Day 21 - Nov 16, 2013
I should not have used the word "progress" in yesterdays blog entry. We awoke this AM to the dreaded “F” word. FOG. I couldn’t see the other boats near us, I couldn’t even see the banks and marsh grass of the river banks.
No one was going anywhere until this stuff burned off. When The fog finally did lift enough to see where you were going, we had already missed our tide window to pass through Little Mud River. We made the day of it puttzing on the boat. We’ll try it again tomorrow.
Location: North River, GA. MM 651 (Near Darien, GA)
Distance Traveled: Zero miles
Day 22 - Nov 17, 2013
We awoke to the same Foggy conditions this am. Today however, the fog lifted about 0900 hours and we got underway about 0910. Tide at the trouble spot was still high and just beginning to fall. We made it through with the usual near heart stopping moments.
On through Buttermilk Sound and the Mackay River we went.
As we approached Lanier Island, I decided we could make it to Jekyll Island and pushed on. As we neared St Simons Sound I could see a large rather dense Fog bank rolling inward from the ocean. A change of plan was in order. We had already passed all the suitable anchorages except the one at Lanier Island. The choice was the anchorage or take a slip at Morning Star Marina (old Golden Isle Marina). We needed to do laundry and I really needed a good nights sleep, so we opted to get a slip.
Location: Morning Star Marina, Lanier, GA. MM 677
Distance Traveled: 26 miles.
Day 20 - Nov 15, 2013
We get underway about 0720 hrs. We are shooting for another anchorage to setup the timing another trouble spot, Little Mud River. Nothing noteworthy about the day, except we arrive at the North River to anchor and find 4 boats already there. We proceed further up river to a second prospective anchorage and find 2 more boats already there. There is room for us so we drop the hook and make preparations for passage through yet another GA trouble spot tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we can make better progress.
Location: North River, GA. MM 651 (Near Darien, GA)
Distance Traveled: 37.2 miles
We get underway about 0720 hrs. We are shooting for another anchorage to setup the timing another trouble spot, Little Mud River. Nothing noteworthy about the day, except we arrive at the North River to anchor and find 4 boats already there. We proceed further up river to a second prospective anchorage and find 2 more boats already there. There is room for us so we drop the hook and make preparations for passage through yet another GA trouble spot tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we can make better progress.
Location: North River, GA. MM 651 (Near Darien, GA)
Distance Traveled: 37.2 miles
Day 19 - Nov 14, 2013
Rewind and replay time. Today we revisited the 6 mile section we back tracked three days ago. The storm that caused us to seek shelter has finally moved on. Temperatures are still at record lows. This morning the temp was 33F with northerly winds making it seem even cooler.
We get underway about 1100 hrs. Timing the Hell Gate trouble spot …again. The tide at Isle of Hope was at dead low and we had to transit some extremely low water for about an hour before reaching the Vernon River. We arrived at Hell Gate just after 1300 hrs when the tide was only about 1 hour past low. We delayed entry and allowed four trawlers to proceed ahead of us. We waited until they completed passage and then entered the cut. Water depth was tolerable until we reached the turn in the cut. Water depths dropped to less than 5 feet. We were able to throttle back and “search” our way through.
Once through Hell Gate we picked up speed for a while. We were running ahead of schedule so we bypassed the designated anchorage for today. We were able to continue on to Kilkenny Creek, the last anchorage in the area. We turned off the ICW and motored over two miles up the creek, past the shrimp boat docks and arrived at our anchorage for the night. We are now where we should have been 3 nights ago. Maybe tomorrow we can make better progress.
Location: Kilkenny Creek, GA. MM 614
Distance Traveled: 27.2 miles
Avg speed: 5.2 mph
Max speed: 7.9 mph
Rewind and replay time. Today we revisited the 6 mile section we back tracked three days ago. The storm that caused us to seek shelter has finally moved on. Temperatures are still at record lows. This morning the temp was 33F with northerly winds making it seem even cooler.
We get underway about 1100 hrs. Timing the Hell Gate trouble spot …again. The tide at Isle of Hope was at dead low and we had to transit some extremely low water for about an hour before reaching the Vernon River. We arrived at Hell Gate just after 1300 hrs when the tide was only about 1 hour past low. We delayed entry and allowed four trawlers to proceed ahead of us. We waited until they completed passage and then entered the cut. Water depth was tolerable until we reached the turn in the cut. Water depths dropped to less than 5 feet. We were able to throttle back and “search” our way through.
Once through Hell Gate we picked up speed for a while. We were running ahead of schedule so we bypassed the designated anchorage for today. We were able to continue on to Kilkenny Creek, the last anchorage in the area. We turned off the ICW and motored over two miles up the creek, past the shrimp boat docks and arrived at our anchorage for the night. We are now where we should have been 3 nights ago. Maybe tomorrow we can make better progress.
Location: Kilkenny Creek, GA. MM 614
Distance Traveled: 27.2 miles
Avg speed: 5.2 mph
Max speed: 7.9 mph
Day 18 - Nov 13, 2013
What a sleepless night. Winds were reported to be gusting 36 mph in Savannah, so I'm sure they were gusting a little higher here at Isle of Hope. The real bad thing was we were starboard side to the floating face dock and the wind was on our port quarter. That meant we were being pushed back and forth against the dock in the wind gusts. Thankfully the bumpers took the brunt, but they creaked and groaned all night. Combined with the wind howling in the rigging, it was not pleasant. The only plus in all the racket was the slip wasn't going anywhere, more importantly neither was Ninkasi.
I got up and went outside twice during the night. Once to tighten the lines securing the dinghy in the davits, and the second time to adjust the stern line to ease pressure on the bumpers. Jeez, was it cold. Chill factor to the max. I made hot chocolate after the first trip outside since it was only near 11PM. After the second trip, I just jumped back into the sleeping bag and just shivered until I warmed up.
I awoke around 0630 and made coffee. Thank goodness we have shore power and the electric heater. Temperature in the boat was 53F and 36F outside according to the TV news. I put the heater on High and it was almost 70F in the boat when Donna got up about 0800.
I had no plans for the day, but Donna had reserved the loaner car for a trip to an arts supply store and Wal-Mart. We were both successful carrying out our the plans. The sun came out, but the temperature never got above 50F. The little heater is getting a workout.
Location: Still at Isle of Hope Marina, GA
Day 17 - Nov 12, 2013
Well, its one step forward yesterday and two back today. We were planning to time the tides for passage at the Hell Gate trouble spot and then move to an anchorage in a nearby creek. But, it seems mother nature had other plans. We are now expecting 40 mph winds tonight. In this area of GA it is definitely not the place to be on a hook, especially in those kind of winds. There is only one marina on the other side of Hell Gate, so we called to see if we could get a slip. We are informed the marina will not allow any boats on their pier with the direction and intensity of winds predicted. Yikes!
Rather than proceed onward, I called a marina we passed yesterday and was able to secure a slip. This place has floating concrete docks and is better protected than the other marina or being anchored anywhere nearby. So we back track 6+ miles to Isle of Hope Marina.
We get underway about 1000 hrs, buck the tide a little and arrive at Isle of Hope marina around noon. We take on fuel, do a pump out, and get secured to the dock. The dock hand told us we were lucky we called and reserved a slip when we did. They were now fully booked and had a waiting list for slips. Bad weather is definitely good for business.
I spent the afternoon, filling the water tank, washing the boat and generally straightening the boat. Worked up a sweat, changed into a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and enjoyed the 74 degree, sunny afternoon. I would never believe it will be low 30s and blowing like heck in less than 12 hours.
Decided to take a shower after all that work. When I came out of the shower, you could already feel things cooling down. I'm back into jeans and a sweatshirt again. It's going to be a blustery cold night.
Location: Isle of Hope Marina, GA. MM 590
Distance Traveled: - 6.0 Miles
Well, its one step forward yesterday and two back today. We were planning to time the tides for passage at the Hell Gate trouble spot and then move to an anchorage in a nearby creek. But, it seems mother nature had other plans. We are now expecting 40 mph winds tonight. In this area of GA it is definitely not the place to be on a hook, especially in those kind of winds. There is only one marina on the other side of Hell Gate, so we called to see if we could get a slip. We are informed the marina will not allow any boats on their pier with the direction and intensity of winds predicted. Yikes!
Rather than proceed onward, I called a marina we passed yesterday and was able to secure a slip. This place has floating concrete docks and is better protected than the other marina or being anchored anywhere nearby. So we back track 6+ miles to Isle of Hope Marina.
We get underway about 1000 hrs, buck the tide a little and arrive at Isle of Hope marina around noon. We take on fuel, do a pump out, and get secured to the dock. The dock hand told us we were lucky we called and reserved a slip when we did. They were now fully booked and had a waiting list for slips. Bad weather is definitely good for business.
I spent the afternoon, filling the water tank, washing the boat and generally straightening the boat. Worked up a sweat, changed into a T-shirt, shorts and sandals and enjoyed the 74 degree, sunny afternoon. I would never believe it will be low 30s and blowing like heck in less than 12 hours.
Decided to take a shower after all that work. When I came out of the shower, you could already feel things cooling down. I'm back into jeans and a sweatshirt again. It's going to be a blustery cold night.
Location: Isle of Hope Marina, GA. MM 590
Distance Traveled: - 6.0 Miles
Day 15 - Nov 10, 2013
We have a leisurely morning and get underway about 1000 hrs. It was a quick run to Fields Cut and the first section of the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff. The NE and SW ends of the second section were the trouble spots that required timing. We made it through with minimal stress.
We arrived at Beaufort SC and were delayed a little waiting for an opening of the Ladies Island Bridge and transiting the highly enforced no wake zone that goes on for a couple of miles.
We arrived at our anchoring destination in Battery Creek and dropped the hook at 1550 hours.
All-in-all, a pretty nice day.
Start: 1000 South Edisto River
Stop: 1535 Battery Creek, Port Royal, MM 542
Distance Traveled: 33 Statute miles
Avg Speed: 5.6 MPH
Max Speed: 8.2 MPH
Day 16 - Nov 11, 2013
We got an early start today hoping to time passage at another trouble spot. We get a boost from tides and made better time than expected. We had to poke along for a while to enable passage through Fields Cut. Again, the NE and SW ends of the cut provided the most stress. I'm still stressed about the driveline vibration as it seems to be getting worse.
As we exited the cut, we crossed the Savannah River and entered Georgia. We had a reservation at Thunderbolt Marina, but decided to cancel it and continue on. The sun came out and began to warm things up. It felt soooo good. On we went, past Isle of Hope, Skidaway and then we started bucking lots of current and our speed dropped significantly. We had another trouble spot to time and no anchorages nearby we could reach before dark. We opted to stop for the day at an anchorage noted on the map as Beaulieu on the Vernon River.
We dropped the hook about 1530 hrs in front of lovely homes with riverside docks. In the distance we could see a large antenna of some type. We enjoyed the sight of its flashing red lights helping us to verify our anchor was holding all night.
Start: 0645 Battery Creek, Port Royal
Stop: 1530 Beaulieu, GA on the Vernon River, MM 596
Distance Traveled: 58 Statute miles
Avg Speed: 5.5 MPH
Max Speed: 8.9 MPH
We have a leisurely morning and get underway about 1000 hrs. It was a quick run to Fields Cut and the first section of the Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff. The NE and SW ends of the second section were the trouble spots that required timing. We made it through with minimal stress.
We arrived at Beaufort SC and were delayed a little waiting for an opening of the Ladies Island Bridge and transiting the highly enforced no wake zone that goes on for a couple of miles.
We arrived at our anchoring destination in Battery Creek and dropped the hook at 1550 hours.
All-in-all, a pretty nice day.
Start: 1000 South Edisto River
Stop: 1535 Battery Creek, Port Royal, MM 542
Distance Traveled: 33 Statute miles
Avg Speed: 5.6 MPH
Max Speed: 8.2 MPH
Day 16 - Nov 11, 2013
We got an early start today hoping to time passage at another trouble spot. We get a boost from tides and made better time than expected. We had to poke along for a while to enable passage through Fields Cut. Again, the NE and SW ends of the cut provided the most stress. I'm still stressed about the driveline vibration as it seems to be getting worse.
As we exited the cut, we crossed the Savannah River and entered Georgia. We had a reservation at Thunderbolt Marina, but decided to cancel it and continue on. The sun came out and began to warm things up. It felt soooo good. On we went, past Isle of Hope, Skidaway and then we started bucking lots of current and our speed dropped significantly. We had another trouble spot to time and no anchorages nearby we could reach before dark. We opted to stop for the day at an anchorage noted on the map as Beaulieu on the Vernon River.
We dropped the hook about 1530 hrs in front of lovely homes with riverside docks. In the distance we could see a large antenna of some type. We enjoyed the sight of its flashing red lights helping us to verify our anchor was holding all night.
Start: 0645 Battery Creek, Port Royal
Stop: 1530 Beaulieu, GA on the Vernon River, MM 596
Distance Traveled: 58 Statute miles
Avg Speed: 5.5 MPH
Max Speed: 8.9 MPH
Day 13 - Nov 8, 2013
We slept in today. No real plans except a trip to the marina showers. Donna watched a little morning TV while I tinkered with the computer.
After showers we decided to head downtown to the Harris Teeter for a few groceries. We opted to take advantage of the marina’s courtesy van and while talking to one of the staff found out they would drop us off just about anywhere in the downtown area. Super! A change of destination and we were off to our favorite quirky pizza place, The Mellow Mushroom. The House Special pizza and a pitcher of a Belgian IPA was a fabulous lunch.
After lunch we walked to the Harris Teeter. The half mile stroll took a little while with several stops to window shop and admire some of the old building architecture. At the Harris we tried to stick strictly to our shopping list. It was tough, but I’d give us a B+ for our efforts. The courtesy van picked us up and took us back to the marina.
The remainder of the day was spent prepping the boat to move on tomorrow.
Location: Ashley Marina, Charleston, MM 469
We slept in today. No real plans except a trip to the marina showers. Donna watched a little morning TV while I tinkered with the computer.
After showers we decided to head downtown to the Harris Teeter for a few groceries. We opted to take advantage of the marina’s courtesy van and while talking to one of the staff found out they would drop us off just about anywhere in the downtown area. Super! A change of destination and we were off to our favorite quirky pizza place, The Mellow Mushroom. The House Special pizza and a pitcher of a Belgian IPA was a fabulous lunch.
After lunch we walked to the Harris Teeter. The half mile stroll took a little while with several stops to window shop and admire some of the old building architecture. At the Harris we tried to stick strictly to our shopping list. It was tough, but I’d give us a B+ for our efforts. The courtesy van picked us up and took us back to the marina.
A quiet cobblestone street in Charleston
The remainder of the day was spent prepping the boat to move on tomorrow.
Location: Ashley Marina, Charleston, MM 469
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