Being a Saturday, Enterprise does not open until nine, so we get up early and get some chores done, before returning the car. I wind up assisting a number of boats that are leaving that need a little help because of the wind. We get back and are on our way around 9:30. This late we don’t see any other boats and the three draw bridges we go through only open for us. The day is rather cool and we are back to fleece and long pants.
After our first swing Bridge, immediately after leaving the Marina, we enter the "Rock Pile". This area on the ICW in South Carolina has rock ledges that are exposed at low tide and makes the ICW here quite narrow. We listen to radio traffic and check AIS for commercial ships like barges that maybe be entering the "Rock Pile" from the other end. When they dug the ICW here they unexpectedly found this area of rock, so to save money they removed as little as possible. It is actually safer to go through here at low tide, because the ledges are just lurking underwater on the sides. Many boaters have hit the ledges thinking they had room to move over for passing boats.
Past Myrtle Beach we motor south on the Waccamaw River past swamps and old rice plantation areas.
By late afternoon, 4:00 PM we reach a new to us anchorage that caught my attention last time through “Thoroughfare Creek”, next to Sand Island a state wildlife refuge with a large sand dune along the side of the creek, formed when the ocean shore was here, miles inland.
Sandy Island is bounded on the east by the Waccamaw River and on the west by the Pee Dee River and has no land connection or bridge to the mainland. Rice plantation land was bought by freed slaves and an isolated community has lived there ever since. There is a School Boat that takes children to the mainland to school each day.
Some interesting history on Sandy Island
https://www.southstrandnews.com/news/saving-sandy-island-a-big-piece-of-the-waccamaw-national/article_5403ec00-4339-11e8-91fd-3f7550783448.html
https://knowitall.org/video/saving-sandy-island-part-1-history
There is a strong current here and the anchor sets very quickly. I put the dinghy down and we head to shore to explore the dunes. Very pretty and popular spot, but this time of year we have it all to ourselves.
After our first swing Bridge, immediately after leaving the Marina, we enter the "Rock Pile". This area on the ICW in South Carolina has rock ledges that are exposed at low tide and makes the ICW here quite narrow. We listen to radio traffic and check AIS for commercial ships like barges that maybe be entering the "Rock Pile" from the other end. When they dug the ICW here they unexpectedly found this area of rock, so to save money they removed as little as possible. It is actually safer to go through here at low tide, because the ledges are just lurking underwater on the sides. Many boaters have hit the ledges thinking they had room to move over for passing boats.
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| Entering the Rock Pile |
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| The Rock Pile |
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| High water line, middle of windows |
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| Floating docks hung up on top of pilings |
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| Barefoot Landing Bridge |
Past Myrtle Beach we motor south on the Waccamaw River past swamps and old rice plantation areas.
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| Dark line of the high water mark from Florence |
By late afternoon, 4:00 PM we reach a new to us anchorage that caught my attention last time through “Thoroughfare Creek”, next to Sand Island a state wildlife refuge with a large sand dune along the side of the creek, formed when the ocean shore was here, miles inland.
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| Thoroughtfare Creek of the Waccamaw River |
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| Homes on the canal |
Sandy Island is bounded on the east by the Waccamaw River and on the west by the Pee Dee River and has no land connection or bridge to the mainland. Rice plantation land was bought by freed slaves and an isolated community has lived there ever since. There is a School Boat that takes children to the mainland to school each day.
Some interesting history on Sandy Island
https://www.southstrandnews.com/news/saving-sandy-island-a-big-piece-of-the-waccamaw-national/article_5403ec00-4339-11e8-91fd-3f7550783448.html
https://knowitall.org/video/saving-sandy-island-part-1-history
There is a strong current here and the anchor sets very quickly. I put the dinghy down and we head to shore to explore the dunes. Very pretty and popular spot, but this time of year we have it all to ourselves.
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