Isle of Palms

Saturday June 31st, 2014
32 48.248 N
79 45.487 W

     We arrived at about 2 PM in a thunder storm. Ryan and Mason were there to welcome us. A few hours later when the wind was down we turned the boat around, stern in. Kylie arrived about 6 PM and the 5 of us had dinner on board. Mason is a keeper. 

                                                                                                       

Toogoodoo Creek (and only 1 GTBAGU )

Friday May 30, 2014
32 39.6635 N
80 16.6473 W

Easy day today, only 37 NM. This is our last stop before the IOP and we are now only 35 NM from our slip for three months or so. There is a major xxx spot a few miles from our destination so we need to leave no later than 8 AM to catch some tide when we get there. We hope that Ryan and Mason will be able to meet us at the slip - sadly Ky will be at work.

We ran the AC last night so we enjoyed a comfortable sleep. This morning I enjoyed the last two quarters of Collingwood thrashing St. Kilda. We then walked into town for a "farewell breakfast" at the local bakery. Back at the boats, Don discovered a frayed belt that needed to be replaced. We left them at the slip as the tide was an issue on this stretch of the ICW and there were some low spots to get thru. We did plan to meet at the Toogoodoo anchorage but it turns out that Cavara was held up by skinny water and a nasty thunder storm, and has anchored an hour or so behind us.

Although the ICW is this area is a bit of a mad woman's breakfast, it was a calm day and we enjoyed taking in the typical SC lowcountry environment of rivers, forest and swamps. I took a lot of photos hoping to "capture" the feeling. Late in the afternoon a band of thunderstorms rolled thru with lots of lightening and so we retired below. It was pouring down as we approached our anchorage so we reduced speed to give them time to roll thru.

Toogoodoo Creek is a big tidal stream, surrounded by miles of marsh grass and the occasional hammock. As I type this, we are surrounded by quite, the rain is falling gently and Deidre is cooking dinner. Just does not get better than this.

Dense forest on the ICW

"hammock" island in the marsh

Looks like rain to me

bahama sized tug boat in SC

Sunset - so calm, so quiet, so totally isolated

Beaufort, SC

Thursday May 29
32 25 178 N
80 39 437 W

We are tied up in a marina in Beaufort after a longgggg but successful day. Up at "o'dark four" we were underway at 5 AM. The Brunswick channel is big and well lit, but navigation in the dark is always a bit exciting for us. The coastal waters of Georgia are so shallow that the Brunswick shipping channel is about 10 miles long and even then the coastal water is barely 30' deep. It took us two hours before we were able to turn north, and by then the sun was up.

Could not have asked for a better day - sunny and calm with maybe 5 kts of wind. We took it in turn to take a sleep, and I slept for almost three hours. We reached our initial target, the Port Royal channel, at about 4 PM. This was about 10 miles long, plus our target marina on "Lady's Creek" was another 15 NM inland, so we did not "arrive" until about 7 PM. It was a big day, but we had covered all the Georgia coast line in one day.

Brunswick, GA

Wednesday May 28, 2014
31 05.946 N
81 27.245 W

Beautiful sleeping night followed by an easy morning. Today we were only planning to advance to Brunswick to pick up fuel. Bon Voyage had left at first light without even a toot. We recovered the anchor at about 9:00AM. It was a particularly fine and sunny morning and a real pleasure to wind through the Georgia marsh.

We were at the fuel dock by 2 PM and took on 616 gallons of diesel at $3.60 a gallon - a good price. We had purchased 100 gallons in the Bahamas and 100 gallons in Ft Pierce, so basically our Bahamas cruise consumed 800 gallons, for about 1,600 miles. I get nervous when the tanks get low.

We are planning to go offshore tomorrow to Port Royal in SC. Will be a 14 or 15 hour day but will cut off the rest of Georgia. Then an easy 2 days to Charleston.

Passing under the Brunswick bridge

Car carrier passing our anchorage

Big dredge outside the sub base in Cumberland Sound

Cumberland Island

Tuesday May 27th, 2014
30 46.113 N
81 28.294 W

Caught the 7:30 AM opening of the "Bridge of Lions" and we were out in the Atlantic soon after 8 AM. We headed due north towards St. Mary's Entrance and the anchorage at Cumberland. Overall we covered 65 NM. Conditions were decent and it was a good ride.

During the day we had been in touch with Jon & Bonnie also heading North but on the ICW. They picked up fuel in Fernandina Beach and joined us at the anchorage. It was great to see them again and we celebrated with drinks and dinner on Tide Hiker. Really fun night.

Coast Guard

Dredging at St Mary's Entrance

Drinks and dinner on Tide Hiker (Cavara and Bon Voyage in the distance)

St. Augustine

May 26th, 2014
29 53.197 N
81 18.314 W

Short day. Took it easy this morning Deidre got a ride to the supermarket and restocked the larder with fresh fruit, veges, bread, milk etc. We still have plenty of "Bahama" supplies in the freezer that we need to work through so we can shut it down.

We were underway by about Noon. It was only about 20 miles to St. Augustine where Barb had reserved a couple of mooring balls. We were still towing the dinghy and I ferried Barb and Don ashore in St Augustine - last time they were here it was too cold to see the town. On the way back visited an Australian boat - actually sailed to the USA from Australia.

Went into town later in the evening and enjoyed dinner with Barb and Don.

Marineland Marina

May 25th, 2014
29 40.165 N
81 12.930 N