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About The Yacht Club at Belle
Isle
A visit through the historic seaport of Georgetown
The port city of Georgetown, South Carolina rests at the top of
Winyah Bay, steeped in history. Travelers on coastal U.S. Highway 17
might pass through Georgetown with their minds set on visiting the
famed southern city of Charleston, located about 60 miles farther
south. They would be passing through and passing up some of the most
fascinating history the Lowcountry of South Carolina has to offer.
Pirate lore? War history? Ghosts and ghouls? Grand old rice
plantations? African American Gullah culture? Ancient live oak trees
dripping with Spanish moss? Marshlands and forests unchanged for
hundreds of years? Whatever your interest, all of these and more are
found in Georgetown County. Pause a while and explore. Planned and
drawn up by Englishman Elisha Screven in 1729, George Town, as it
was known then, became a port of entry by 1732. It is the third
oldest city in the state, following Charleston and Beaufort. A major
agricultural site, Georgetown was home to numerous indigo and rice
plantations in the 18th and 19th centuries. Over 30 places in the
county are on the National Register of Historic Sites. Tours of many
of the old plantations as well as tours of Georgetown's historic
district are offered year-round. These tours showcase a variety of
architectural styles stretching back over 250 years including homes
and cemeteries that pre-date the founding of the United States and a
ghost tale or two thrown in for good measure. Famed pirate Black
Beard is known to have plied the Atlantic waters off Georgetown,
preying upon merchant ships.
Four rivers - the Waccamaw, Black, Pee Dee (consisting of the
Little Pee Dee and the "Great" or Big Pee Dee) and the Sampit empty
into Winyah Bay, the third largest estuarine watershed on the
eastern seaboard. Georgetown has long been an important port,
figuring prominently in the Revolutionary and Civil wars. General
Francis Marion, "The Swamp Fox," and ally French nobleman the
Marquis de Lafayette were among the war heroes who drove the British
to release control of Georgetown in 1781. In later years, the port
of Georgetown was blockaded by Union troops during the War Between
the States. Remnants of the war are still visible all around. In Winyah Bay, the boiler of the Union warship Harvest Moon can be seen
in the waters of Muddy Bay, a shallow water pocket off the northeast
side of Winyah Bay. The ship sank after reportedly being struck by a
torpedo made in the Kaminski Hardware Store - the present-day site
of the Georgetown Rice Museum's Prevost Gallery. Across from the
site of the Harvest Moon, situated off the southwest side of the
bay, is Battery White. A Confederate embattlement, its cannons still
rest atop the shady banks that face the bay. A conservation easement
on Battery White is held by the S.C. Battleground Preservation
Trust. The battery is enclosed within The Yacht Club at Belle Isle (www.theyachtclubatbelleisle.com),
a secluded natural waterfront community and marina, located just
above the entrance to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW). As a result
of the Civil War, plantation life was changed. The cultivation of
indigo and rice was replaced by cotton and a burgeoning timber
industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Industry arrived
with the construction, in 1936, of a paper mill, followed in the
1970s by a steel mill. Jetties were built at the mouth of Winyah
Bay, making it accessible to large commercial marine traffic.
Georgetown still holds the charm of past centuries and visitors
today are delighted to discover its rich and bountiful history along
the streets laced with ancient trees and the balmy breezes flowing
in from the bay. Stand quietly, close your eyes and listen
carefully, history can be heard.
Fishing at its finest in the South Carolina Low Country
Ahoy, mate! Are you ready to get away from the office? Plant your
feet on the deck of a boat and taste the tangy salt spray as you
head for the open ocean and the Gulf Stream? Ply the slow steady
waters of a coastal river? Troll along at a couple of knots waiting
for that big ol' creek flounder to bite? The waters around
Georgetown, South Carolina have it all. If you haven't visited the
area, you've been missing out on one of the greatest fishing spots
in the Southeast. Whatever fishing dreams are in your heart, they
can be fulfilled here. Georgetown is situated at the top of Winyah
Bay, the third largest estuarine watershed on the eastern seaboard.
Four rivers - the Waccamaw, Black, Pee Dee (consisting of the Little
Pee Dee and the "Great" or Big Pee Dee) and the Sampit empty into
the top of Winyah Bay. The Bay stretches about another 10 miles out
to the Atlantic Ocean, and is about a mile across at its widest
point. Two more rivers, the North and South Santee, enter the ocean
just south of Georgetown.If it's the offshore thrill you are after,
the Gulf Stream is just 30 miles away from Winyah Bay. Deep-water
fishing is at its very best out on the "big blue." If you don't have
your own vessel, fully-rigged charter fishing boats will take you
out for a day of catching mahi-mahi, wahoo, tuna, bonito, marlin and
sailfish. Red snapper, grouper and other bottom fish can be found on
the offshore ledges.
Closer to shore are numerous reefs and wrecks
- natural and
man-made - which are ideal habitat for numerous fish including king
and Spanish mackerel, black sea bass, amberjack, spadefish and
barracuda.
Some folks would rather drift slowly along a creek trolling for
flounder or stand in the surf casting for bass, red drum, trout and
other inshore feeders with rod and reel. Red and black drum,
bluefish, flounder and tarpon - they are all in abundance in the
creeks, beaches and blackwater rivers of Georgetown County. The City
of Georgetown offers a public boat landing and fishing piers, and
there are public boat landings farther up each of the rivers flowing
into Winyah Bay. Charter fishing boats depart from the city's
waters, and surf fishing can be found nearby at Pawleys Island. The
Belle Isle Yacht Club (www.theyachtclubatbelleisle.com), a secluded
waterfront community just south of Georgetown, sports an 80-slip
marina which leads directly into Winyah Bay, and from there, out to
the Atlantic. Numerous brackish and saltwater creeks flow through
the coastal wetlands and out to the ocean. And last but not least
are the "other" fish - shellfish. Atlantic blue crab, oysters, clams
and scallops are also in abundance. And whatever you are fishing
for, be sure to enjoy the scenery while you are here. The waters
around Georgetown flow through some of the finest conservation areas
in the country - home to marine and terrestrial wildlife. As the
locals say, "Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina." Come on
down and cast your line; the fish are waiting!
Hidden treasures: The South Carolina Lowcountry
Waters run wide and shallow, wading birds lift off in silent
flight, the sun sets over mashes as far as the eye can see and the
moon rises over forests alive with the sounds of myriad creatures.
Waves break over uninhabited shores and islanders commute by boat,
rather than multi-lane highways.
Things that sound too good to be true usually are, so the saying
goes. But in the Low Country of South Carolina, thanks in large part
to former Northern landowners, there exists a remarkable combination
of conservation, preservation and wise management of natural
resources life is good. Radiating out from Georgetown a historic
port city located about halfway between Myrtle Beach and Charleston
- are thousands upon thousands of acres of protected marshes,
estuarine creeks and rivers, inlets and maritime forests.
Years ago, wealthy businessmen and their families came to the
coastal lands of South Carolina to get away from the rush and stress
of big cities and demanding jobs. They came here to relax and to
hunt for native deer, turkey and waterfowl, all of which were
plentiful. Because of their love of the land, much of their property
was willed to various local, state and federal agencies to be used,
in perpetuity, as wildlife conservation sites.
Piloting a boat out from the marina at The Belle Isle Yacht Club,
home of Battery White, a Civil War S.C. Heritage Trust site just
south of Georgetown, one enters Winyah Bay. This bay, a salt wedge
estuary, lies at the heart of the third largest estuarine watershed
(about 18,000 square miles) on the eastern seaboard. On the
northeast side of the bay lies the North Inlet-Winyah Bay National
Estuarine Research Reserve, a state and federally protected site
encompassing over 12,300 acres of abandoned rice fields, oyster
reefs, tidal wetlands, creeks and beaches. The Reserve overlaps
Hobcaw Barony's 17,500-acre wildlife habitat. The University of
South Carolina and Clemson University both have facilities, located
on the property, which are committed to research and conservation of
coastal forests, wetla nds, and waterways.
On the southwest side of the bay is the Tom Yawkey Wildlife
Center, covering about 20,000 acres. Comprised of North and South
islands and most of Cat Island, it contains marshes, longleaf pine
and maritime forests, beaches and wetlands and is dedicated as a
wildlife preserve and waterfowl refuge.
Moving south from the Yawkey preserve, one crosses the North and
South Santee rivers and enters into the Santee Coastal Reserve and
then on down to Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. These two
areas offer up more than 350,000 acres of wilderness - more marshes,
maritime forests, wetlands and the longest span of undeveloped
beaches and barrier islands in the United States.
As amazing as this all is, there's more. Traveling up Winyah Bay
and into the Waccamaw and Pee Dee rivers one heads into the Waccamaw
National Wildlife Refuge, created in 1997 and currently encompassing
over 6,000 acres. Lying between the Great Pee Dee and Waccamaw
rivers is Sandy Island. This 9,000-plus acre island is home to
wetlands, longleaf pine forests, and is inhabited by a small
community of longtime residents - descendants of former slaves. The
island is accessible only by boat.
Driving north of Georgetown along U.S. Highway 17, one encounters
the enchanting Brookgreen Gardens, an extensive outdoor sculpture
garden and park. Just across the highway is Huntington Beach State
Park. Also in the area are former plantations, a bike path, and
historic fishing villages. Local festivals celebrate African
American culture, the fishing and shrimping industries, and the
heritage of hunting and fishing on Winyah Bay.
All of these wildlife refuges, conservation areas and parks are
open to the public, some with limited access. Together they are home
to hundreds of species of songbirds, waterfowl, raptors, mammals,
fish and plants, including several endangered and protected species
such as the loggerhead sea turtle, the red-cockaded woodpecker, wood
storks and bottlenose dolphins.
Come visit the Lowcountry and uncover our hidden natural
treasures. Dip your oars in the blackwater rivers. Walk quietly
along the forest trails. Eat a picnic lunch on an empty beach.
Observe wildlife living as they have for centuries. Leave the hustle
and bustle, the traffic jams and the sweltering shimmer of blacktop
roads. Rest your spirit and abide a while. The wildlife refuges of
the Lowcountry beckon.
For more information:
Brookgreen Gardens: www.brookgreen.org
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge: www.fws.gov/caperomain/
Hobcaw Barony: www.hobcawbarony.org
Huntington Beach State Park: www.huntingtonbeachsc.org/
North Inlet - Winyah Bay National Estuary Research Reserve:
www.northinlet.sc.edu
The Tom Yawkey Wildlife Preserve: www.yawkeyfoundations.org
Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge: www.fws.gov/waccamaw/
Sandy Island Preserve:
www.nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/southcarolina/preserves
/art1635.html
Santee Costal Reserve:
http://southern.ducks.org/CapeUnit.php
Text by Elizabeth Moses (embigblue@yahoo.com) 2007, Georgetown,
SC.
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