LAT: N 33° 21.9'
LON: W 79° 17.0'
SLOW TIMES 50s, winds 5 - 10 kts, brisk and sunny
today's sunset
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Cruisin' An' Snoozin'

Captain's Log

810 - We pull out from our anchorage into Little River.
907 - Past the Little River Bridge just out of town.
1109 - Approaching Myrtle Beach we come upon many golf courses.
1214 - Waiting for the Socastee Bridge opening.
1308 - Passing Bucksport we are now in the Waccamaw River.
1507 - Going past Woodville.
1600 - Coming up to the Lafayette Bridge (fixed).
1652 - Anchored in Georgetown across from the dinghy dock.


Arggg me maties, folks say there's something in the woods that made the trees grow tall, and come alive. Trees that could whisper, talk to each other, even move.



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One of the many Cypress trees we saw today.

Sleepy Southern Cypress Swamp


(Say It Five Times Fast)


Sai Gunturi- Guest Editor

We took off into Little River on this quiet morning and followed the path that the Christmas Parade had taken last night. Around the bend we passed the small town of Little River which contained a number of different boats, houses with docks into the river and a small swing bridge. It opened for us and we passed into a section of the ICW known for being narrow with rocky volcanic looking shores. Some parts were quite pretty, while others were populated by big houses and complexes that got in the way of the natural beauty.

We passed by an outlet mall and went by another bridge but once we got into the Waccamaw River, the rest of the day down to Georgetown was very beautiful. The Waccamaw [May I have the origin of that word please? -Ed.] makes it way through an expansive Cypress swamp. While most of the trees looked fairly young, there were some great old ones as well. We were reminded of the Ents (giant trees that talk and walk) from Lord of the Rings. As the Waccamaw opened closer to Georgetown, the shoreline remained charming, with modest homes tucked up in the trees. The day was mostly uneventful and we made our way along as usual.

We made our approach to Georgetown as the sun was setting. The shrimpboats stood guard as they have in all the towns we've passed through. We set our anchor across from the clocktower and dinghy dock downtown. Landing ashore, our hopes of a bar with BBQ wings were quickly dashed as the town was shut down completely on a Sunday evening. It was very cute downtown though, with old trees adorned with white lights and a wide main street with little shops along the way. There was even a little Strand theater where a local players group was going to put on "The Best Christmas Pagent Ever" in a few days. As part of a well done downtown revitalization project, Georgetown has also installed a boardwalk along the waterfront on the back side of the main street businesses (you can see it in the main picture). After getting some directions, we walked about four blocks up to the strip where we found the all-you-can-eat southern buffet next door to the Chevy dealership and Pizza Hut. There were no hot wings but plenty of other food to pacify our hunger.

After dinner, we walked back through the quiet residential neighborhood. Finishing our short visit to the sleepy city, we rowed home and hauled Surely back onboard. We planned to get an early start for a long day ahead to Charleston (and wings!).

Fun Facts!
Going South is a lot about finding warmer weather, and not unrelated, we also find longer days. The day we left Boston, the sun rose at 7:06am and set at 5:51pm. Today in South Carolina, the sun rose at 7:03am and set at 5:14pm. Earlier in our trip, the sun was actually setting before 5, so our days were getting shorter and now longer again. Unfortunately, we have not been collecting the data, but the day length may be moving back and forth as we race the sun in our southern journey.

In contrast to South Carolina, today in Boston the sun rose at 6:52am and set at 4:13pm. So while Boston gets an 11 minute jump on the day, we get it back later with 59 more minutes before sunset!

Animal of the Day
We saw a red fox, Vulpes vulpes, on our evening drive on Bald Head Island. Foxes are always a treat to see, mostly because they keep well hidden and to themselves. They do not travel in packs like wolves do. The common red fox is red besides the ashy colored fur on the belly and the black or white tip of the tail. They have tail glands which means they can emit a skunk like odor, though they cannot spray. One usually gets a glimpse of the yellow eyes slyly checking you out before it darts off. The red fox is an omnivore so it's not just chicken, mice and carrion they like, but also fruits. They are pretty amazing critters, and could out run you on your bike and also jump over your head. It's just their choice not to.

Grub Report
Dinner buffet at the Lafayette Restaurant was a large variety of foods: fried chicken, boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes, turkey, cranberry sauce, cut green beans, kale, stuffing, corn bread, macaroni and cheese, and more.



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