Any sailors here from Myrtle Beach? I will be vacationing there Dec 18 - 25th, at Marriott's Ocean Watch Villas, looks like it's located beachfront. I will trailer my H16 down, I don't have beachwheels, anyone down there have some to loan/rent me? I will also need any info on local conditions such as ocean temp, air temp, average wave height, wind direction etc etc. Last year I went to HHI for Dec and decided not to take the H16 hoping to rent one while I was there, I was shocked to find the island closed for the "winter", with temps averaging 72F. I don't want to experience that again so I will schlep (drag) the cat down.

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.



--
TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
--

Quote

Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated.

look twice before crossing the road.
eat your veggies.
wash your hands before you sit at the dinner table.

hope this helps, enjoy your vacation

Robert,

Take a dry suit. Although see air temps can make it into the 70's that time of year you can expect water temps in the 50's ( http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/satl.html ). If a weather system moving through it can kick up a good breeze and wave action, otherwise it is fairly calm. The south end of Atlantic Beach, 32 Ave. S. ...about 6 miles north of Marriott Ocean Watch, is a place I where I launched the past summer.

Make sure to take in the Christmas show at Alabama Theatre while you are there.

Enjoy your stay!

DP
H18 Magnum

Thanks DP, I checked that website out already, temps in the 50's I can handle for short periods, don't have a drysuit. That launch site, does it require beachwheels or is there a slipway?

Thanks Andrew.....I always wash my hands before I sit down to eat....

....any beachwheels....?

--
TurboHobo
H14T
H16
P18
G-Cat 5.0
P16
--

turbohobo

....any beachwheels....?

Maybe improvise with PVC tubes or something?




edited by: mma600psi, Nov 17, 2009 - 01:24 PM

As a last resort....that's what I plan to do, take 3 8' lengths of 8" PVC.

Turbo

Robert,

You will definitely need beach wheels to get from the cut in the dunes down to the surf if you launch at 32nd Ave S (Atlantic Beach). If you could find 4 guys with strong backs you could simply carry your H16 to the surf. The PVC pipes will only be of use on the packed sand at the water's edge. The beaches were renourished this past winter and there is something akin to a low berm at the high tide mark, beyond which is deep, dry, soft sand all the way to the dunes (a distance of about 50 yards so).

If you are the adventurous type there is a public boat ramp in Cherry Grove, 14.1 miles north of your hotel (see link below) at 53rd Ave N that is protected from the ocean. If you time the tide right (and if the wind is out of the west-northwest quadrant, you can launch from the boat ramp and sail out of Hog Inlet into the Atlantic and then down to your hotel. The inlet is shallow but with the H16 it will not be a problem.

DP
H18 Magnum

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=53rd+Ave+N&daddr=8500+Costa+Verde+Drive,+Myrtle+Beach,+SC+29572+(Marriott-Ocean+Watch+Villas)&hl=en&geocode=FZpiBAIdxmRQ-w%3BFWj9AgId5H5N-yGHmS-lp_J8Xw&mra=dme&mrcr=0&mrsp=0&sz=17&sll=33.841575,-78.617928&sspn=0.005311,0.011362&ie=UTF8&z=17

I'm headed down to Cherry Grove Beach next week. I'm new to catamaran sailing. I bought a H18 the other month. I've only taken it out 3 times, 2x launched from boat ramps in the Emerald Isle area of NC and 1x at Jordan Lake in Raleigh, NC.

I think I'm going to take the boat with us on this trip, but a little concerned about the temperature and whether it will be too cold.

I'm also wondering about where to launch in the Cherry Grove area. I haven't launched from a beach yet, but it seems like it would be much easier than launching and loading from many of the ramps. I looked at the satellite images of the public ramp in Cherry Grove. It's only 1.5 mi from where we're staying. I could try it, but would rather try ocean side in case the wind direction isn't cooperating - that inlet looks pretty narrow for a newby to get in or out of if the wind isn't right. We're going to be staying around 1/10 mi south of the Cherry Grove Pier.

A few questions:
Is the temperature this time of year comfortable for cat sailing around myrtle without wet/dry suits? It's looking like the air and water temperatures are both going to be in the 60s.

Is there a beach access anywhere close to Cherry Grove Pier?

Can the boat be left beached in front of our cottage for the week? If so, does it require any kind of permit?

Marcus,

I know of one really nice place on the beach side of Cherry Grove to launch and it's less than a quarter mile from the pier. When you first drive into Cherry Grove on Sea Mountain Hwy the road will end at Ocean Blvd. Straight in front of you will be a cut in the dunes for emergency vehicle beach access. Just to the right of the dune cut will be public parking and if you get there early you can get a spot that will allow pull through parking with your trailer still attached. You do not need a permit to leave you catamaran on the beach in Cherry Grove (I think you do in Myrtle Beach though). Make sure to avoid touching any of the vegetation on the dunes. It is illegal to damage the sea oats.

As for the temperature, it's hit or miss. Yesterday the air temperature was in the 70?s and the surf temp was 66. You can keep track of the weather forecast here http://www.thesunnews.com/weather/. Sailing at this time of year in the Myrtle Beach area on a small wet catamaran pretty much demands a dry suit.

DP
H18 Magnum

chasingrabbits

A few questions:
Is the temperature this time of year comfortable for cat sailing around myrtle without wet/dry suits? It's looking like the air and water temperatures are both going to be in the 60s.

I think a good full length wetsuit would likely work. I would recommend booties as well. Also if you have a spraytop or windbreaker of some kind that will make a big difference in comfort. Drysuit would be more comfortable, but 3mm wetsuits have worked for me in those kinds of weather conditions and colder.

--
Scott,
‘92 H18 w/SX wings
‘95 Hobie Funseeker 12 (Holder 12)
‘96/‘01/‘14 Hobie Waves
--

Well, we're here in Myrtle (Cherry Grove). Thanks for the info on beach access. We ended up finding an empty lot less than 1/8 mi from our cottage. This was our first attempt at a beach launch. We failed miserably. Wind was way too light. We never made it out of the surf. I ended up wading through the waves pulling the boat to the front of the cottage. We bought some Frogg Toggs rainsuits, which worked fairly well when not wading in the water. It was pretty miserable wearing baggy pants wading through cold water. We're gonna make another try at it tomorrow. The wind is supposed to be @ 17 mph. Hopefully the sun will stay out and we'll stay relatively warm.

Marcus

What are the beaches like there? the beaches at HHI were very wide, with 70% of the beach being hard sand, are the beaches at MB the same? I'm working on some home made beach wheels as I'm guessing this will be neccessary, did you have to use beachwheels?

Turbo

Wow, what a day. My wife and I were able to take the boat out a couple of times today. We suited up in the Frogg Toggs over our bathing suits, with lifejackets on top, aqua shoes and leather/neoprene gloves. We stayed pretty warm and dry. Air temperatures didn't get over 60 and water temperature was about the same. Winds stayed between 20-25 kts. This was our first real trip into the ocean. We had a blast (at least I did). My wife didn't seem too excited about flying a hull for the first time-or jumping the waves.

It was also kinda neat when we beached the cat. There were a LOT of people stopping to get their picture taken with it. There were so many posing for photos that we waited a bit before trailering it so everyone who wanted to could get a chance.

We loved Cherry Grove Beach and can't wait to come back!

Thanks to everyone for the advice.

OK, almost ready to go, leaving Thursday night, mini-van checked over, trailer has new bearings, am building my own beachwheels for the trip, will post that on Tech help Gallery if successfull. An added bonus is that when I get back, the wheels I used will be re-cycled into wheels for my sons down-hill racer, all for under $50, neato!

Turbo
78 H16

Have a good trip Turbo

So I drive east on I-64 through Louisville to Lexington then head south on I-75 to Knoxville, boat is pulling good, fuel consumption is averaging 19 MPG, everything is looking good. Just outside Knoxville 1st hint of trouble, we run into a bit of snow but traffic is flowing slow and safe. We get off at an exit to refuel because I am a litle cautious and don't want to get caught low on petrol in a blizzard. Go to get back on I-75 and big rigs are stuck, cannot get up slope of onramp and backing up traffic. We persuade an elderly gentleman driving a big RV that he can get around the rig and up the slope, that clears the way and off we go again to Knoxville. We take the loop-around to I-81 and warning signs inform us that I-40 is closed, bummers, that's the route I had planned, we're on the west side of the Smokey mountains and I-40 takes you through a gap to the east side. Advisory tells us to take I-26, so we drive a little NE to the I-26 exit and the traffic line waiting to use the I-26 exit is backed up for 4-5 miles. By now the snow storm has hit hard and precip is approx 2 inches pr hr, there s no sign of snow plows or salt trucks and snow is getting deeper, so I decide to head further NE up I-81 to I-77, perhaps the plows at other counties are more organized, bad decision. The road gets progressively worse and we're travelling at 30 MPH, cars are scattered all over the road and off the sides of the road, looks like a demolition derby. We keep moving, weaving our way through vehicles stuck in the snow and people staring at my mini-van with a boat on a trailer. We get to the I-77 intersection and there are rigs scattered all over, I follow this rig in front of me and he weaves through this huge snarl of stopped vehicles and we make it through onto I-77. Snow is 2-3 feet deep by now and still no plows, roads are being kept open by flowing traffic alone, I'm spanking along at 35 MPH when we hit a snarl so bad, there's no way through, we're dead in the water. We sit there from 11.30 PM untill 4.00 AM when all of a sudden a flotilla of plows appear along with tow-trucks with tire chains and eventually get us moving again.

The snow was so bad that I had to stop periodically to clear snow off my cat as this would treble the weight I was pulling. Our 15 HR drive turned into a 36 HR marathon, I drove for 2 days with no sleep. We left home 11.00 PM Thursday night and arrived at Myrtle Beach at about 4.00 PM Saturday night, but here's the ringer, temps in MB have dropped into the 50's too cold for sailing.

Anyone want to by a H16 in really good condition?

Turbo

Robert,

Welcome to Myrtle Beach!

My family and I enjoyed a walk on the beach with the dog this evening under a crescent moon and a sky aglow with a beautiful orange sunset.

I hope a pleasant stay in Myrtle Beach will make up for the difficulties in your travel. Since you wont be doing any sailing, you should leave the comfort of the resort and visit Broadway at the Beach. It is a shopping, dining and entertainment mecca. The Palace Theatre, www.palacetheatremyrtlebeach.com, is there and "The Twelve Irish Tenors" are currently booked.

Just down the road, The Carolina Opry's Christmas Special is playing, www.thecarolinaopry.com. Christmas at Dixie Stampede is the offering at Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede and Diner Show, www.dixiestampede.com. If you would like to hearken back to the middle ages, Medieval Times Diner and Tournament, www.medievaltimes.com, is the place to go.

Be sure to make time for the best Christmas show in town at the Alabama Theatre, www.alabama-theatre.com.

You should leave your H16 on the dunes, come back in about 6 months, and enjoy all of the offerings during summer!

Enjoy your stay!

Del
H18 Magnum



edited by: delp, Dec 20, 2009 - 07:40 PM

Glad you all made it OK above all else. Sounds like quite a long ride.

--
Rob
OKC
Pile of Nacra parts..
--

Thanks for the kind words Del, makes me feel a little better. We drove around MB today, stopped at Broadway at the Beach, those gulls and fish are something huh, just waiting to be fed, the gulls would eat right out of my sons hand. We ate at Liberty Steakhouse and watched the Cormorants dive for fish then we just cruised around, headed south to Murrels Inlet for a look-see, came back along Ocean Blvd, wall-to-wall hotels. We did notice an unusual amount of ocean front homes for sale, is there a reason for this? I also noticed quite a few Hobies parked on the beach dunes, is this allowed. If I do brave the cold to go sail, can I leave my H16 on the beach for a couple of nights? The logistics of getting a cat onto the beach and down to the waters edge are most daunting to a lake sailor like myself. There is an access road right next to Marriott's Ocean Watch, it's for emergency vehicles but I'm sure no one will mind if I use it to haul the cat down to the beach on my home-made beach-wheels, what do you think?

Turbo

turbohobo

Anyone want to by a H16 in really good condition?

Don't give up! Never give up.

Bad days make good stories.

Your trip reads like a Stephen King novel where the people are on a journey through a forsaken land. Sorry you had such bad weather luck, hope you still have some good times at MB.



--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

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Thanks Damon, will hang in there, DP from Myrtle Beach advised that H16 will not sell here in winter anyway. Will go to the aquarium with the kids today and then to see AVATAR, the movie. The good news is that temps will soar into the upper 60's here by Friday with winds of 16 mph, gives me time to get the cat down onto the beach and ready for a day of sailing. The bad news, we have to check out on Friday, oh well, trailered the cat over 1000 miles, am determined to go sailing.

Turbo

turbohobo

oh well, trailered the cat over 1000 miles, am determined to go sailing.

Turbo

I understand that sentiment, once when I trailored my H18 to Dunedin, FL (900 miles) with only a few days to stay, I ended up launching the boat off the causeway into a thunderstorm when all the sane locals were pulling out and tying down their boats.

Result was a broken daggerboard and a lot of drama. I'm sure you are smarter than I was, don't let the urge to "get out there" overrule your common sense.


--
Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

How To Create Your Signature

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wOW.. Sounds like 1 heck of an odessy,
glad you made it.
hope you get a good day of sailing in on friday

Man! I have made several of those trips where in the end the boat didn't even come off the trailer...though that saga never included being stranded due to snow! In the end they turned out pretty well despite things not going the way I had imagined. Saw things I wouldn't have otherwise seen or found that great local resturant. The only time I was completetly irritated was when the boat stayed on the trailer because I forgot the forestay...

Turbo,

Myrtle Beach allows boats to be stored on the beach if you purchase a permit. As for launching your H16, two weather systems passed through recently that coincided with unusually high tides, which served to nicely flatten and pack down the beach where it had been renourished. Getting your H16 to the surf with PVC pipes as rollers should work now and is allowed. I'd give you a hand but I'm leaving town on Wednesday.

You may be interested in something I found on the City of Myrtle Beach web site today, http://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/beachlaws.html. It appears that during this time of year you can drive onto the beach to launch in certain areas:

Sec. 5-2. Vehicles Prohibited:
It shall be unlawful for any person to drive or operate any motor vehicle of any kind or nature upon the public beach within the city; provided, that city vehicles operated while cleaning or working on the beach, city police and emergency vehicles shall be exempt from the application of this section; and it is further provided that from September 15th to March 15th, vehicles may access the public beach at the Second Avenue North streetend and at the emergency access at 5400 Ocean Boulevard for the limited purpose of launching and loading boats. Launching and unloading shall be accomplished within 200 feet of the point of access. Vehicle access and operation shall be temporary and for the limited purpose of launching or loading boats within the area designated above and as identified by signage.

As for all of the ocean front homes for sale, there was a big development boom here that abruptly ended when the economy tanked. A lot of land speculators were left holding the bag when the real-estate bubble burst and now they are trying to unload the beachfront homes they bought up. Two years ago you could look up and down the beach and see a dozen cranes erecting high-rise condos, now there are none. There is also a glut of condo units on the market for a fraction of their original asking price.

Enjoy!

Del




edited by: delp, Dec 21, 2009 - 02:56 PM

Thanks for the info Del, I made my own beachwheels and will use those to get the cat down to the water, if successful will post the build of said wheels on Tech Help Gallery. I will contact the city of Myrtle Beach to find out if the beach access road at the end of 82nd ave can also be used, it's very recent and might have been left out of the writing of that law. Sorry I will not get to meet you, we will try to stay a couple of extra days here in MB, any suggestions?

Turbo

It sounds like the weather for this weekend may be a lot like it was when we were there over Thanksgiving. It was a bit chilly, but we had a blast. Oh, and the Frogg Toggs we bought worked great the first day out, but the seams pulled out the second day out. We took them back for a refund at Dick's Sporting Goods. Won't purchase that brand again. Guess I'll save up for drysuits.

Suggestions for things to do:
My wife and I love to try local restaurants rather than chains when we travel. We loved Thai Cuisine @ 1210 North Kings Highway in Myrtle.

Bass Pro Shops is worth a trip too. Lots of things out for the kids (and adults) to play with this time of year.

House of Blues was reasonable to eat at and good food, Sunday's Gospel Brunch Buffet is good fun.

I took my 6 yr old daughter to see the "Ghosts and Legends" show at Barefoot Landing. Not very expensive and she absolutely loved it. http://www.ghostshows.com/GhostShow.html

If you need any parts, there's a West Marine in the North End on Hwy 17 and a small shop called Sail and Ski Connection http://www.sailandskiconnection.com/ in Myrtle they are a Hobie dealer and I picked up some smaller odds and ends that I didn't want to order from catalogs and pay shipping on.

Just an addendum to my Myrtle Beach adventure, I told you guys I would post a pic of the snow-cat, here it is:-



And that was after having de-snowed it a couple of times. Notice the home-made beach-wheels sticking out the rear

We left Myrtle Beach Fri am and drove down to Gulf Shores AL, for a couple of days, and again the weather did not co-operate, no sailing there either. Turns out I trailered the H16 over 4300 miles in temps ranging from 8F to 76F (when we passed through FL panhandle), went through 14 different States, and never got the cat off the trailer. Now that's what I call dedication.....or as Andrew would say.....insanity.

Turbo

Turbo......sounds like a hell of a trip, glad ya made to & from..... Ain't that white stuff fun?? I get alotta that in NY state.

--
~ Vietnam Vet 69-71~ 17 Hobie w/big jib, ~18 Hobie mag,~DN Ice sailor,
and other toys.......
~~ I live in NY state on the north shore of Oneida lake in
Bernhards Bay. ~~~~~~
--

Quote

Andrew would say.....insanity

hahah... i would never call you insane (to your face)...

your dedication is commendable... your sanity is questionable!!!

just kidding.. that really stinks you didn't get to sail.. perhaps next years trip should be to Panama (south america... apparently being in Panama Florida is no guarantee)

as i said before.. damn this global warming is cold~!