Windy weekend with the tides against us at least half of the trip going and coming, but a good paddle just the same! The tidal range was near the low end so was about 4.5 feet which help to keep the tidal stream a bit more moderate. We stayed at Buck Hall Thursday night, and the no-see-ums and mosquitoes where defiantly staying there too! Went to get the ramp pass only to find the place burned to the ground. Found out at the ramp that the Citgo station does it now, or they can be done on line.

We did have the wind more or less at our back, and had the tide with us the first part of our trip out. The tide was too low to try Ben and Joe’s dim marsh creek short cut so we went across Muddy Bay, since the wind would be against the tide on Romain Harbor we went by way of Mill and Ramhorn creeks to avoid some of the rough stuff. Paddling time took 3:41 to do 11.21 miles for a moving average of about 3.3 mph. The trip out and back was 23.25 miles. We saw numerous birds and pods of dolphins, and even a river otter. We didn’t see any Loggerhead Turtles this trip, but did see a few cannonball jellyfish dead on the beach a favorite food item of the turtles. The water was a bit rough which made it hard to spot a turtle head catching a breath.

We set up camp and put on headnets. The tent was slightly sheltered and shaded by trees, but the bugs were also living there. It was too windy for a fire, but it kept the bugs away on the beach.

Saturday the winds were expect to be 15-20 kt gusting to 25. Latter that morning we got the kayaks ready and the gear on but the tide, against the winds was building some erratic wave action, and the wind and tide was building. We decided to wait for conditions to improve, but they got worse. We ended not paddling, but spending the day getting sandblasted exploring the beach on the island. The shelling wasn’t as good as it can be, but the day was beautiful though blowing hard. Found both Bobcat and coyote tracks in the dunes. Winds finally slacken somewhat near sunset and the tide had turned, with the clouds moving in we got a great sunset. We hoped the wind wouldn’t be as strong on Sunday’s paddle.

Wind was against us somewhat as was the tide right from the start, but the resulting waves were much better behaved. Even though it is farther we took Alligator Creek to Ramhorne and Mill creeks again. This would give us shelter from the wind and the tide would be with us on Mill Creek. We saw 2 gators on guess which creek? We also saw Wood Storks, Blue Heron, Great and Snowy Egrets, American Bittern, Willets, Whimbrel, Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanderlings, Least Terns, Forster’s Terns, Laughing Gull, Blackbacked Gull, female Common Merganser, Clapper Rails, and Marsh Werns.

ramp at McClellanville

snowy egret and oysters in the marsh

river otter


Muddy Bay

camp



sunrise

ghost crab at sunrise


tide against the wind

Sunset

Clapper Rail

Can you spot the gator in the photo below?

a gator blends well with the oysters

marsh wren nest in the Spartina

Purple Martins at the take out

Nice photos and great trip report!

Is the bird standing on the gator? Thanks for the pics… Never considered SC beach camping

@kayamedic said:
Is the bird standing on the gator? Thanks for the pics… Never considered SC beach camping

Sorry for the confusion. The caption for seeing the gator is for the photo with the paddler. it’s just the head and looks a lot like the oysters in the photo. It is surprising how much undeveloped coastline is located in SC. I have heard it has the longest stretch of undeveloped Atlantic coastline along the eastern seaboard of the US. There is an extensive Spartina marsh to paddle through to get to the beaches. Buck Hall off hwy 17 is a good place to camp for paddling much of this area.

Thanks for posting . I like trip reports with pictures.

Tide against the wind: we have no tides here in the Great Lakes and as an avid reader of WaterTribe reports after the events (especially the EC), I’ve often wondered about the conditions described. Your photo helped me picture it. Those frisky conditions make me very happy we have no tides here. Very nice write-up - thanks.

Managing tides means you can be paddling with the current both out and back.

That’s what we normally do. You make a good point. However my good friend can only make a trip when he gets time off. We figured we could certainly manage these tides which were moderate and not against us the whole way. Understanding that the magnitude of the approximately 6 hour tidal stream runs 1-2-3-3-2-1 we knew we could manage the 2-1 part fine before the change in our favor. Also knowing how the tide runs in the different marsh creeks we could use those with a tidal node allowing us to have the tide with us when we cross the node. The wind at our back also helps against a tide as long as it doesn’t stand the chop up to much. We also knew there was a differential of about 45 minutes between the tidal change at the launch and our destination and knew it was to our advantage. Then if you stay out of the middle of the marsh creek and paddled near the side the tidal stream is less strong. A big part of managing the tides is knowing the area, and the other factors that come into play. I don’t feel a 3.3mph moving average in less than favorable conditions is too bad. I am adding a few more photos from the trip.

I can smell the marsh. Maybe there was some left in my nose from last week.

@castoff said:
That’s what we normally do. You make a good point. However my good friend can only make a trip when he gets time off.

You did fine. It is our friends in the great lakes regions that don’t use or understand tides much.

@Overstreet said:

@castoff said:
That’s what we normally do. You make a good point. However my good friend can only make a trip when he gets time off.

You did fine. It is our friends in the great lakes regions that don’t use or understand tides much.

An occasional seiche, yes. But we don’t have to deal with tides. Or things in the water that would like to have us, or a body part, for a snack.

Most of the states in the Southeast have developed Blueways committees and water trails. These trails are often planned out and can be used as the basis for trip planning. For example here is one from South Carolina…http://dnr.sc.gov/marine/saltpaddling.html

Those things are much over exaggerated by movies. We are in far more danger on any highway than in the ocean. 2 Great Whites traveled by our coast recently and didn’t eat any of us or the tourists.

@string said:
Those things are much over exaggerated by movies. We are in far more danger on any highway than in the ocean. 2 Great Whites traveled by our coast recently and didn’t eat any of us or the tourists.

Then why do they call it “tourist season” if the sharks can’t chomp them??? >:)

–Nice report and photos, thanks Castoff.

Spiritboat…tourist season… That’s when the land sharks and the state make the most money.

@Overstreet said:
Spiritboat…tourist season… That’s when the land sharks and the state make the most money

True…I was just semi-referring to an inside joke-bumper sticker that adorns some local-yokel pick-up trucks, in the (now faded)resort area where I reside: WHY DO THEY CALL IT “TOURIST SEASON” IF YA CAN’T SHOOT 'EM?"

We tried that at one point, but they kept coming back, so we decided to take their money instead.

Almost sounds like parts of New England: When a number of us ww paddlers hit rural towns for a dam release etc–Many local inhabitants won’t even acknowledge you with a smile or a "Hello " like when stopping in a shop to get a sandwich/buying some gas. You’d think they thought some violent Biker gang had just descended in their town. The locals don’t mind taking your money though(in a NH tourist trap once, I saw the very same sweatshirt marked-up five times over the price I’d seen it just a week before at my local Walmart.) Indeed, it’s been rumored often in some of these areas that paddlers don’t seem to spend “enough.” (Guess they blame most of us when we brown bag our own lunch.) I just write it all off to folks in the rural Northeast not being all that chatty, because of having their teeth frozen together shut for most of the winter. By contrast, I’ve only gotten good southern hospitality when I’ve paddled in states like West Virginia.
–And I say all this as a damned Yankee myself >:)

That’s “damn Yankee”. Refers more to attitude than eternal destination.
I’ve never met a real paddler from anywhere who wasn’t a good person.
I’m told some might have a dark side though.

Whew! That’s a relief–I guess there’s hope for me yet.