Fish, foul weather and skinny water

Fish, foul weather and skinny water   ...   Friday 3^rd May 2013

As we left our oxbow anchorage this morning, Mike said he thought it was a nicer day than yesterday.  Indeed the wind seemed lighter and the skies brighter.  Perhaps we angered the weather gods with our remarks.  As the day progressed the intensity of the wind continued to increase.  Then the rain started.  At first it was just drizzly showers, later we experienced serious rain.  At some points Mike had to take over steering as I could see almost nothing through my rain-spattered specs.  We passed one marina that was flying a gale warning flag.  “Not a nice weather”!

Our objective for today was to make about 35 miles of progress along the ICW and anchor in the Calabash Creek.  The description of the creek entry in the guidebook reads: “ at extreme low water the entrance bar carries about five feet.  Enter just north of the ICW red ‘2’ giving the creek’s red ‘2’ a wide berth….” Not exactly the kind of description to calm the nerves.  Mike had phoned the chap at Towboat US for some local knowledge.  He advised us to treat the ICW red ‘2’ as a green.  It’s amazing the number of interpretations one could put on such seemingly straightforward advice.  We took those words (along with the guidebook description) to mean that we should pass between the island and ICW red ‘2’.  Although we were at the mid point of the tide we saw 6.6 feet on the depth sounder.  Once anchored inside the creek we asked ourselves if “treat it as a green” might mean to leave it on our port side.  It’s perplexing as going north on the ICW one has red on the port side all the time…. depending on whether the marker is viewed as on the ICW or on the creek the significance is reversed. We shall try to be up and away by 6 am tomorrow to ensure more depth at the creek entrance … and we’re going to pass the marker on the other side!

After a marvelous lunch of meatloaf sandwiches and apple crumble, we decided to try fishing.  We still had some squid in the freezer, the rod was already set up for bottom fishing.  Mike cast the bait over.  Then the phone rang—tomorrow’s marina phoning back.  While on the phone, Mike spotted the fishing rod taking off.  He lunged up the companionway and just managed to grab the end of the rod before it disappeared over the side of the boat.  I started to reel in while Mike talked to the chap at the marina.  The rod was bent into a horseshoe shape.  Once the call was complete, Mike took over the fishing.  What we had hooked was a stingray.  We brought it aboard and flipped it onto its back.  Then with gloves and boots on, Mike managed to get the hook out using the pliers and we put the fish back. A second cast led to a second (smaller) stingray.  While we did fish a little longer, I think our enthusiasm for fishing had abated (poor pun) – you can’t eat rays!

Gloria

33 52.491 N, 78 34.306 W

Motoring the Myrtle Beach section of the ICW in the rain