Southport, NC to Myrtle Beach

[JeffVans]

I am headed to Myrtle Beach this weekend and am considering having the wife drop me off in Southport to meet back up with them in MB. The plan is to get a slip at Osprey Marina (VERY reasonable prices ~$100 for the week).
So the first question is if there's anywhere secure to leave the trailer in Southport (or, preferably, try to convince her to drive the rest of the way with the trailer)?
Second, I can't remember if I read it here or another place, but is the no wake zone in MB really that bad? I thought I remembered reading that it was pretty long, but now I cant find it.
Any other advice from others who have done it is always welcome.
@robert843 is the only name I remember for sure talking about it, and of course after looking at the User Map, that makes sense!!! lol

 

[robert843]

It’s not to bad at all will take you Aprox 3 hours to run that depending on where you launch up there. Sorry I’m not much help on launch options up there as I have never used any of the ramps there. What days are you guys going to be here in Myrtle and if you want me to send you a list of things to do and see by water let me know. My boat is docked 3 minutes from osprey I was going to pull it out tomorrow to clean the bottom but maybe I will wait and try and catch up with you guys one day.

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

@robert843 I’m headed down to North Myrtle and would like that list as well if you don’t mind? Also, where is the best place to put in at North Myrtle?

Thanks

 

[Jameson Clark]

I have put in down in Murrell's Inlet multiple times and made the run up to Ocean Isle, Oak Island, Southport areas before. We do it just for fun while down at the beach (house is in Garden City.) I can say that trip up and down the intracoastal waterway is a lot of fun! There are a couple no wake zones through the Myrtle area but not any that are crazy long or anything. I definitely recommend doing it though. Lots of cool stuff to see on the way down to Myrtle!

We have seen some pretty cool stuff over the years including a 164' yacht up on plane in the waterway... that was CRAZY! But, overall, it is always an awesome trip!

PS - The yacht is a jet drive!

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

I have put in down in Murrell's Inlet multiple times and made the run up to Ocean Isle, Oak Island, Southport areas before. We do it just for fun while down at the beach (house is in Garden City.) I can say that trip up and down the intracoastal waterway is a lot of fun! There are a couple no wake zones through the Myrtle area but not any that are crazy long or anything. I definitely recommend doing it though. Lots of cool stuff to see on the way down to Myrtle!

We have seen some pretty cool stuff over the years including a 164' yacht up on plane in the waterway... that was CRAZY! But, overall, it is always an awesome trip!

PS - The yacht is a jet drive!

I see you have the 2017 212x. I have the 2018 212 Limited S. How did the boat handle the big boat wake and traffic? My wife is a little concerned, but I told her not to worry I was driving and she said thats what had her worried! Ha Ha! I told her to get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on! Ha Ha!

Did you have any trouble with picking up any debris on the trip up?

 

[JeffVans]

I have put in down in Murrell's Inlet multiple times and made the run up to Ocean Isle, Oak Island, Southport areas before. We do it just for fun while down at the beach (house is in Garden City.) I can say that trip up and down the intracoastal waterway is a lot of fun! There are a couple no wake zones through the Myrtle area but not any that are crazy long or anything. I definitely recommend doing it though. Lots of cool stuff to see on the way down to Myrtle!

We have seen some pretty cool stuff over the years including a 164' yacht up on plane in the waterway... that was CRAZY! But, overall, it is always an awesome trip!

PS - The yacht is a jet drive!

That's a big SOB!!! hopefully there will be some cool stuff out on the way down.
Weather looks like it'll cooperate so I'll likely be doing it. I think I have the wife convinced to drive the trailer the rest of the way down so I won't have to figure out where to leave it in NC and I wont be weather dependent on departure. This is my consolation prize for missing out on the two forum trips I wanted to go on this year (Bimini and Hilton Head). lol I'll be keeping my out for any others coming up in the next couple months and hopefully be able to hop on one this year at least.

 

[Jameson Clark]

I see you have the 2017 212x. I have the 2018 212 Limited S. How did the boat handle the big boat wake and traffic? My wife is a little concerned, but I told her not to worry I was driving and she said thats what had her worried! Ha Ha! I told her to get in, sit down, shut up, and hold on! Ha Ha!

Did you have any trouble with picking up any debris on the trip up?

I haven't taken the Yamaha on that run yet but we've taken my old Monterey 194fs multiple times as well as my mom's Tahoe deck boat (in one of the pictures) and my sister's 18' bowrider and a bunch of other boats! We are a boating family. The intracoastal waterway is an easy run with very little big boat wakes to worry about. I'd make that run in about anything that floats! That one yacht that year was the one exception and I can't believe that Captain took the risks he did doing that but I believe they were trying to make the Murrell's inlet draw bridge opening.

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

@Jameson Clark I was looking at some maps. I want to go south one day and back. North one day and back. Do you have to get out in the ocean to get to Murrell's inlet? Would love to go to Drunken Jacks for lunch. I've known the owner since I was a kid. My grandmother lived across the street from Drunken Jacks.

 

[robert843]

@Jameson Clark I was looking at some maps. I want to go south one day and back. North one day and back. Do you have to get out in the ocean to get to Murrell's inlet? Would love to go to Drunken Jacks for lunch. I've known the owner since I was a kid. My grandmother lived across the street from Drunken Jacks.

Yes Murrells Inlet requires an ocean entrance or you would have to tow and drop into the inlet at the local boat ramp.

 

[Jameson Clark]

Yep, just what was just said. I put in off of 544 directly into the intracoastal waterway and then head north most of the time. We have gone South a time or two as well. North you'll see houses, boats, people, etc. Sorry you see nature.

But, no access by boat to Murrell's inlet besides by the ocean inlet or by land.

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

Gotcha. Thanks for the info.

 

[robert843]

@robert843 I’m headed down to North Myrtle and would like that list as well if you don’t mind? Also, where is the best place to put in at North Myrtle?

Thanks

@cameron.sprinkle the best place to launch in NMB is 148 Morgan Ave. Little River 29588. Below are some coordinates. Bird Island is nice and can easily spend a whole day or two just hanging out on the beach there and the island across from it Waites Island just be careful to stay in the markers unless approaching a beach and best to approach a beach near others there are some very shallow spots outside the markers there and you will get stuck if you go outside the markers @JeffVans meant to tell you that as well. Barefoot LAnding and Georgetown are great late afternoon spots to walk around and grab some food with shops and stuff both have plenty of public docking. North Island is a private nature preserve only accessible by boat as well with some nice beaches and wild life plus an old light house and there is also a ship wreck of the Harvest Moon that was a US Gun Ship in the 1800's it was sunk in 1865 you can see the old smoke stack still coming out of the water the xurrent is strong here you will need a good anchor set up it is a soft sandy bottom. Sandy Island is an old plantation island with a nature trail and a beach it is best ht on a weekday the beach area is small and it gets packed on the weekends but a neat spot to check out and spend a little time. If you continue down the creek past sandy island you will run into the Great Pee Dee river there are some old plantations back there as well. If either if you get want to make a longer run McClellanvile is an old fishing village there are usually dolhins hanging around it as the follow the shrimp boats back in and it neat old town to walk around and go grab lunch at TW Grams.


Location
Bird Island 33 51.230' N 78 32.720' W
Barefoot Landing 33 47.973' N 78 45.156" W
Sandy Island 33 30.902' N 79 8.650' W
Georgetown Docks 33 21.960' N 79 17.072' W
North Island 33 12.992' N 79 11.034' W
McClellanville 33 5.159' N 79 27.794' W

 

[robert843]

@cameron.sprinkle another good ramp if your going south on the water way is 10923 Schultz Way, Myrtle Beach 29572 this will skip the most boring part of the water way and save you about an hour on the water if going to Georgetown, Sandy Island or North Island

 

[JeffVans]

Awesome, THANKS @robert843 !!!!!!

 

[AndyD]

@cameron.sprinkle the best place to launch in NMB is 148 Morgan Ave. Little River 29588. Below are some coordinates. Bird Island is nice and can easily spend a whole day or two just hanging out on the beach there and the island across from it Waites Island just be careful to stay in the markers unless approaching a beach and best to approach a beach near others there are some very shallow spots outside the markers there and you will get stuck if you go outside the markers @JeffVans meant to tell you that as well. Barefoot LAnding and Georgetown are great late afternoon spots to walk around and grab some food with shops and stuff both have plenty of public docking. North Island is a private nature preserve only accessible by boat as well with some nice beaches and wild life plus an old light house and there is also a ship wreck of the Harvest Moon that was a US Gun Ship in the 1800's it was sunk in 1865 you can see the old smoke stack still coming out of the water the xurrent is strong here you will need a good anchor set up it is a soft sandy bottom. Sandy Island is an old plantation island with a nature trail and a beach it is best ht on a weekday the beach area is small and it gets packed on the weekends but a neat spot to check out and spend a little time. If you continue down the creek past sandy island you will run into the Great Pee Dee river there are some old plantations back there as well. If either if you get want to make a longer run McClellanvile is an old fishing village there are usually dolhins hanging around it as the follow the shrimp boats back in and it neat old town to walk around and go grab lunch at TW Grams.


Location
Bird Island 33 51.230' N 78 32.720' W
Barefoot Landing 33 47.973' N 78 45.156" W
Sandy Island 33 30.902' N 79 8.650' W
Georgetown Docks 33 21.960' N 79 17.072' W
North Island 33 12.992' N 79 11.034' W
McClellanville 33 5.159' N 79 27.794' W

We loved taking our skis out to bird island when we lived in ocean isle beach several years back. Gorgeous area! Friendly note to any visitors heading that way, apparently there is a rumor that the back side of bird island is/used to be a place for nudists. Can neither confirm nor deny that fact however we did have a couple approach us once when we were there and ask us if the nudist beach was nearby. If I had been thinking clearly I would have told them (ie. her) that they (ie. she) were here and should feel free to strip down however I wasn’t quick enough on my feet before my wife informed them otherwise.

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

Thank you guys so much! I will be planning a few runs before we get there. Love these forums!

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

@cameron.sprinkle the best place to launch in NMB is 148 Morgan Ave. Little River 29588. Below are some coordinates. Bird Island is nice and can easily spend a whole day or two just hanging out on the beach there and the island across from it Waites Island just be careful to stay in the markers unless approaching a beach and best to approach a beach near others there are some very shallow spots outside the markers there and you will get stuck if you go outside the markers @JeffVans meant to tell you that as well. Barefoot LAnding and Georgetown are great late afternoon spots to walk around and grab some food with shops and stuff both have plenty of public docking. North Island is a private nature preserve only accessible by boat as well with some nice beaches and wild life plus an old light house and there is also a ship wreck of the Harvest Moon that was a US Gun Ship in the 1800's it was sunk in 1865 you can see the old smoke stack still coming out of the water the xurrent is strong here you will need a good anchor set up it is a soft sandy bottom. Sandy Island is an old plantation island with a nature trail and a beach it is best ht on a weekday the beach area is small and it gets packed on the weekends but a neat spot to check out and spend a little time. If you continue down the creek past sandy island you will run into the Great Pee Dee river there are some old plantations back there as well. If either if you get want to make a longer run McClellanvile is an old fishing village there are usually dolhins hanging around it as the follow the shrimp boats back in and it neat old town to walk around and go grab lunch at TW Grams.


Location
Bird Island 33 51.230' N 78 32.720' W
Barefoot Landing 33 47.973' N 78 45.156" W
Sandy Island 33 30.902' N 79 8.650' W
Georgetown Docks 33 21.960' N 79 17.072' W
North Island 33 12.992' N 79 11.034' W
McClellanville 33 5.159' N 79 27.794' W

Just picked up/installed this wonderful piece of equipment. With Navionics+. Looking forward to using it and saving some locations of my own. Mostly somewhere to eat! Ha Ha.

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

We loved taking our skis out to bird island when we lived in ocean isle beach several years back. Gorgeous area! Friendly note to any visitors heading that way, apparently there is a rumor that the back side of bird island is/used to be a place for nudists. Can neither confirm nor deny that fact however we did have a couple approach us once when we were there and ask us if the nudist beach was nearby. If I had been thinking clearly I would have told them (ie. her) that they (ie. she) were here and should feel free to strip down however I wasn’t quick enough on my feet before my wife informed them otherwise.

Ha Ha. I will have to remember that. We will have my daughter and 1 of her friends with us as well.

 

[robert843]

@JeffVans did you make the run today how did it go?

 

[cameron.sprinkle]

@JeffVans curious myself how it went.