Headed South

Breakfast with Jim & Ann

Up close and personal with the local wildlife!

We had decided to leave Elixir at Osprey Marina for the month we would be gone from her.

When we pulled in to Osprey Marina, our good friends, Jim and Ann, were there onboard their 43 foot Defever, Wild Goose.  We got to spend the day with them in Myrtle Beach (we had rented a car to drive back home) and really enjoyed the time with them!  The next day, they headed north towards the Chesapeake Bay.

We spent a couple of days getting Elixir ready for us to leave.  We also enjoyed the peace and quiet of this secluded marina, complete with a variety of wildlife such as deer, turtles, and many species of birds.

Then finally, it was time to go.  We got in the rental car and headed towards home, the first leg of our vacation over.

Osprey Marina

After about a month of catching up the case files back at my office, it was finally time to head back to Elixir.  As far as I was concerned, it was not a moment too soon.

We had never left Elixir anywhere before and wouldn't you know it, she got hit by not one, but two tropical storms!  You can imagine how nervous I was!

But luckily, we left her at Osprey Marina just south of Myrtle Beach.  Not only are the dock prices reasonable and the fuel prices the lowest around, but you can't beat the location for hurricane protection.

Elixir sports her repaired bimini at Osprey Marina

Osprey Marina is a little pocket of water surrounded by trees.  The only way in or out is a narrow channel just wide enough for two boats, although one side is taken up by the dock where we left Elixir.  So all my worrying was for nothing, and Elixir was just fine!

While I was working, Marie repaired the bimini top that had been destroyed in the earlier storm.  I think she did a great job.  Although it will ultimately need to be replaced, this repair will get us through the cruising season and you can't really tell from the dock that it was repaired!

Elixir at Wacca Wache Marina

After making sure everything was in order, we pointed the bow southward and started the long trip home.

We passed Wacca Wache Marina at lunch time so we decided to pull in for lunch.  We have always been surprised at how few restaurants there are along the ICW where you can pull a 40 foot trawler up to, so we like to support those that exist.

On this day, it was K-Rae's Waterway Bar and Grill.  We were rewarded for stopping with a great black bean veggie burger!

K-Rae's Water Bar and Grill

After a great lunch we went to pull out of the marina and I got fed a double helping of humble pie!  The marina is a little tight to pull in and out of.  Pulling in, I performed a picture perfect docking.  But pulling out, I had a strong current pushing me from behind.  With a single screw, I have very little control when backing up, and even less when a 3-4 knot current is pushing against me.  Everytime I tried to turn, the current pushed me towards the dock.  I should have backed in so I could have just pulled straight out into the current, but I didn't.  So here I was, struggling to turn with a current doing everything it could to stop me.  By the time I finally got the bow turned up-river enough to get out of there, I was completely inside the slip.  There was barely 5 feet in front of and in back of the boat, but somehow we got out of there without hitting anything!  A little embarrassed, I headed once again down-river.