Rockpile

 11/25- Today didn’t start out too well. We had gotten out of the last two slips with no problem so we were thinking we knew what we were doing. All that came crashing down this morning. Trying to leave the slip the wind caught the bow and blew it down so we were across the fairway and still pointing the wrong way. The wind pinned us on the far side so we basically backed all the way out to the main channel. Our boat simply does not back up well so this was quite the feat. By the time we got the boat moving in the right direction we were pretty rattled. 

    Then it was out onto the channel and we had to wait for a bridge to open. The bridge tender was slow responding and so we had to spin around several times while we waited for it to open. Once we were through it was an easy day. 

    We traveled through the Pine Cut which is 28 miles of dug canal including the infamous Rockpile. Traveling through Myrtle Beach was a lesson in how the other half lives. Luxury houses lined the canal along with numerous golf courses. The Rockpile is a spot where the channel narrows considerably and you don’t want to meet up with anyone else. Rocks line the edges so it makes it a little scary. But after sailing in Maine what are a few little rocks. We hardly saw anyone else out all day. 

    After a while we went through a thick pine forest which then gave way to cypress swamp. We saw a lot more interesting birds through here. 

    We crossed under 14 different bridges along with 4 swing bridges. We can pass under most of the bridges as our air draft is only 50 feet. Most of the bridges are designed to be 65 feet high depending on the tide. Of the 4 swing bridges one was permanently open and so we had to wait at the other 3. All these were on demand so we just call the operator and request an opening and lo and behold they open the bridge. Sometimes you have to wait for a slower boat but usually they open as you get there. 

    We tied up for the night at Osprey Marina. This place has the best showers I’ve seen in a long time. There is nothing around here as it is in the middle of a cypress swamp but they did have pizza delivery. 

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