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
Day 12 - Nov 7, 2013
Well, the plan for today went bust from the get-go. The plan was to start a little later, stop at an anchorage just before The Isle of Palms and be staged to arrive in Charleston early on Friday.
Instead, we got a much later than usual start. Next, I didn’t like the anchorage. It was one of those places with little or no protection from the wind and very, very deep. Getting to the anchorage I found 80 to 96 feet deep holes. Heck, that kind of depth is hard to find in the Chesapeake. The best spot I found still had 36 feet of water. Using sufficient scope would mean I would have more chain and rope out than the width of the creek. So I decided to continue on to Charleston.
We arrived and docked at the Ashley Marina at 1530 hrs. A couple of beers and chips and it was time for a nap. Tomorrow we’ll visit the town.
Location: Ashley Marina, Charleston, MM 469
Distance Traveled: 34 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 5.5 MPH
Well, the plan for today went bust from the get-go. The plan was to start a little later, stop at an anchorage just before The Isle of Palms and be staged to arrive in Charleston early on Friday.
Instead, we got a much later than usual start. Next, I didn’t like the anchorage. It was one of those places with little or no protection from the wind and very, very deep. Getting to the anchorage I found 80 to 96 feet deep holes. Heck, that kind of depth is hard to find in the Chesapeake. The best spot I found still had 36 feet of water. Using sufficient scope would mean I would have more chain and rope out than the width of the creek. So I decided to continue on to Charleston.
We arrived and docked at the Ashley Marina at 1530 hrs. A couple of beers and chips and it was time for a nap. Tomorrow we’ll visit the town.
Location: Ashley Marina, Charleston, MM 469
Distance Traveled: 34 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 5.5 MPH
Day 11 - Nov 6, 2013
Awoke a little later to a beautiful morning with warmer temperatures. Got the coffee going and fiddled with the phone/internet trying once more to update the blog. No luck again. We can get a 3G signal, but every time we try to connect, the signal switches to a 1X connection and then bombs out on the internet connection. Bummer!
We finally get underway about 0650 hrs. We get back into the Waccamaw River and head south toward Georgetown. We catch some of the outgoing tide and get a boost for a while. That doesn’t last and then we are bucking the current and making only 5 MPH. There is lots of floating vegetation and other junk floating in the river. Some of it is visible and some of it is partially or totally submerged. We avoid what we can see, but we whacked something good with the prop. Not sure if it is just my imagination, but we seem to have a vibration in the driveline that wasn't there before.
As we leave the Waccamaw we are able to motor sail and regain some speed. We motor sail all the way to the Esterville Minim canal. We continue on past the North and South Santeee Rivers and head toward McClellanville. We arrive at the shallow trouble spot right at the bottom of the tide. We poke along for a couple miles running in water between 4-6’ deep. Real nail biting stuff. Could not find enough water to head into our destination anchorage so we proceeded on. Another couple of miles and we had 9-10’ of water.
We continued on to the next anchorage at Awendaw Creek. We have used this anchorage before. It’s unprotected from winds from all directions and has a ripping tidal change of 6’. We anchored at low tide and have 13.5 feet of water under the boat. At 2300 tonight we will have approximately 20’ of water.
Location: Awendaw Creek, 34 miles north of Charleston, MM 435
Distance Traveled: 61 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 6.3 MPH
Start: 0650 hrs
Stop: 1625 hrs
Day 7 - Nov 2, 2013
An uneventful run from Morehead City to Mile Hammock Bay. There were a few sprinkles and some reduced visibility. There were 9 boats in the anchorage when we arrived. Two others joined later for a total of 12 as the sunset. Things were fairly quiet overnight except for a wind shift sometime around 0200 hrs.
Location: Mile Hammock Bay, MM 245
Distance Traveled: 41.5 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 6.3 MPH
Day 8 - Nov 3, 2013
Only one incident observed in the run from Mile Hammock to Carolina Beach. Northerly winds and strong current fouled up the timing of a couple of bridge openings at Figure 8 Island and Wrightsville. We had to jockey around for about 40 minutes while waiting to pass through Wrightsville Beach Bridge. As usual, one sailboat ran aground at the shoals just before the bridge. He was a lucky one and was able to unground himself and still make the bridge opening.
We took a mooring ball at Carolina Beach. The wind seems to rip through the anchorage/mooring field. The $20 flat fee mooring is worth the piece of mind. I did get up in the middle of the night and double up on our lines to the mooring ball pennant. Went back to bed sensing I had added to our security.
Location: Carolina Beach Mooring Field, MM295
Distance Traveled: 52.1 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 5.9 MPH
Start: 0645 hrs
Stop: 1520 hrs
Day 9 - Nov 4, 2013
Slept late this AM. Need to time the run down the Cape Fear River today. This means we should not leave the mooring field until at least 0830 hrs. The run down Snow’s Cut to the river was speedy and then we ran slam into the “washing machine”. An ebbing tide and northerly winds had the river really churned up. It was like putting a little paper boat in a washing machine. It was a lumpy but reasonably speedy run down to Southport. At Southport we ran into the current roaring out of the ICW toward the inlet.
We trudged on and decided to stop at St. James Marina at Mile Marker 315.
We needed to do laundry, refuel and take on water. The facility was recommended by other cruisers and it certainly lived up to their reviews. A great place and attentive staff.
Location: St James Marina, near Southport NC, MM 315
Distance Traveled: 20 Statute Miles
Day 10 - Nov 5, 2013
First hiccup in the day plan. It’s really nasty overcast and sprinkling. No predawn moving in this mess. We finally got underway at 0622 hrs.
Out in the ICW, we managed to take advantage of the current to arrive at Lockwoods Folly Inlet a little before high tide. Following tips from cruisersnet.net we negotiate our way through with no problems. One trouble spot down, one more to go.
We arrived at Shallotte Inlet at the top of the tide and again following cruisersnet.net tips we successfully passed through the inlet. Two down, none to go for the day.
We continued on to the Little River Inlet, Myrtle Beach, into the Waccamaw River and our destination oxbow anchorage.
Location: Waccamaw River, South of Myrtle Beach, MM 374.1
Distance Traveled: 61 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 6.4 MPH
Start: 0622 hrs
Stop: 1545 hrs
An uneventful run from Morehead City to Mile Hammock Bay. There were a few sprinkles and some reduced visibility. There were 9 boats in the anchorage when we arrived. Two others joined later for a total of 12 as the sunset. Things were fairly quiet overnight except for a wind shift sometime around 0200 hrs.
Location: Mile Hammock Bay, MM 245
Distance Traveled: 41.5 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 6.3 MPH
Day 8 - Nov 3, 2013
Only one incident observed in the run from Mile Hammock to Carolina Beach. Northerly winds and strong current fouled up the timing of a couple of bridge openings at Figure 8 Island and Wrightsville. We had to jockey around for about 40 minutes while waiting to pass through Wrightsville Beach Bridge. As usual, one sailboat ran aground at the shoals just before the bridge. He was a lucky one and was able to unground himself and still make the bridge opening.
We took a mooring ball at Carolina Beach. The wind seems to rip through the anchorage/mooring field. The $20 flat fee mooring is worth the piece of mind. I did get up in the middle of the night and double up on our lines to the mooring ball pennant. Went back to bed sensing I had added to our security.
Location: Carolina Beach Mooring Field, MM295
Distance Traveled: 52.1 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 5.9 MPH
Start: 0645 hrs
Stop: 1520 hrs
Day 9 - Nov 4, 2013
Slept late this AM. Need to time the run down the Cape Fear River today. This means we should not leave the mooring field until at least 0830 hrs. The run down Snow’s Cut to the river was speedy and then we ran slam into the “washing machine”. An ebbing tide and northerly winds had the river really churned up. It was like putting a little paper boat in a washing machine. It was a lumpy but reasonably speedy run down to Southport. At Southport we ran into the current roaring out of the ICW toward the inlet.
We trudged on and decided to stop at St. James Marina at Mile Marker 315.
We needed to do laundry, refuel and take on water. The facility was recommended by other cruisers and it certainly lived up to their reviews. A great place and attentive staff.
Location: St James Marina, near Southport NC, MM 315
Distance Traveled: 20 Statute Miles
Day 10 - Nov 5, 2013
First hiccup in the day plan. It’s really nasty overcast and sprinkling. No predawn moving in this mess. We finally got underway at 0622 hrs.
Out in the ICW, we managed to take advantage of the current to arrive at Lockwoods Folly Inlet a little before high tide. Following tips from cruisersnet.net we negotiate our way through with no problems. One trouble spot down, one more to go.
We arrived at Shallotte Inlet at the top of the tide and again following cruisersnet.net tips we successfully passed through the inlet. Two down, none to go for the day.
We continued on to the Little River Inlet, Myrtle Beach, into the Waccamaw River and our destination oxbow anchorage.
Location: Waccamaw River, South of Myrtle Beach, MM 374.1
Distance Traveled: 61 Statute Miles
Avg Speed: 6.4 MPH
Start: 0622 hrs
Stop: 1545 hrs
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)