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