Hell Gate, Cattle Pen, Mud Creek and Wally's Leg

Well yesterday we went through Hell Gate and it sure seemed to break loose on us. Our little bit of rain turned mean and turential (couldn't see anything). Just motored back and waited for it to pass. Meanwhile we were staying pretty dry under our new canvas but we needed to pull back the front panel to see.  Sooo everything got wet. It was blowing like crazy, about a steady 20 knots, with gusts up to 27.  So each sound we entered was met with  choppy two foot waves. After completing 53 miles we settled for Cattle Pen Creek to anchor. (It took us several tries in the narrow creek and the current wind were trying to teach us something...I'm still not sure we are good students).  After dinner we were exhausted and went to sleep. 

Today is a new day and we passed Little Mud River at mid tide with about 10 feet of water under us the whole way. It was a little hairy here and there but on the whole we had an easy run and anchored at about 3:30 pm at Wally's Leg Creek. It nice to take a nice shower and relax before dinner. 

Our anchorage at Wally's Leg...ps we had a beautiful sunset at Cattle Pen Creek but we were busy students 

  Old map showing Wally's Leg 

Hell Gate Has To Wait

We woke up Monday with thoughts of going through Hell Gate off the Vernon River into Ogeechee River. Besides the intimidating name, we had read as of late that we needed high tide to pass through. And now, fog. Lots of it. We needed to leave by 8:30 or 9 am. So at 10 when it seemed to lift a little we headed out and then the fog  fogged us in. We couldn't see anything. So we turned around about 1/2 mile out and went back to our cozy anchorage on Herb River. We didn't bother going further in   We just dropped the anchor just inside the River. By noon it was beautiful out and we enjoyed the weather by reading and polishing a few things outside. By 3 we were sitting the deck having a beer. We decided that it was nice to be fogged in and put a steak on the grill. 

Now it's Tuesday and we are at it again. We have some rain but not bad. We left our anchorage about 9am and should take it easy to make it for high tide at noon. Oh, another little tid bit, we also had a bridge to pass whose "controlled detonation" was to happen on this lovely day, Tuesday, December 10th.  Thank goodness they were blowing it up in the afternoon after we passed. 

Fogged in. It was scarey to try and navigate in this pea-soup. 

       Enjoying the 74 degree day

Another stunning sunset at our anchorage on Herb River. 

Welcome To Georgia

We were greeted by the Caustin Bluff Bridge Tender with "Welcome to Georgia" as we passed through the swing bridge. We're really glad to be here. I think we'll be here longer than we would like. We are being really careful about the shallow spots and therefore high tide is only once during lighted hours. While I was belly-aching about it taking so long and Jon being soooo extra careful, I received a text from our friends on Rhiannon that hit a rock at Jeckel Island and lost steering. They are fine but had to be towed in.  Oh my gosh!  That is the worst.  

   Beautiful homes along Georgia ICW

  FINIALLY ONE PICTURE OF DOLPHINS

  Sorry if you can't make it out. It's there!

     A pelican taking flight at our anchorage in Herb River.  

Tides and Bridges

We are navigating mostly to tides and bridges. The tides in South Carolina and Georgia range up to 8 feet. The intercoastal running through these states have some trouble area for sail boats because we draw from 4 feet to 6 feet. Our boat draws 5.5 feet ( maybe more with all the water, fuel and all our possessions.). We've heard of spots that have 3 feet of water at low tide. So, we want mid to high tide when we get there. So planning your 50 miles a day might be cut to 40 miles because you would run into the next trouble spot at low tide. Now to make things more interesting you get to factor in a swing bridge or two a day. Some of there listed openings read something like this:  Lady of the Night Bridge.... Closed from 6 am to 9 am and 10 to 2 pm and 4 to 6 pm; open  on the hour otherwise Monday thru Friday   Weekend and holidays open on demand except closed 4pm to 9am.  Ok, I went slightly overboard with the closing hours..but not that far off. So Jon and I have factored in the tides and then we started looking at restrictions on the bridge... Dang.. They re closed from 11 am to 1pm and it's 12pm and we only have two miles to go.  Oh this is gonna mess up our schedule but ok we'll slow down from our whopping 6.4 knots to 1.3 knots(mostly current pushing us). We get up there about half mile away and I call to let him know that we are here for his 1 pm opening.... It's about 12:45 and he opens up. I thought, how nice he opened early for us...then it started to hit me... It's Saturday and they open up when you ask. Oh well who can keep track of days. We traveled 56 miles and set our anchor at dusk in Bull Creek. Thank goodness we didn't have to get up to early as the next trouble spot is Fields Cut and mid to high tide is 10 am to 12 pm.  

         Beaufort, South Carolina 

      Bull creek at dusk

        We woke Sunday to fog

      Jon loving his windlass to pick up all that chain. 

     Missing Aaron as it was his job to clean the anchor.  You have to use the boat hook and buckets of water. Wash down pump is on the growing list of necessities. (Or Aaron has to come back)

South Edisto River

We were taught by Beau, the young dock master at St. John's , how to use the strong current to get off our dock and crab our way side ways to the fuel dock. It is fun to learn new things but a little stressful.  We really had a beautiful day to travel, high 70s and sunny with winds from the south southwest at a steady 15 knots. We saw a few goodsize barges and boats but nothing that the channels couldn't accommodate. We anchored about 2 pm in the South Edisto River so that we could reach a trouble spot the next day at high tide.   We could have used Beau and his knowledge of current as it took us a hour or so to feel comfortable with anchoring into the wind but your boat points with the current(a two knot current) which of course is the opposite direction. It didn't switch until 6:30pm. I think that's when Jon started to relax. Of course it switched again after midnight so he was up again to check on things. Our Manson anchor held true and at least I slept pretty good. 

It is very strange not to see Aaron as we get underway.  We miss him. 

Three barges together be pulled by three tugs. 

Large cruiser beating down us. 

Us getting out of his way. 

Just a nice day on the water. 

  

Our anchorage at Sout Edisto River 

Ps. There were dolphins in the morning. They don't stay up long enough for me to catch a picture. 

Going to Charleston

We left our cozy anchorage on Wednesday about 7:30 as the dolphins played around us. ( side note: Aaron says I look like an idiot whenever I see dolphins because I clap my hands together and say yeah dolphins over and over...alright I get pretty excited).  Any way, we end up in Charleston Harbor about 9:30 and to our dock at St Johns yacht Harbor around 11am. We're staying at a Marinia again because Aaron had decided to jump ship and head back to New York. He will take the train to NYC to see Sara and head to Utica to ready himself for the service(Air Force and Army are contenders ...make your vote in comment section) (side note again:  Aaron said "being on the boat was like prison, you have lots of time to think about the future.").  So we end up at this lovely Marinia and say see you next month to Aaron.  The only glitch we hit was the courtesy car that we reserved to take Aaron to the train in charleston was out when we asked for it.  With 30 minutes left to get to a place that takes 27 minutes, according to google maps, a very nice gentleman said use my car. He handed jon the keys without even knowing our name. Later we found out his name is Nelson. We sat on is trimaran  that he had extended from 28 feet to 36 feet. He was so talented..he built everything inside and out... And it was beautiful   Any way, he became the local hero as we found out in the bar later. All for being himself. Thanks Nelson. 

    A trailer on a raft at our anchorage 

     Some of the lovely homes along        Charleston harbor 

    Old Chsrleston from the water(look on the foreground, you'll see a crab pot..ugh

        Along the Elliott Cut

The docks and walking piers were great for long walks

Aaron about to jump on Jon's back

        A Christmas decorated boat

     Sunset at St. John's Yacht Harbor

Anchoring out a couple of nights

Monday we hit the water running. We traveled about 60 miles. It seemed a great morning until we hit the swampy area and tons of duckweed or Lilly pads    We dodged them all day. We were just sure the raw water strainer was going to be full. Otherwise, it was a pretty good traveling day. We were pleasantly asked to raft-up with Rhiannon in Minim Creek and have dinner.  Two bonuses, one we didn't have to cook and two we didn't have to clean off a muddy anchor and chain in the morning. 

On Tuesday we continued south about 40 miles. We saw dolphins peak out at us several times. It was a pretty easy day and we put our anchor down in Dewees Creek in about 25 feet of water.  No problem with this except we had to use all our chain and line. It may take us a little longer to pull it all in. 

 

Traveling along you see mansions and shacks. 

Look like she's aground. No one around. 

Our sunrise Minim Creek ( you have time to take pictures in the morning when you don't have to pick up the anchor). 

Got inspired...took sunrise pictures at Dewees Creek. 

            WOW!!