Day 13...Hazzard Marine to Osprey Marina, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 2012

      I promised to tell you about Hazzard Marine in Georgetown the other day.  It was a very clean and quiet marina with an extremely friendly and helpful Dock Master named Susan Peterson.  You know with that name she has to be wonderful.  She went out of her way to do as much as possible to make us feel at home.  In our opinion, this small marina is worthy of a 5 star rating in any of the guides.  We hope to stop there on our way home.

Susan Peterson, Dock Master Extraordinaire

     

     When we left the marina at 8:05 a.m., we motored along with sporadic homes and docks on the starboard side and trees and marsh on the port side.  There was more boat traffic on the water today than we’ve seen on the Intracoastal since we left Jacksonville.

Port

Starboard

     Then we began traveling the Waccamaw (River)(if you’re a local you don’t add the river part according to Richard.  I’ll tell you about him later).  It was so serene.  It was like floating down the river enjoying the luxury of just relaxing.  There were trees right down to the waterline with no bank at all.  There were cypress trees dipping their feet in the water next to patches of hyacinths.  The water was so calm with only tiny ripples from the wind running across it.  It was a day of peace and tranquility.

Richard in front of  the office

    

Can you find Traveller tucked behind the light blue tug?

     When we arrived at Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach, Richard helped us into the slip.  He was so friendly from the beginning.  When I went to check in, we were given a “goody” bag.  It was filled with cheese and crackers, a few sweet pastries, and quite a few items like a whistle, a key fob, and a note pad with the Osprey logo on them.  They know the way to my heart.  The marina was a clean, quiet place to spend the night.  We were glad to have shore power so we could run the heater to ward off the projected close to freezing temperature.  When I went to take my shower, I asked Richard about the Waccamaw.  He took a small chart and patiently explained that south of the marina the Waccamaw split off the Intracoastal on our port side.  He said that it was a pretty trip up the river to Conway, S.C. if we ever have the time.  It is people like Susan and Richard that make traveling enjoyable.  We have met some really nice people like Ivy and Bob on KARMA.  Retired schoolteachers have to stick together.

     We traveled 32 miles in 5 hours 40 minutes with the tide against us most of the way.

     We called Mary (our son-in-law Joel’s Mom) and her husband Bruce to let them know we made it to Myrtle Beach.  They came to see the boat and took us back to their house for dinner.  I’m sure their cute, fuzzy white poodle Gizmo would want us to tell the grandkids HI for him.  He is just the sweetest thing.  We enjoyed talking to Mary and Bruce to get some ideas for places to visit along the Hudson.  The grilled chicken was a real hit.  Mary showed me some beautiful curtains with lighthouses on them that it took her 3 years to crochet.  I admire her persistence and patience.  We had a very nice visit.  Hopefully we can stop again on the way back.  

Mary and Susan