Stats for May 17, 2019

Origin: North Myrtle Beach

Destination: Provisions Restaurant docks in Southport, NC

Distance: 37.6 miles

Speed: 8.2 mph

Time on the Move: 4 hours and 35 minutes

When we woke up in North Myrtle Beach, we had a few chores to get done before heading out for the day. We needed to pump out our waste tanks, and luckily, they have dockside pump out. The bad part was that Mike had to do the pumping, but it was nice not to have to move the boat. We also filled the water and prepped to leave the dock. We had a warm send off from the locals at the marina. About 10 people gathered to watch us leave. I didn’t think we were that exciting, but apparently they did.

Again, we had to call the dredge boat to lower their pipe and send an escort to lead us out of the marina. This time we passed through uneventfully, never seeing the pipe resurface. As we pulled out of the marina, we passed by a large fishing boat. No matter how many times we see them, they catch my attention–such character!!

Our drive was filled with residential areas mixed with natural areas. There were lots of large rentals along the way, mixed with smaller homes in neighborhoods, and some areas with really big, beautiful homes. We even saw an RV park.

Along the way we had a few discussions about where we should actually go for the evening. Mike’s parents still had Colin with them, and they were planning on meeting us wherever we ended up and spending the night on INNTW. It seemed like all the hotels were booked between bike week and a festival held nearby. We were all excited that Grandma and Grandpa were going to finally spend the night on INNTW!! We ultimately decided to dock for free at Provisions Restaurant dock, where you can stay overnight if you eat there. DEAL!!

The wind was picking up, but the ICW was so protected we couldn’t really tell the difference. When we neared Provisions, there were several docks to scan to try to find the right one (though the large word PROVISIONS on the roof ultimately helped. Also, the wind really picked up because there is a wide river area leading to an inlet to the ocean and the white caps were rolling. The tide was falling, but still on a mid tide, so we were stunned to see this sailboat washed up on a sandbar right next to the restaurant. There were 2 tow boats there trying to get him off the bar.

We realized quickly that Friday early afternoon was a very busy time at Provisions, so lots of diners would have the chance to see us dock. Great. Nothing like pressure, right?! We decided to stern in (back in) because the docks were so short, and we needed easy access off the boat. However, we were worried about the depth at the dock because just a few slips down we could see sloping sand piled up against the sea wall, again we were on a mid-tide. Mike called the slip he wanted and Colin and I prepped the lines and were ready to do our best to help the captain into the dock.

We say our boat is like a sailboat when it is windy because of our large enclosed flybridge. Most of the time, we love the flybridge, but when it is windy and we’re docking, it is the enemy. Mike kept getting pushed around by the wind, so he had to re-approach the dock a few times before he felt comfortable. There was a gentleman on the dock willing to catch our lines and that was a huge relief to me in those conditions. In the end, Mike backed into the wind to get us in the slip, but we were pushed sideways by the wind hard enough before we were far enough into the slip that the corner of the wooden dock scraped against the side of our boat pretty good. It was a little stressful, especially with a crowd looking on, but sometimes you’re just glad it’s over. Thank goodness for the guys on the dock who helped catch the lines!

We tried to move the boat back into the slip a little more with the lines, but couldn’t get it to budge. I blamed it on the wind, but Mike had the suspicion that we were actually beached and sitting on our props in the sand. Thank goodness the docks were new and in good shape because they sure had a job keeping our 30,000 pound boat in one place all night!! Overall, it was not a great docking experience, though it didn’t cause much damage except to our egos, but then the thought that we were sitting on our props had Mike worried all night. Not to mention the wind and waves rocking us. In hindsight, a different anchorage would have been a much better choice, but it worked out. (Worst docking experience with boats around: St Ignace. Worst docking experience with no other boats involved: Provisions.)

Mike and I “checked in” and had a quick drink at the bar to calm our nerves. Grandma, Grandpa, and Colin arrived and we headed to to see the town. We learned that this is a very important inlet area because it brings in a lot of shipping traffic to the port of Wilmington, NC. There was still a large metal tower along the shore where pilots used to stand lookout, waiting for big ships to come into the channel that they had to board to guide through the shallow waters of the inlet up to the port.

We found a park, read about the history of the area, stopped at a winery for some tasting, found a candy store for the kids, and then decided it was time to head back to Provisions for dinner. That place was hopping and we felt like we were in a bit of a fishbowl on our sundeck. That is probably why I don’t have a picture of 100 people staring at the new scratch on my boat, but I sure wish I did.

We had a great dinner and a beautiful sunset. That wind did not stop all night, though!! We were rocking pretty good, but Grandpa said it helped put him right to sleep on our salon couch. The kids thought the sleepover on INNTW was fun, and they even let the adults stay up late talking about how we don’t like talking about politics. Provisions closes at 10, so it was quite lively until then, but it quieted down pretty quickly, which we appreciated. (Mike and I thought of some bar/restaurants back home on the Clinton River that could never have this kind of set up because they are too wild and open too late–fun to visit, but not fun to stay!)

The next morning Larry and Cheryl left INNTW around 8:30 so we could get going. We had some miles to put under our keel in order to meet them closer to the Outer Banks in a few days. It was a good visit, but unfortunately I didn’t take many pictures.

We were relieved when we were finally able to pull away from the dock, after some careful consideration for wind and waves. Luckily, the props don’t seem to have been affected from sitting in the sand for part of our stay. Provisions is a great place to stop, but I’d recommend bowing in, only stopping in good weather, and finding an alternative spot if you have longer than a 50’LOA (length overall of your boat).

Thanks for reading and following along on our adventures!!