meets the ICW and also where Little River Inlet meets the ICW. I would have thought this to be an isolated spot. Not so. There are three tug boats that hang around this junction like taxis waiting for a fare. We even saw three cruise ships pass by. Two of them were casino boats. The third was a day trip boat from Calabash that went up the creek past us. The junction is also a popular spot for local fishermen. At one
point there must have been a dozen of them anchored near by to fish for an hour or two. There are also shrimp boats that come up and down this creek at all hours. It is hardly an isolated spot.

The past two days we started before dawn, and we were treated to spectacular views. In the pre-dawn twilight, the nearly full moon shines with intensive light. Then the dawn itself has been signaled with lovely red skies. Even an hour after sunrise, the moon still shone with intense brilliance.