Georgetown South Carolina

Left Callabash River at crack of dawn on Wed 25 Nov.


13 Bridges later we arrived in Georgetown and anchored in 2.2 meters close to high water. The route took us initially through a canal with many large houses with private jetties and boat lifts and, after passing through the Socastee Swing Bridge, entered the beautiful forested winding Waccamaw River . which took us to Georgetown. Just before Georgetown, the nominal 65 foot fixed Lafayette Bridge blocked our path - a bit unnerving as there are reports that it is actually less than 65 feet at mean HW and we approachedclose to HW. Unfortunately their was no tide guage so we approached very cautiously - the VHF antenna pinged on each bridge girder but no damage was done and we were through.
Had a very relaxing day on Thursday (first day off since leaving Wilton Creek on 15 Nov) .

Had a walk around the old residential part of town with its fine houses and huge Live Oak (evergreen) trees . Celebrated Thansksgiving in fine style on board the new Rhum Line with old Kemer friends Ted & Trish.
Visited Rice Museum in old clock tower and learnt that Georgetown was once the centre of the major rice growing area in the USA and became a very important town. The ground here is very difficult to cultivate with machinery and so, with the abolition of slavery, rice was no longer profitable and is no longer carried out here.