Weather

Weather was and now is the biggest concern for Rosie and crew.  Unpredictable, constantly needing attentioon and often violent.  Like a bratty child.

We left Southport on 11/12 into warnings of record cold and gale force winds.  We made it to Myrtle Beach and tied up at a marina just before the front came through.  We try to limit our marina stops but in this case, we wanted shore power so we could run our AC heater.  It was a hellishly cold night, below freezing with 20+ knot winds.  (I know, I know.  But you're all in houses.  We in a boat!)

The next day was cold but clear and we continued south into the Waccamaw River that flows through swamp and whose water is the color of coffee.

Once again we decided to stop at a small marina in Bucksport.  Dockage was 75 cents a foot and power was $6.  So we could plug in and run the heater.  (We have a big generator but it's noisy and uses diesel).  This marina like so many had been decimated by Hurricane Florence last year and was still recovering.  It had FEMA bathrooms and not much more.

The impacts of violent weather are everywhere down here.  The waterway is strewn with wrecks of all sizes.  Sailboats sitting 100 yards from the water.  Shrimp boats sunk just off the channel.  Climate change is real.

From Bucksport we made a short trip to Georgetown, SC.  It's a nice town when the wind isn't blowing the paper mill smell at you.  We're anchored in the basin with easy access to shops and bakeries.  But the Weather Channel headline as we arrived here said "Strong Storm to Lash Southeast."  Is is and won't let up until Sunday.  Steady rain with winds 20-25 knots.  So we'll stay here.  Charleston, which is closer to the ocean will see storm surge and strong currents.

So we hunker down and wait.

It's cold but comfortable.  And if you look carefully you can see that we have the means to self-medicate when necessary.