Bucksport, SC, - Little River, SC, - St. James Plantation, SC, - Bennett Brothers Yachts, Wilmington, NC

Beautiful Waccamaw River

The Waccamaw is one of the most pastoral and tranquil water settings on the AICW. There's a mammoth Bald Eagle's nest in a tree a stone's throw from where we are anchored--complete with babies! Following a peaceful evening and great night's rest, we left our idyllic anchorage among the cypress trees, knees, and shimmering tannin-tinged river whose reflection was cast back at us, and went into Light Keepers Village Marina, Little River, to visit our cruising friends, Mary, Larry, and granddaughter, Samantha.  They have been our next door neighbors in Boatman's Marina, Marathon, and are proud owners of a newer and larger boat soon to be christened, Miss Mary.  Of course we went to Calabash to spend time with them and to partake in the renown Calabash seafood.  We enjoyed the tour of their new boat which is also their home.

Mary, Larry, and Samantha

St. James Plantation, Southport, was a delightful place to spend some time.  Tucked snugly into the marina, we sat on the veranda taking in the view and appreciating the refreshing breeze--or gale--couldn't tell which but the palms trees were definitely swaying and not a cloud in the sky.

St. James Plantation Marina

The next morning before we left I toured the area on foot and mixed a little sight-seeing in with a 4 mile aerobic walk.  Mid-morning we continued cruising north to Wilmington, NC, and Bennett Brothers Yachts where we'd planned to stay for a week and have some mechanical issues resolved.  "They" said it was about a mile into downtown so off we trudged only to find that by the time we got downtown, we'd clocked 3.5 miles.  Add that to my 4 from that morning plus the 3.5 back to the marina.  Figured I'd walked off at least a glass of wine.  After that hike we found the dinghy to be quicker, more direct, and our choice for going "downtown" thereafter.  

A beautiful early morning sight, missed by one of us (who was still sleeping). 

During a trip to the post office "downtown", I asked the postal worker where locals would have lunch.  She directed us to the Copper Penny and added that a cute server worked there named Tessa---who was our server and the daughter of the postal employee.  

Lunch at the Copper Penny with my best friend.

The Copper Penny is the cutest place and not something that would've ever caught our eye.  Lunch was more than a gracious sufficiency and even satisfied our need for dinner.

Where is everyone???

Often amused by boat names.  We've been here two weekends and so far, no action!

This is authored by Bill Parlatore who began PassageMaker Magazine and is printed in the April 2013 issue. I just love these few paragraphs because I, too, become so weary of hearing those two words. I asked and received his permission to share this with credit so here it is.

From the Pilothouse

Now That’s Amazing by Bill Parlatore

     "I don’t know about you, but this really bugs me. No matter where I am, I can’t help but cringe when someone utters two words over and over, in a most meaningless way. “That’s amazing,” or even worse, “that’s awesome.”

     "Can you pass me the salt? Thanks, that’s awesome.

     "And if it comes out of the mouths of at least two generations, there is the additional obligatory filler. “That’s like amazing.” Like, like, like. Like where do people like learn to speak like that?

     "The customary definition of amazing is something so extraordinary or wonderful as to be barely believable or cause extreme surprise. Awesome is even more so, because it is so impressive or overwhelming as to inspire a strong feeling of admiration or fear. A hurricane is awesome. A cheeseburger is not.

     "When I ponder this blatant misuse of language, it sometimes evokes memories of events so extraordinary that they are forever carved into my soul."

He then proceeds to relate places he’s cruised and sights he’s seen that truly are amazing and awesome.

In ADULT conversation it's sometimes fun to count on your fingers and toes the number of times these words are used (and often it takes that many). 

When sharing this with a friend, she also commented on another annoying and over-used word, SURREAL. "Oh-h-h-h-h, that was just SURREAL."  Really???

We're enjoying our time in Wilmington at Bennett Brothers.  We've become acquainted with Beth and Stephen aboard S/V Nightingale, docked behind us. He's an engineer and she's a RN.  Of course, we'd bond!  They're also full-time cruisers and are the only cruising friends of ours who own nothing except their boat.  We have full-time friends who own a slip but Nightingale and Kindred Spirit own no property so in that respect, we're soul mates.  Bill has a "saying" that property is the enemy of leisure and we're attempting to maintain that level of lack of ownership.  Surely does simplify life.

We may continue north on Wednesday...and then we may stay here a bit longer.  Just know that we're safe and all is well.

Bill and Laura
Bennet Brothers Yachts
Wilmington, NC