May 12, 2014

We were fortunate to have the rising tide in Jekyll Creek this AM. We planned to wait until almost top of the tide so we could transit Jekyll Creek safely. However, we got underway later than planned. After a hot, sweaty night we both wanted showers. Then I decided to fill a jerry can with diesel even though I really did not need to. That was a disaster…a newbie with his trawler was ahead of me at the single pump. He kept adding “a little more” over and over. It was 0830 when I finally got my measly 5 gallons back to the boat and got moving.

It was a beautiful day on the water except for adverse currents. The tide timing sets us up to be approaching the second of Georgia’s skinny water trifecta at low tide, the infamous Little Mud River.  To time passage with the high tide, we stop and anchor a couple of hours in Buttermilk Sound. We resume the trip and shortly find a boater aground near the south entrance to the trouble spot.

The boater rejected assistance, choosing instead to wait on the still rising water. We passed through Little Mud with no problems and continued on to our anchorage for the night in Back River. We were joined by two large power boats in the anchorage. Except for the passing of a couple of shrimp trawlers, the evening was uneventful.

Started: 0830

Stopped: 1730
Distance traveled: 35 miles
Location: Back River, Ga. MM 651