Day 19, Thursday, November 15th, 2007

A sleepless night with all the casino boat traffic. Ninkasi’s anchor dragged sometime between 0200 and 0600. Fortunately it reset somewhere mid channel and the traffic had died down. Anyway, I awoke at 0600, made coffee , started getting the boat ready, and weighed anchor at 0640. We led the group out of the anchorage. Larry passed us and made the Causton Bluff Bridge first.

The weather report was calling for a strong front to arrive during the afternoon and the weather to turn really foul with high winds, small craft warnings, etc. Day-O needed fuel so we tried to find fuel and slips for the evening in Thunderbolt, GA. Fuel , yes, but slips were not to be had. Some sport fishing tournament had all the slips full for the next few days. We were given the name of a marina several miles away on the Medway River. Larry called and got us slips, but they were about 40 miles away and the storm was coming. We pressed on but the weather started changing in the late afternoon. Day-O decided to stop at a small anchorage in Kilkenny Creek, MM 613, as Whisper and Ninkasi continue on.

When Ninkasi turned off the ICW and started up the Medway River at MM 620, Whisper was about 3 miles ahead of us. Now the wind was dead on our nose blowing 25+ and gusting. The combined effect of the wind and river current reduced our headway to 2.6 mph up river. Thinking we were almost there, we called Larry for directions to the marina only to have him tell us he was hard aground. When we got closer to Whisper, our chart plotter showed us he had taken the right side of the river and hit a bar that would have been passable at high tide. We took the left side of the river and passed within 50 yards of Whisper. We were in 33 feet of water and cannot get to Whisper to help. Whisper was lying on its port side with the tide still going out. A classic example of tide timing combined with wind had Whisper sitting on a now exposed bar.
Larry said he was going to wait for the tide to return and for us to continue to the marina. So, we pushed on and made it to the dock just as it got dark. Boy was it nice to be tied to a dock! We connected the shore power, started the heater, began to dry out and waited to assist Larry when he arrived.
The winds began to die down some and the tide was coming back in. Sons of the marina owner went out in small boats to assist Larry. There was some water intrusion into Whisper through the sink seacock in the portside head. They had forgot to close it and approximately 200 gallons of water got inside before they realized it. They were able to get the water bailed/pumped out and when Whisper was floating normally made it to the dock shortly after 2100. After we got them tied to the dock, Larry and Judy went to the restaurant for warmth and dinner. It had been a rough day for all. It’s after 2300 as I write this so I’ll sign off for today.

Location: Sunbury Crab Company Marina, GA (Eight miles off the ICW up the Medway River). ICW marker: 620. Today’s progress: 50 Statute Miles

Day 18, Wednesday, November 14, 2007

We’re up at 0500. We do a big breakfast with lots of coffee. Underway at 0730. We would like to stay another day and really visit the town, but the rest of the group is moving on. Maybe we will visit longer on the return trip. Day-O seems to be moving slower today so Whisper and Ninkasi lead the way, swapping the lead about halfway through the day. By 1300, Day-O is running about five miles behind. Larry called on the VHF and suggested we stop at MM 570 and anchor so Day-O can catch up before dark. Day-O, listening in suggests we push on to an anchorage at St. Augustine Creek, MM 578. My Skipper Bob (SB) guide does not recommend the anchorage and despite my objection the decision is made to anchor at MM 578. BIG MISTAKE!!! Ninkasi and Day-O have trouble getting anchors to set as holding is poor and current is strong. Commercial traffic mentioned in SB guide are large casino boats. It’s too late to try for another anchorage so we reposition close to the banks, put out lots of lights and hope for the best.

Location: St. Augustine Creek, GA just south of the Savannah River. ICW MM 578.Today’s progress: 42 Statute Miles

Day 17, Tuesday, November 13, 2007

We’re up at 0500 expecting to get underway at first light, but fog has set in and our departure is delayed. It was just as well because our anchor line had wrapped around the keel during the tide/current change overnight. I somehow got lucky and spun the wrap free by swinging the boat around . It only took about 20 minutes to clear the wrap. Once the line was clear, I hoisted the anchor and proceeded slowly out of the creek. When the others caught up, we picked up the pace and headed toward Beaufort. We cleared the Ladies Island Bridge around noon and then stopped at the Downtown Marina for fuel and slips for the night. The current was strong and docking was tricky.

Everyone hit the showers and then we all went to lunch at Luther’s Rx restaurant about 1400. It’s a warm day and we eat al fresco. It feels good to just sit in the sun. It’s a glorious day.

After lunch, Donna and Judy took the courtesy car to the grocery store. I worked on the boat and started doing the laundry.

It’s 2045 and I’m falling asleep as I make this entry. Time for bed. Walter wants to leave at 0630. Goodnight world!

Location: Beaufort, SC (pronounced Bewfort) ICW MM 536. Today’s progress: 20 Statute Miles

Day 16, Monday November 12, 2007

We’re up at 0600 hoping we can catch the 0900 opening if repairs are complete. Larry calls and tells us the bridge is operational and will open on request until 0900. Everyone rushes to get moving and we pass through the bridge about 0740.

The plan was to spend a day in Charleston and let the girls visit the city. Unfortunately there were no slips available when we arrive around 0945. We decide to push on southward. We make it a 55 mile day and anchor at sundown in Rock Creek. Everyone is tired so there is no pot luck dinner tonight.

Donna fixed a great pork roast with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Destination for tomorrow is Beaufort, SC where we will be in a marina. Yeah,…a long hot shower.

Location: Rock Creek, SC. ICW MM 516. Today’s progress: 55 Statute Miles.

Day 15, Sunday, November 11, 2007

Our destination today is Charleston, SC. Since it is only 30 miles south, we took our time getting underway. The anchor was up around 0830 and were back in the ICW about 10 minutes later. It was cold, with the temperature about 40°F and the wind made it f eel even colder. The word for today is “layers” and lots of them.

Unfortunately, we didn’t make it to Charleston. The Ben Sawyer Bridge, an older swing type, just north of Charleston had some type of mechanical problem and could not open. We ducked into Inlet Creek, MM 461, and anchored with a dozen other boats around noon to wait for the repairs to be completed.

A Coast Guard Auxiliary boat came by around 1400 and told us the problem was electrical they were still working on repairs. They hope to have repairs completed overnight. That gave us a little time to rest and work on little things to keep us busy. As the day passed, more and more boats joined us in the anchorage and it got quite crowded.

We decided to do pot luck dinner on Whisper that evening and plan our visit to Charleston.

Location: Inlet Creek, SC north of Charleston. ICW MM 461. Today’s progress: 22 Statute Miles

Day 14, Saturday, November 10, 2007

We got underway about 1000 as planned. We departed the Wacamaw River and entered Winyah Bay as we passed Georgetown, SC. We passed a working hand ferry as we departed Winyah Bay and entered the Estherville Minim Creek Canal. After that there was a series of cuts between the North and South Santee Rivers before we finally passed McClellanville, SC. The current helped move us along and we still covered almost 45 miles even with the late start. The day was pretty uneventful otherwise. We pulled into Graham Creek and anchored for the evening in 7-9‘ of low water. It was another quiet anchorage.

Location: Graham Creek, SC. ICW MM 439. Today’s progress: 44 Statute Miles

Day 13, Friday, November 9, 2007

We’re up at 0530 and Donna fixed a big breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash brown potatoes. Walter is underway at 0630 and we follow at 0700. Our delay was a good thing as it allowed a tug and barge to get ahead of us going through the “Rock Pile”. We caught up with Walter at Bucksport Landing where we all stopped, refueled and got some of their famous sausage.

We got some tidal current assist in the Wacamaw River and made good time for a while. We finally lost the currents help about the time we pulled into Jericho Creek around 1530. We found plenty of deep water right up to the banks of the creek so we anchored for the night. It was a quiet place although three small boats did come by us before dark.

The plan is to use the outgoing tide tomorrow, so we do not have to leave at first light.

Location: Jericho Creek off the Wacamaw River near Hagley, SC. ICW MM 395. Today’s progress: 41 Statute Miles