UP TO SOUTH CAROLINA

Monday, April 27

Got an early start today after a reasonable night at anchor. Although we were in protected water, the strong winds kept the boat moving all night, and that movement produced a few noises that were occasionally distracting. Also, since there was such a strong tidal current where we anchored, the boat was oriented to the current rather than to the wind. Since it was pretty warm and humid, it was uncomfortable when the wind hit on the port side, rather than the starboard side where our cabin is. Ultimately the temperature cooled off and we got a reasonable amount of sleep.

The early start was needed if we were to catch up to the rest of our group. We were still behind a day from our stay-over in St. Augustine. The goal was was to get to Isle of Hope, Georgia by the end of the day. This meant covering around 110 nautical miles (126+ statute miles) in one day. Not impossible, but a long day. Unfortunately, we ran into some very strong headwinds of 15-20 knots on and off throughout the day and the tidal currents seemed to always be going against us. This meant instead of going around 12 knots (14 mph) we would often drop down to around 10 knots (11+ mph). The wind felt cold up on the flybridge, but we bundled up (i.e. put on long pants and long sleeved shirts with windbreakers) and kept on going. In theory, we could control the boat from inside the cabin, but 1) it seems more adventurous to be outside and 2) the depth finder does not always read out in the cabin. On the ICW, there are many, many areas of shallow water, so the depth finder becomes a very important instrument.

On our way south a couple of years ago, there was one section of the ICW which was incredibly shallow - the Little Mud River in southern Georgia. That was the only time I have seen my depth finder readout at “0.” Luckily, we did not get stuck at the time, but it was a bit harrowing. We were transiting that very same area today, so keeping a harp lookout on the depth was crucial.

Actually, it turned out a bit anticlimactic since they have since dredged the area and the shallowest we saw was around 6 feet. Our boat “draws” only 2 feet 4 inches - a very shallow depth compared to most boats, so it is rare that we get into too skinny of water.

Isle of Hope Marina

Well, we made it into Isle of Hope by around 4PM and, with a little help from our friends, got a slip at the marina so we didn’t have to anchor out and use our dinghy to get to dinner. Dinner was at a nearby restaurant, Driftaway, known for their shrimp & grits. They were incredibly good!

Tuesday, April 28

There’s a weather front moving in soon, so people are anxious to get going. We, however, decided to spend the morning in Savannah, since we had never been there and the marina offered a courtesy car for our use. We went to the historic district, had a quick breakfast & walked around a bit.  We decided Savannah is not a “morning” town. It was very pretty, but not much going on at 10 AM on a Tuesday morning. We stopped by the grocery store for a bit more food, then got underway by about 11AM.

The front coming in is causing some very strong winds in the 20-25 knot range. Most of the time, these winds don’t affect the protected waterways much, but we occasionally have to cross larger bodies of water where rivers empty out into the Atlantic. Some of these “sounds” can be several miles across, very exposed to the winds and very choppy. We crossed a few today - Savannah River Inlet, Calibogue Sound and Port Royal Sound - running into 3-5 foot waves on occasion.

A passenger ship on the narrow ICW

We made it as far as Beaufort (bew-furd) South Carolina - not to be confused with Beaufort (bo-fort), North Carolina. It’s important to remember the correct pronunciation so one does not offend the locals.We are currently at the Downtown Marina, very centrally located in this charming little town, and I think we will have an extra lay-over day here tomorrow since the storm is due in tomorrow morning with very heavy rain and wind. After the front passes through, it’s supposed to warm up and be sunny for the next week, so we’ll sit this one out and head up to Charleston, NC in a coupe of days.