Category Archives: Boating

Make Plans Now to Attend the Winyah Bay Heritage Festival

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Some years ago in Georgetown, there was a festival in January celebrating Winyah Bay.  My family attended the first two and had a wonderful time. We missed a few years due to weather but now it’s back and at a much more reasonable time of year!

Now in it’s fifth year on March 2, 3, and 4,  the festival is a celebration of the rich heritage of Winyah Bay and the surrounding area. It honors the traditions rooted here, in the rice fields, uplands and marshes.

This year, the festival will take place at the Bobby Alford Recreation Center located in Georgetown.  The many activities hark back to the time when hunting and fishing were a necessity, rather than pastimes of avid sportsmen and a way to develop conservationists of tomorrow.

The Palmetto Dock Dogs will be on site this year demonstrating how dogs jump and retrieve.   Fishing guides will be on hand to talk about some of the best fishing spots, share tactics and teach techniques for the perfect throw with a cast net.   The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources brings their fishing simulator and shooting range which are huge hits with children.

Children's decoy painting at a previous Winyah Bay Heritage Festival

Additional activities for the young and young at heart include the Birds of Prey, decoy painting and the youth duck calling clinic, a new event last year.  New this year, and suited for all ages, will be a demonstration called “Snakes in Your Own Back Yard.”

Numerous exhibitors bring many items for sale.  If you are looking for the perfect call, decoy or painting, you’re in luck.  Please support the exhibitors as they, too, are an integral part of the festival.

“View of Chicora Wood Plantation”, oil by Joseph Cave

The featured artist for this year’s Winyah Bay Heritage Festival is local artist Joseph Cave. The painting titled “ View of Chicora Wood Plantation” was unveiled in November at a special reception held at the historic Stewart Parker house in Georgetown and will be auctioned at the sponsors party on March 2. It is currently on display at the Georgetown County Museum at 632 Prince Street, Georgetown SC.

All proceeds from ticket sales and sponsors benefit the Georgetown County Historical Society, which in turn supports the Georgetown County Museum, a 501 (c) (3) entity.  In addition to festival activities, many museums and tours in the area are available to further your knowledge of this special place.  Your visit will make you want to live here, and you’ll certainly understand why pluff mud sticks to our boots and to our roots.

Information contained in this article is in part from http://www.winyahbayfestival.org/index.htm.  Please visit the site for much more extensive information!

 

Stand Up Paddle Boarding

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Though it’s popularity has recently increased, stand up paddle boarding, sometimes called stand up surfing, has been around for a long time.  It has it’s origins in Hawaii and is an ancient form of surfing. In the 60′s, surfers in Hawaii would stand on their long boards to take pictures of the tourists learning to surf.  It was then adopted by surfing instructors, as standing gives a much better view of their classes and the incoming swell.

Stand up paddle boarding offers an excellent workout and has gained a loyal following of celebrities and athletes.  It’s relatively easy to do and accommodates all skill levels and abilities.  It is much easier to learn than surfing.  Most people are comfortable in an hour or less.

The Pawleys Island area offers world class stand up paddle boarding due to our different ecosystems.  The beauty of the salt marshes, creeks, river, and ocean are easily accessed via stand up paddle board.  The higher vantage point gained by standing up makes this a fantastic way to explore our waters.

 

From the calm of our salt marshes and creeks, to the slow moving Waccamaw River, even beginner stand up paddle boarders can enjoy the natural beauty and wildlife of our lowcountry waters.

Those who want more excitement, can head for our beaches.  Stand up paddle boarding in the ocean is a bit more challenging but can be learned quickly.

Surf the Earth in Pawleys Island is an excellent local source for all things related to stand up paddle boarding.  (As well as surfing, kayaking, and skateboarding!)  They offer instruction, tours, and carry a full line of stand up paddle boards and accessories.  Jamie or Scott can tell you the best places and times to go and offer excellent advice on getting started.  They can be reached at 843-235-3500 or visit their website at http://surf-the-earth.com/d/ .

One piece of advice that Jamie shared is to leave around dusk, take a cooler and some snacks, paddle against the current and then have a seat and enjoy the ride back in the moon light.

Stand up paddle boarding can be enjoyed in the cooler months, just like surfing or kayaking, if you wear a spring suit or wet suit.  The views afforded by your height, the core workout, and the ease of learning, will make sure that stand up paddle boarding is not just the latest fad.  It’s as close to walking on water as you can get.