SHIP'S LOG:
I take back all those snide remarks about South Carolina's lack of Cell phone towers and the dearth of Internet access. Compared to Georgia, South Carolina is Silicon Valley! I at last have access, but I am in a Marina on Jekyll Island which is basically a resort, so of course they have cell phone and Internet coverage . . . . though when I got here today, the entire island experienced a communications breakdown that lasted for 3 hours.
Sunday November 28th
Would you believe that there are two "Hell Gates" on the ICW? One, the more famous, is in New York in the East River. There other isn't. It is in Georgia and connects the Little Ogeechee Riber and the Ogeechee River. It was supposed to the that channel of swirling currents and sand bars and it was one of those places of "Legend" on the ICW. Unfortunately, It didn't live up to its reputation and it got dredged and all the "terror" has gone out it. But it is not all fun and games on the ICW. During this stretch, I have found marks that are charted as being on land and they are out in the water and marks that are charted as being in the water which are high and dry on land. If you are not careful, you can run aground seriously by aiming for a mark and heading at it irregardless. Dropped the hook that night in WALBURG Creek. It is a creek that lies between Walburg Island and St. Catherine's Island on the South shore of St. Catherine Sound. IT runs along the eastern and southern shore of the Island. There was a boat already in the creek, though in the eastern portion. There was a lot of wind that day and they were dealing with that and the wave action flowing in from St. Catherine's Sound. The sailboat was "SELA" from St. Cloud, MI, and its crew way Bob and Mary Anne. We discussed anchoring scenarios and I decided that I would rather deal with just the wind and anchor on the southern portion. I think it was a good choice as "Sela" dragged during the night. No harm was done just a little bit of excitement. Dragging an anchor in high wind, which have had a lot of recently, makes going to sleep at night a real act of faith.
Monday,November 29th
I might have dragged a little last night myself but not much. The high wind was still with us and made some passages slow, battling the wind, and others very fast going with the wind. Sapelo Sound was a perfect example. with the throttle untouched, my speed ranged from 3.8 to 8.6 depending where I was in the sound and which way I was trying to go.
You do a lot of switch-backing in the ICW in Georgia. You can look ahead or behind and see boats moving left to right across your field of view. For every mile south you go 3 or four miles east and west. Fully 20% or more of the ICW in Georgia is going back and forth and not forward. Had a great spot picked out for the night in a place called "New Teakettle Creek" and when I got there, a big power boat was in the sweet spot. It was a guy who had rush passed me that day and never bothered to slow down or ask how I wished to be passed or even to let me know what his intentions were. But I always have back up and so I went into "Doboy Sound and up "Duplin Creek" and anchored. IT is a bit unnerving to anchor in a creek where the width of the creek seems little more than the length of your boat. You have to pick your spots based on what the wind will be doing that night so that you are always oriented up or down the creek at anchor. Usually, you have good holding if you are in a marsh as the marsh grass holds the mud in place. Otherwise, soft mud has very little holding power, especially in a blow.
Tuesday, November 30th
The day was hot and humid and in the 70's BUT it wasn't going to stay that way. NOAA was already calling for a cold front hat would show up Tuesday night proceeded by thunderstorms and heavy winds. The winds would come from the south and south west and build during the day and then when the cold front approached, there would be thunder storms, possible tornadoes, and a wind shift to the North, North west. Just outside of Brunswick, there was a place called Jove's Creek and it had a lovely spot in it that oriented east and west but was wide enough to anchor north and south. This would be "perfect" as the marsh grass would cut the wind and I would still be able to rotate with the wind when it shifted.
To get there, I had to pass through another one of those ICW "Legends", the Little Mud River. It is amazing how w]many rivers and water ways on the ICW have MUD in their names. This little spots, about 3 miles long, was a River that ran into ALTAMAHA Sound from Doboy Sound. I had been hearing about this place for week. Nothing particularly dangerous, except for that fact that odds are that you would run aground. I seriously considered running outside between Doboy and Altamaha, but there were small craft warnings and the just crossing Doboy Sound from my anchorage was enough to convince me it would have been a bad idea. Entering into the canal that led to Little Mud River, I met a Core of Engineers' Survey Boat doing a survey of that portion of the ICW. I asked the crew about Little Mud River and they said that the channel was narrow and shallow.By the time I got to Little Mud River, I was hyperventilating. I am not sure why as a gounding in "mud" would not damage the boat and would be easily extracted, either on my own or by the friendly Folks from TowBoat/US. This Bogey Man of the ICW also turned out to be a bust. By not following the channel and going wherever I found deep water, I got through and never saw less than 11 feet.
When I got to Jove's Creek, there was another boat already there but not in the spot I had picked out which was farther up stream. I dropped the hook, had supper, listened to the weather several times and went to bed.
Wednesday, Dec. 1st
The thunderstorms came at 1:47AM and I spent the rest of the night watching my little sailboat go round and round on the GPS as she danced to the wind. It was quite nerve racking and when the sun came up, I took off intending to get to my next location early and crash for the day. I never got the chance. The winds from the storm and the front were still blowing and I had to cross St. Simon's Sound which was a horror. Waves crashed the boat and about every 10th one got me square in the face. I had my rain gear on ( to keep warm) but neglected my boots and my sneakers got wet. I really had to fight to make even a reasonable show of staying on course but thankfully there were few turns until I got to the Jekyll Island Creek. To call this water way a creek is to damn with faint praise. Actually, it is more wet mud than water. And twisty. I had planned to stop at the Jekyll Harbor Marina for fuel and a pumpout and then proceed, but the wind was still gusting to 30 and showed no hints that it would wind down soon. Also I was beat, having been up most of the night and having to fight to get this far. So I decided to stay. Good think to as I found a leak in my raw water system that cools the engine.Technically it could have sunk the boat or at least cooked the engine. So the stopped was a very good thing. The best part is that I am 32 miles from Florida!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Is It Supposed To Be This Cold?
SHIP'S LOG:
I couldn't believe it. I got up this morning and hopped around hissing blue breaths. I'm in South Carolina and I am freezing. Somethings wrong here! The farther south you go, the warmer it is supposed to get.
Now it wasn't cold COLD, but cold enough for that I was eventually attired in the "layered look." When I thought to check the temp, it was reading a brisk 47, but the wind was also blowing a good 20 knots and the sun wasn't up yet. Any way you slice it, it was cold! Eventually it did warm up, up to a high around 66 but it dropped just as fast as the the sun. According to the NOAA weather report, and you know they'll get this one right, there is a frost warning down here and the temp is supposed to dip into the 30's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is not what I had planned for nor is it anything I want. I want sun. I want Heat. I want high humidity.
Actually not a bad day sailing though the different currents and tides play havoc with one's speed. The Savannah River isn't all that wide, but it has a great flow rate and a lot of eddies along the banks especially where the ICW crosses. It doesn't help matters that big container ships are plying up and down the river like semi on I95. One must almost make a made dash across the river to get by, like trying to run across five or six lanes of traffic on foot. Actually, it wasn't that bad, close but not that bad.
South along the ICW from Atlanta is Thunderbolt, Georgia. From the river/ICW it doesn't look a big place but they Thunderbolt Marina, which is HUGE and Hinkley Yacht Services has a yard in Thunderbolt. This really caught my eye. For those of you unfamiliar with Hinkley, automotively think in terms of Ferrari. Hinkley in Thunderbolt is like Ferrari having a dealership in Resume Speed, Oklahoma. It just didn't fit . . . that is until two miles down from Thunderbolt, I passed the Savannah Yacht Club. It is bigger than most of the marinas I have seen on this trip! The has a boat hauling facility most marinas would give their eye teeth for and it is grand in every conceivable way. I would love to have reciprocating privileges with that spot.
Considering the next available diesel was 90 miles down the ICW, I stopped at Isle of Hope Marina in lovely Isle of Hope, Georgia and decided to spend the night. The fact that it is going down into the 30's means trouble in the morning, if you don't have a heated toilet seat on your yacht. Sadly, it is one of the things on my projects list that I just never quite got around to taking care of before the start of the trip. Who knew it would be needed. But this way, I get a warm backside and a shower to boot. As I was talking with Kim the Dock Master(Mistress?) as I was docking, I was informed that the tides here have a range of 8.5 to 9 feet, and that this is common on the ICW. It is going to make for some very interesting anchoring in the days ahead.
I couldn't believe it. I got up this morning and hopped around hissing blue breaths. I'm in South Carolina and I am freezing. Somethings wrong here! The farther south you go, the warmer it is supposed to get.
Now it wasn't cold COLD, but cold enough for that I was eventually attired in the "layered look." When I thought to check the temp, it was reading a brisk 47, but the wind was also blowing a good 20 knots and the sun wasn't up yet. Any way you slice it, it was cold! Eventually it did warm up, up to a high around 66 but it dropped just as fast as the the sun. According to the NOAA weather report, and you know they'll get this one right, there is a frost warning down here and the temp is supposed to dip into the 30's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This is not what I had planned for nor is it anything I want. I want sun. I want Heat. I want high humidity.
Actually not a bad day sailing though the different currents and tides play havoc with one's speed. The Savannah River isn't all that wide, but it has a great flow rate and a lot of eddies along the banks especially where the ICW crosses. It doesn't help matters that big container ships are plying up and down the river like semi on I95. One must almost make a made dash across the river to get by, like trying to run across five or six lanes of traffic on foot. Actually, it wasn't that bad, close but not that bad.
South along the ICW from Atlanta is Thunderbolt, Georgia. From the river/ICW it doesn't look a big place but they Thunderbolt Marina, which is HUGE and Hinkley Yacht Services has a yard in Thunderbolt. This really caught my eye. For those of you unfamiliar with Hinkley, automotively think in terms of Ferrari. Hinkley in Thunderbolt is like Ferrari having a dealership in Resume Speed, Oklahoma. It just didn't fit . . . that is until two miles down from Thunderbolt, I passed the Savannah Yacht Club. It is bigger than most of the marinas I have seen on this trip! The has a boat hauling facility most marinas would give their eye teeth for and it is grand in every conceivable way. I would love to have reciprocating privileges with that spot.
Considering the next available diesel was 90 miles down the ICW, I stopped at Isle of Hope Marina in lovely Isle of Hope, Georgia and decided to spend the night. The fact that it is going down into the 30's means trouble in the morning, if you don't have a heated toilet seat on your yacht. Sadly, it is one of the things on my projects list that I just never quite got around to taking care of before the start of the trip. Who knew it would be needed. But this way, I get a warm backside and a shower to boot. As I was talking with Kim the Dock Master(Mistress?) as I was docking, I was informed that the tides here have a range of 8.5 to 9 feet, and that this is common on the ICW. It is going to make for some very interesting anchoring in the days ahead.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Georgia's On My Mind!
SHIP'S LOG:
Sorry about missing yesterday but it was Thanksgiving and I did a "little too much" thanking and was in no mood or shape to blog.
Thursday - Nvember 25th
I left the BYSC in Beaufort about 9:05 am. I had been moored to an inside position on their docks and there was a heck of a current coming up the Beaufort River. If you every wondered why they call the padding on docks bumpers, well I can tell you. Despite a well thought out and planned departure, I hit two of them on the way away from the dock. No damage to the dock or ABISHAG, just a serious loss of "Harbor Face." And wouldn't you know it, on Thanksgiving morning, a time you would think such a place would be deserted, a lovely lady decided to come come and sit on the dock and do emails on her Blackberry or some similar device. She promised that she didn't see a thing. Thanks goodness for "Southern Hospitality and tact!"
I had to pass by Parris, as in the Island and not the City in France. It is a boot camp for the making of new US Marines. There was not a soul to be seen nor any yelling to be heard. I doubt they had the day off, rather they were out of screaming range. Strange, it doesn't look like "hell on earth" but then looks can be deceiving . . . ask any former Marine who trained there.
Crossed Port Royal Sound. It was a short sail, about 3 miles or so but it was made spectacular by the dolphins riding the bow wave. I have never experienced that before. I'm cruising along when I get intercepted by a couple of dolphins who just rode the bow wave. Hows they could get so close and not hit the boat or get hit by it is amazing. Several times, when I have been anchor, I could hear one surface, take a breath and disappear. The first few times, I didn't know what it was, but I learned. They show up in odd places and times. You just never know when or where. I could watch them all day.
I headed down Calibogue Sound that passes by Hilton Head. Some incredible dwelling on the water's edge but nothiong I am sure to those inland by the golf courses. Calibogue gave me a whole knot+ of speed and I got to Broad Creek and headed up it to anchor right off Hilton Head. Unfortunately, when I got to the spot recommended by Skipper Bob, moorings had been set by the locals and there just wasn't space to anchor. Thank goodness for that extra knot of speed, because I had to go three miles down Broad Creek, cross Calibogue Sound and head down Defuskey Creek to get to my next spot, five miles away in New River. I got there about 4pm and dropped the hook and had Thanksgiving Dinner, sort of. I have a lot to be thankful for on this trip including the trip itself, so it was a good day.
November 26th Friday
Last night, and again when I got up this morning, the NOAA Weather said, high winds, gusting to 30 and heavy rain (70% chance). Of course, I awoke to blue, cloudless skies and not a breath of wind. But something made me trust this forecast. BY 10:30, the winds were howling and by 1:30pm, the rain showed up. Basically, NOAA got this one right on the money. IT was a good move to stay put. Now the winds have died and the rain too, except for an occasional misting. The next few days are supposed to be clear but cooler. Hey, I'm five miles from Georgia and the ICW through Georgia is 138 miles. In about a week, if all goes well, I am in "The Sunshine State!"
Sorry about missing yesterday but it was Thanksgiving and I did a "little too much" thanking and was in no mood or shape to blog.
Thursday - Nvember 25th
I left the BYSC in Beaufort about 9:05 am. I had been moored to an inside position on their docks and there was a heck of a current coming up the Beaufort River. If you every wondered why they call the padding on docks bumpers, well I can tell you. Despite a well thought out and planned departure, I hit two of them on the way away from the dock. No damage to the dock or ABISHAG, just a serious loss of "Harbor Face." And wouldn't you know it, on Thanksgiving morning, a time you would think such a place would be deserted, a lovely lady decided to come come and sit on the dock and do emails on her Blackberry or some similar device. She promised that she didn't see a thing. Thanks goodness for "Southern Hospitality and tact!"
I had to pass by Parris, as in the Island and not the City in France. It is a boot camp for the making of new US Marines. There was not a soul to be seen nor any yelling to be heard. I doubt they had the day off, rather they were out of screaming range. Strange, it doesn't look like "hell on earth" but then looks can be deceiving . . . ask any former Marine who trained there.
Crossed Port Royal Sound. It was a short sail, about 3 miles or so but it was made spectacular by the dolphins riding the bow wave. I have never experienced that before. I'm cruising along when I get intercepted by a couple of dolphins who just rode the bow wave. Hows they could get so close and not hit the boat or get hit by it is amazing. Several times, when I have been anchor, I could hear one surface, take a breath and disappear. The first few times, I didn't know what it was, but I learned. They show up in odd places and times. You just never know when or where. I could watch them all day.
I headed down Calibogue Sound that passes by Hilton Head. Some incredible dwelling on the water's edge but nothiong I am sure to those inland by the golf courses. Calibogue gave me a whole knot+ of speed and I got to Broad Creek and headed up it to anchor right off Hilton Head. Unfortunately, when I got to the spot recommended by Skipper Bob, moorings had been set by the locals and there just wasn't space to anchor. Thank goodness for that extra knot of speed, because I had to go three miles down Broad Creek, cross Calibogue Sound and head down Defuskey Creek to get to my next spot, five miles away in New River. I got there about 4pm and dropped the hook and had Thanksgiving Dinner, sort of. I have a lot to be thankful for on this trip including the trip itself, so it was a good day.
November 26th Friday
Last night, and again when I got up this morning, the NOAA Weather said, high winds, gusting to 30 and heavy rain (70% chance). Of course, I awoke to blue, cloudless skies and not a breath of wind. But something made me trust this forecast. BY 10:30, the winds were howling and by 1:30pm, the rain showed up. Basically, NOAA got this one right on the money. IT was a good move to stay put. Now the winds have died and the rain too, except for an occasional misting. The next few days are supposed to be clear but cooler. Hey, I'm five miles from Georgia and the ICW through Georgia is 138 miles. In about a week, if all goes well, I am in "The Sunshine State!"
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
DINGHY ALL BETTER ! ! ! ! ! !
SHIP'S LOG:
Well, after almost 2months the dinghy is once again whole. David "Dr. Fix-IT" Dixon has apparently worked his magic again and restored my dinghy to operational readiness. He even replaced the separation strut on the davits. The man did a fantastic job and it will be a great thing not to be "stuck" aboard all the time.
Tomorrow being Thanksgiving Day, I am naturally head off down stream on the ICW tolling for a dinner invite. If one doesn't come that will be fine but it would be a nice thing to share a meal. I will be heading to the other side of Hilton Head, hopefully to a place called Broad Creek(they have a lot of them down here) to an anchorage of Possum Point! I have several other spots to use if need be but I think it will be there.
It has been interesting being "ashore" for the last couple of days. I actually sat in a little sun house at the end of the BYSC Dock and did a whole bunch of emails and Internet stuff today. It was great . . .and so still! But I also miss moving, getting on to the next spot wherever it may be. I've evidently developed the nautical version of an itchy foot or a travelin' jones.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be sure to eat much too much and drive carefully!
Well, after almost 2months the dinghy is once again whole. David "Dr. Fix-IT" Dixon has apparently worked his magic again and restored my dinghy to operational readiness. He even replaced the separation strut on the davits. The man did a fantastic job and it will be a great thing not to be "stuck" aboard all the time.
Tomorrow being Thanksgiving Day, I am naturally head off down stream on the ICW tolling for a dinner invite. If one doesn't come that will be fine but it would be a nice thing to share a meal. I will be heading to the other side of Hilton Head, hopefully to a place called Broad Creek(they have a lot of them down here) to an anchorage of Possum Point! I have several other spots to use if need be but I think it will be there.
It has been interesting being "ashore" for the last couple of days. I actually sat in a little sun house at the end of the BYSC Dock and did a whole bunch of emails and Internet stuff today. It was great . . .and so still! But I also miss moving, getting on to the next spot wherever it may be. I've evidently developed the nautical version of an itchy foot or a travelin' jones.
I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving. Be sure to eat much too much and drive carefully!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Beaufort Yacht & Sailing Club
SHIP'S LOG:
Sorry about the gap, then again tin cans & string!!!!!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2010 - The night at Church Creek was uneventful, a nice quiet night. It was one of those really "silent places" than seem to be everywhere off the beaten track down here. They are wonderful and scary at the same time. I was joined by another sailboat but again, it anchored 100yards away. Either they were very concerned with respecting my privacy or perhaps not being able to shower every day is having a down-wind adverse effect!!!! (His, not mine!!!)
I got a call from Bob Cullen's Friend, the "Outrageous" Guy Mc Sweeney. I can wait to meet this guy, no pun intended. Talking to him on the phone, I have formed a mental picture of him: tall, thin, a shock of white hair and a white mustache. It will very interesting to see how close I come to the real thing.
Leaving Church Creek and continuing down the ICW, I was passed by :Twins Spirits." It took me a moment to figure out why the name struck me and then I remembered that Tom & Shelia were at Pleasure Cover Marina back up in Bodkin Creek south of Baltimore. I had given them the "10 Rules for Traveling the ICW" and I asked them if they had been helpful. They were loud in their praises . . . . having only once gone aground! They're doing better than me! Being that they were in a trawler, they soon "left med in the dust" but it was great to see someone at last that I "knew" on the journey. I got a call for them later about a tricky spot past the Dawhoo River Bridge. And I am glad that they sent it.
AS I mentioned before, the ICW is not one long canal. Basically it is small canals and channels that connect rivers, bays & lagoons. The canals themselves have no current or tides save what the rivers, bays and lagoons on either end provide. In some case, most actually, the entrances and exits to the canals are the really "exciting parts" as the currents and tides fight against each other and produce some rather turbulent waters. When I hit the mouth of the canal that connected to the Dawhoo River, the down stream current sent me sideways. Then motoring upstream, I couldn't do more than 4.5 knots. The really fun part was finding the deep water. The river was rather twisty and so the shoaling parts shifted from side to side before and after turns. One of "The 10 Rules" is that "crabpots rule." Local fishermen set their crabpots along the edge of the channel between the shallow water and the deep water. Sometime,increasingly more as I get further south, that edge is encroaching on the ICW channel The US Army Core of Engineers in this area doesn't have the funds necessary to do the dredging necessary and so you are engaged in a constant search to stay in "deep water." Following the lines of crabpots, often in conflict with the "official Markers" is the best way to stay in the deep water. I have seen several boat cross those lines and get stuck, including one today on this stretch. A wing bridge on the Dawhoo River has been replaced by a nice, new, tall bridge with the ICW 65 foot clearance but just beyond it was the spot that Tome & Shelia warned me about. The passage under the bridge was 20 feet of deep water. A little over 100 yards beyond the bridge were to channel markers a good 100 feet apart. Tom warned me to stay right, far right, right up against the shore for the middle, where you would expect the channel to be deep was not. As I got there , I could see the surface of the water "rustling", all disturbed like a school of fish were feeding. It didn't make sense but the depth sounder kept decreasing and so I moved right, far right. Along the bank, which I could have reached out and touched I had 23 feet of water. Tom said that when he had tried the center, hit got readings of 6 feet!!! before he moved right. I got through it OK but it has made me even more the "slave to the depth sounder."
By early afternoon, I had made it to the Edisto River - pronounced "ED -isto."Actually, it was the South Edisto River, and followed it south. I came to a wide spot in a turn that was something like a small bay and anchored there for the night. There wasn't much in way of spots to anchor between there an Beaufort and it was a good spot. All day long the wind hadn't risen above 5knots, but once the hook was down it went up to 20-25 in a heart beat. It cranked like that until about 5pm when, with the approaching sunset, it calmed down to nothing. Three other boats also came in to anchor and again, a 100 yards of separation was the rule. I called Guy McSweeney and told him that I would be in Beaufort on the morrow and he said that a friend of his at their yacht club, David Dixon, was a miracle worker at fixing things and would take a crack at the dinghy. The weather is to continue in the 70's though the winds would be light and David will fix my dinghy. All is right with the world!
November 22, 2010 - Monday
I wasn't in a rush to get started today as Beaufort is only 20 miles away. Guy called in the morning and said David was eager to get his hands on the dinghy. He also said that he would explain why "Beaufort" is pronounced "BUU-ferd" in South Carolina and "BO - Fort" in North Carolina and why the South Carolina pronunciation is the correct one. I can't wait to hear that.
The three other sailboats were anchors up and gone before I had my morning coffee . . . again! I hope they get safely to wherever it is that they are going. I found out, after I had started, that the Lady's Island Bridge in downtown Beaufort opens on the hour only and not, as the cruising guides say, on the hour, half hour and/or upon request. I had to push it a little as I got out of one of the canals as the river I hit mas moving against me. Once I got into a place called "Watt's Cut, that changed about half way through as the river on the other side of the cut started pulling me through with a heck of a push. It was a tug of war between the Whapoo River and the Ashepoo River. I am not sure who won, but as I approached Beaufort, I was doing 7.8 knots and I was at idle speed setting on the throttle.. I got to the Lady's Island Bridge in time for the 2pm opening and cruised into downtown Beaufort. from the water, it is a small town but beautiful, the image of what you think of when you think of a Southern Town. I got a call from Guy as I passed through town saying he could see my boat and that I should head for the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club which turned out to be across the river from his house. By the time I got there, He was on the dock to handle the lines. I am not very good at docking, but have had a lot of practice during this trip and made a successful landing. In other words, I didn't sicken the dock or Guy. I hate to say it, but my mental image of Guy - tall, thin, white hair, whit mustache, couldn't have been more wrong. Think in terms of a "semi-tall Truman Copte." Guy greets me like a long lost friend and we hauled the dinghy to the workshop they have at the BYSC. Dave showed up within minutes and went to work. Dave is a British ex-pat who has been in the States for 30 years plus. An engineer by trade, he loves to fix things. Finding something that needs fixing and finding a way to do it seems to be the greatest enjoyment in life for him. He did things to prepare and fix the dinghy that the people I talked to at the various companies I called, and even the surveyors I talked to, would never have thought of. Meticulous in his approach, he set the patch with the adhesive, and it looked "right" even as it just sat there. He also looked at "ABISHAG . . . I think he liked that it was an "English Boat" . . . and suggested a new separator bar for the davitts . . . that he would fabricate and set in place, along with some padding to keep the dinghy off the boarding ladder. When there was nothing more to fix, he left! Quite a guy.
Speaking of Guy, he took of and came back about 6pm "to put some real southern cooking into that empty Yankee belly of yours." He took me to his home that was beautiful beyond description. Guy and his wife, Mimi, built it 25 years ago but it looks completely Antebellum. The inside was incredibly decorated. It was straight out of "Southern Living" meets "House Beautiful."The first of his children was there, Along with her husband and one of their daughters. The rest would be showing up of the next 24 hours for the big family Thanksgiving celebration. The dinner was true dinning, not feeding. Everything was slow and measured and wonderful. I hated to leave but had to get back as at 10pm it was way past my bedtime. I was driven back to the boat and slept the sleep of the just, too tired to even blog.
November 23, 2010 - Tuesday
A long slow morning. I laid out the course for the next day or whenever it is time to go. The effectiveness of Dave's handiwork will determine that. Beau, the manager of the BYSC came by, showed me where the showers were, and said that if i need to do laundry, well he and his wife live on the club's ground . . . yes, they have a lot of grounds, and I could do it in their home. That was too more than gracious so I will wait until the next marina. I got a call from Guy and he picked me up at 1pm. I sent off the Charleston City Marina Bathroom Key from the local post office and Guy gave me a tour of Beaufort. It is a beautiful little town. It is Charleston with everything modern removed. Most of the streets are original and so narrow that they are only one way. The home are beautiful beyond telling. You go down what appears to be an alley and it is lined with the marvelous antebellum homes in what can only be described as perfect settings. If Charleston was wonderful Beaufort is spectacular. If you picture in your mind the perfect small southern town, this is it! There are probably not more than 8,000-10,000 people in the town and Guy knows everyone of them. Getting the tour, we stopped constantly to say "Hi" to seemingly everyone we passed. I can't begin to say what a wonderful host the man is. After a wonderful personalized, story-filled tour, I did my shopping at "Piggly-Wiggly" and Guy took me back to the BYSC. It was hard to say "Goodbye" to him. He became a friend, a good friend in less than 24 hours. I can really understand why Bobby Cullen speaks so highly of him.
If the patch doesn't take, I may be "stuck " here another day. Right now, I am at the dock waiting for Dave so that we can put the "strut" on the davitts and test the patch. Beau, the club manager, gave me a key to the place and said to stay as long as I wanted. I have access to the bar and the color TV, but if the patch holds an d the strut fits, it is time to move on.
Oh yes, "Beaufort " and "Beaufort." well, according to Guy, the correct pronnunciation is "Bue- ferd". It is after all a French name, and besides, would you want to be "bu-tiful" or "bo-tiful?"
Sorry about the gap, then again tin cans & string!!!!!
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2010 - The night at Church Creek was uneventful, a nice quiet night. It was one of those really "silent places" than seem to be everywhere off the beaten track down here. They are wonderful and scary at the same time. I was joined by another sailboat but again, it anchored 100yards away. Either they were very concerned with respecting my privacy or perhaps not being able to shower every day is having a down-wind adverse effect!!!! (His, not mine!!!)
I got a call from Bob Cullen's Friend, the "Outrageous" Guy Mc Sweeney. I can wait to meet this guy, no pun intended. Talking to him on the phone, I have formed a mental picture of him: tall, thin, a shock of white hair and a white mustache. It will very interesting to see how close I come to the real thing.
Leaving Church Creek and continuing down the ICW, I was passed by :Twins Spirits." It took me a moment to figure out why the name struck me and then I remembered that Tom & Shelia were at Pleasure Cover Marina back up in Bodkin Creek south of Baltimore. I had given them the "10 Rules for Traveling the ICW" and I asked them if they had been helpful. They were loud in their praises . . . . having only once gone aground! They're doing better than me! Being that they were in a trawler, they soon "left med in the dust" but it was great to see someone at last that I "knew" on the journey. I got a call for them later about a tricky spot past the Dawhoo River Bridge. And I am glad that they sent it.
AS I mentioned before, the ICW is not one long canal. Basically it is small canals and channels that connect rivers, bays & lagoons. The canals themselves have no current or tides save what the rivers, bays and lagoons on either end provide. In some case, most actually, the entrances and exits to the canals are the really "exciting parts" as the currents and tides fight against each other and produce some rather turbulent waters. When I hit the mouth of the canal that connected to the Dawhoo River, the down stream current sent me sideways. Then motoring upstream, I couldn't do more than 4.5 knots. The really fun part was finding the deep water. The river was rather twisty and so the shoaling parts shifted from side to side before and after turns. One of "The 10 Rules" is that "crabpots rule." Local fishermen set their crabpots along the edge of the channel between the shallow water and the deep water. Sometime,increasingly more as I get further south, that edge is encroaching on the ICW channel The US Army Core of Engineers in this area doesn't have the funds necessary to do the dredging necessary and so you are engaged in a constant search to stay in "deep water." Following the lines of crabpots, often in conflict with the "official Markers" is the best way to stay in the deep water. I have seen several boat cross those lines and get stuck, including one today on this stretch. A wing bridge on the Dawhoo River has been replaced by a nice, new, tall bridge with the ICW 65 foot clearance but just beyond it was the spot that Tome & Shelia warned me about. The passage under the bridge was 20 feet of deep water. A little over 100 yards beyond the bridge were to channel markers a good 100 feet apart. Tom warned me to stay right, far right, right up against the shore for the middle, where you would expect the channel to be deep was not. As I got there , I could see the surface of the water "rustling", all disturbed like a school of fish were feeding. It didn't make sense but the depth sounder kept decreasing and so I moved right, far right. Along the bank, which I could have reached out and touched I had 23 feet of water. Tom said that when he had tried the center, hit got readings of 6 feet!!! before he moved right. I got through it OK but it has made me even more the "slave to the depth sounder."
By early afternoon, I had made it to the Edisto River - pronounced "ED -isto."Actually, it was the South Edisto River, and followed it south. I came to a wide spot in a turn that was something like a small bay and anchored there for the night. There wasn't much in way of spots to anchor between there an Beaufort and it was a good spot. All day long the wind hadn't risen above 5knots, but once the hook was down it went up to 20-25 in a heart beat. It cranked like that until about 5pm when, with the approaching sunset, it calmed down to nothing. Three other boats also came in to anchor and again, a 100 yards of separation was the rule. I called Guy McSweeney and told him that I would be in Beaufort on the morrow and he said that a friend of his at their yacht club, David Dixon, was a miracle worker at fixing things and would take a crack at the dinghy. The weather is to continue in the 70's though the winds would be light and David will fix my dinghy. All is right with the world!
November 22, 2010 - Monday
I wasn't in a rush to get started today as Beaufort is only 20 miles away. Guy called in the morning and said David was eager to get his hands on the dinghy. He also said that he would explain why "Beaufort" is pronounced "BUU-ferd" in South Carolina and "BO - Fort" in North Carolina and why the South Carolina pronunciation is the correct one. I can't wait to hear that.
The three other sailboats were anchors up and gone before I had my morning coffee . . . again! I hope they get safely to wherever it is that they are going. I found out, after I had started, that the Lady's Island Bridge in downtown Beaufort opens on the hour only and not, as the cruising guides say, on the hour, half hour and/or upon request. I had to push it a little as I got out of one of the canals as the river I hit mas moving against me. Once I got into a place called "Watt's Cut, that changed about half way through as the river on the other side of the cut started pulling me through with a heck of a push. It was a tug of war between the Whapoo River and the Ashepoo River. I am not sure who won, but as I approached Beaufort, I was doing 7.8 knots and I was at idle speed setting on the throttle.. I got to the Lady's Island Bridge in time for the 2pm opening and cruised into downtown Beaufort. from the water, it is a small town but beautiful, the image of what you think of when you think of a Southern Town. I got a call from Guy as I passed through town saying he could see my boat and that I should head for the Beaufort Yacht and Sailing Club which turned out to be across the river from his house. By the time I got there, He was on the dock to handle the lines. I am not very good at docking, but have had a lot of practice during this trip and made a successful landing. In other words, I didn't sicken the dock or Guy. I hate to say it, but my mental image of Guy - tall, thin, white hair, whit mustache, couldn't have been more wrong. Think in terms of a "semi-tall Truman Copte." Guy greets me like a long lost friend and we hauled the dinghy to the workshop they have at the BYSC. Dave showed up within minutes and went to work. Dave is a British ex-pat who has been in the States for 30 years plus. An engineer by trade, he loves to fix things. Finding something that needs fixing and finding a way to do it seems to be the greatest enjoyment in life for him. He did things to prepare and fix the dinghy that the people I talked to at the various companies I called, and even the surveyors I talked to, would never have thought of. Meticulous in his approach, he set the patch with the adhesive, and it looked "right" even as it just sat there. He also looked at "ABISHAG . . . I think he liked that it was an "English Boat" . . . and suggested a new separator bar for the davitts . . . that he would fabricate and set in place, along with some padding to keep the dinghy off the boarding ladder. When there was nothing more to fix, he left! Quite a guy.
Speaking of Guy, he took of and came back about 6pm "to put some real southern cooking into that empty Yankee belly of yours." He took me to his home that was beautiful beyond description. Guy and his wife, Mimi, built it 25 years ago but it looks completely Antebellum. The inside was incredibly decorated. It was straight out of "Southern Living" meets "House Beautiful."The first of his children was there, Along with her husband and one of their daughters. The rest would be showing up of the next 24 hours for the big family Thanksgiving celebration. The dinner was true dinning, not feeding. Everything was slow and measured and wonderful. I hated to leave but had to get back as at 10pm it was way past my bedtime. I was driven back to the boat and slept the sleep of the just, too tired to even blog.
November 23, 2010 - Tuesday
A long slow morning. I laid out the course for the next day or whenever it is time to go. The effectiveness of Dave's handiwork will determine that. Beau, the manager of the BYSC came by, showed me where the showers were, and said that if i need to do laundry, well he and his wife live on the club's ground . . . yes, they have a lot of grounds, and I could do it in their home. That was too more than gracious so I will wait until the next marina. I got a call from Guy and he picked me up at 1pm. I sent off the Charleston City Marina Bathroom Key from the local post office and Guy gave me a tour of Beaufort. It is a beautiful little town. It is Charleston with everything modern removed. Most of the streets are original and so narrow that they are only one way. The home are beautiful beyond telling. You go down what appears to be an alley and it is lined with the marvelous antebellum homes in what can only be described as perfect settings. If Charleston was wonderful Beaufort is spectacular. If you picture in your mind the perfect small southern town, this is it! There are probably not more than 8,000-10,000 people in the town and Guy knows everyone of them. Getting the tour, we stopped constantly to say "Hi" to seemingly everyone we passed. I can't begin to say what a wonderful host the man is. After a wonderful personalized, story-filled tour, I did my shopping at "Piggly-Wiggly" and Guy took me back to the BYSC. It was hard to say "Goodbye" to him. He became a friend, a good friend in less than 24 hours. I can really understand why Bobby Cullen speaks so highly of him.
If the patch doesn't take, I may be "stuck " here another day. Right now, I am at the dock waiting for Dave so that we can put the "strut" on the davitts and test the patch. Beau, the club manager, gave me a key to the place and said to stay as long as I wanted. I have access to the bar and the color TV, but if the patch holds an d the strut fits, it is time to move on.
Oh yes, "Beaufort " and "Beaufort." well, according to Guy, the correct pronnunciation is "Bue- ferd". It is after all a French name, and besides, would you want to be "bu-tiful" or "bo-tiful?"
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Discrestion Was the Better Part Of Valor
SHIP'S LOG:
According to the tide tables, slack at Elliot's Cut would be at 1:14pm. That meant I had to wait around all morning before making the 3 mile trip to the spot. I took the opportunity to visit fort Sumter. If you haven't been there, you owe it to yourself to go. It is one of those places where you really feel history. You can almost touch it it is so real.
After the visit and a short trip to the market, I got back to ABISHAG and ready her for the days activities. I left the dock about 12:20 and had to waste time getting to the Wappoo Creek Bascule Bridge because I wanted to go through at the 1PM opening so that I would hit Elliot's Cut right on the nose. I quizzed the bridge tender about it and she professed to have no knowledge there even was such a place. As I approached, I realized that I had built it into a great big bogeyman. I mean, how bad could it bee. I went along a straight stretch before making the turn to the cut. As I approached the turn, a 35 foot trawler came the opposite way, made the turn toward me and kept slipping sideways. this was not a good sign. I slowed down to make sure it would be slack water when I got there.
Chuck's description was right on. All cut stone on one side and all rocks on the other, 100 feet wide and maybe 500 yards long. And of course filled with guys in boats fishing. It was slack tide when I entered but I could really see the flushing action Chuck spoke of. Even at slack water, it was costing me a knot to a knot & a half in speed. It was, like he said, trying to sail uphill. I got through without any problems but it was easy to see that if it had been other than slack water, it would have been dangerous to say the least in a boat this size.
The rat of the day was a bit of a push for it took me a while to get through the Cut and I wanted to get to one of the three places I had selected as anchorages: Church Creek, Toogoodoo Creak and Tom's Creek. Having to go up the Sorno River slowed things even more but I was able to make 20 miles and dropped my hook in Church Creek. It wasn't a long day but it was interesting. The weather was beautiful and in the 70's. The Houses along the Cut we really lovely and I would have taken pictures but I was busy at the time. But just a few miles outside of Charleston, it was back into the boondocks again. The marshes showed up again and what houses there were were spread far apart and a long way off the ICW. The water depth is also troubling as it is getting farther and farther away from what the charts read. Thank goodness for depth sounders.
One little interesting sidelight: I got a call from the Charleston City Marina where I stayed last night. Evidently I left without returning the electronic key for the showers and bathroom. They want it back in a week or they will charge me $15 to keep it. If I can find it, it goes into the mail in Beaufort!
According to the tide tables, slack at Elliot's Cut would be at 1:14pm. That meant I had to wait around all morning before making the 3 mile trip to the spot. I took the opportunity to visit fort Sumter. If you haven't been there, you owe it to yourself to go. It is one of those places where you really feel history. You can almost touch it it is so real.
After the visit and a short trip to the market, I got back to ABISHAG and ready her for the days activities. I left the dock about 12:20 and had to waste time getting to the Wappoo Creek Bascule Bridge because I wanted to go through at the 1PM opening so that I would hit Elliot's Cut right on the nose. I quizzed the bridge tender about it and she professed to have no knowledge there even was such a place. As I approached, I realized that I had built it into a great big bogeyman. I mean, how bad could it bee. I went along a straight stretch before making the turn to the cut. As I approached the turn, a 35 foot trawler came the opposite way, made the turn toward me and kept slipping sideways. this was not a good sign. I slowed down to make sure it would be slack water when I got there.
Chuck's description was right on. All cut stone on one side and all rocks on the other, 100 feet wide and maybe 500 yards long. And of course filled with guys in boats fishing. It was slack tide when I entered but I could really see the flushing action Chuck spoke of. Even at slack water, it was costing me a knot to a knot & a half in speed. It was, like he said, trying to sail uphill. I got through without any problems but it was easy to see that if it had been other than slack water, it would have been dangerous to say the least in a boat this size.
The rat of the day was a bit of a push for it took me a while to get through the Cut and I wanted to get to one of the three places I had selected as anchorages: Church Creek, Toogoodoo Creak and Tom's Creek. Having to go up the Sorno River slowed things even more but I was able to make 20 miles and dropped my hook in Church Creek. It wasn't a long day but it was interesting. The weather was beautiful and in the 70's. The Houses along the Cut we really lovely and I would have taken pictures but I was busy at the time. But just a few miles outside of Charleston, it was back into the boondocks again. The marshes showed up again and what houses there were were spread far apart and a long way off the ICW. The water depth is also troubling as it is getting farther and farther away from what the charts read. Thank goodness for depth sounders.
One little interesting sidelight: I got a call from the Charleston City Marina where I stayed last night. Evidently I left without returning the electronic key for the showers and bathroom. They want it back in a week or they will charge me $15 to keep it. If I can find it, it goes into the mail in Beaufort!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Discretion Is The Better Part Of Valor!!!!
SHIP'S LOG:
I got a call last night from Chuck Estell who has made the trip on the ICW, up & down, a dozen times. He warned me that I was headed to the most dangerous spot on the ICW, Elliot's Cut. It is just beyond Charleston. It is dangerous because it is a narrow cut through a rock face and beyond it two rivers merge and flush through it into Charleston Harbor. Unless you go through a slack tide, you will be battling a 4-5 knot current in a narrow cut with no margin for error. He told some hair raising stories of his experiences, enough so that I was going through at slack or not at all. Discretion is the better part of valor.
I left Whiteside Creek, after going up the mast to check out the marsh it's in. It stretches for miles. The marsh grass is about 5 feet high and from the cockpit you can't really see anything. Sort of like being in the movie, "The African Queen."
Back out on the ICW, I found that this stretch bears little resemblance to the Magenta Line on the charts. The depth of the water goes from 20 feet to 14 feet to nothing in a hurry. You would think that this close to a major city, they would do a little more dredging but such is evidently not the case. Passing by Isle of Palms I was looking for a marina to fuel up and pump out but the two there were set inside the Isle of Palms, off the ICW and the entrances to both were narrow and shallow. Call me chicken but I have seen enough of Towboat/US as I am sure they have of me.
Approaching the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge, just outside of Charleston Harbor the water was still shallow. I only draw 5 1/2 feet but I get nervous whenever the depth approaches single digits. But no grounds, not even a kiss and I was under the bridge, after it swung open, and into the Harbor with the city to starboard and Fort Sumter to port. when you look at the fort, you can see that it must have provide the city with wonderful protection. But it is so close the the land on either side that at the start of the Civil War, it was a real trap. Just passing by it gave me a thrill and a chill. This was a place of real history and it was amazing to see it at last.
Charleston Harbor is good size and has a heck of a current running through it at tide. It was rather choppy as well and it really cut down the speed even further. Needless to say, I wasn't going to make slack at Elliot's Cut today. I headed up Wappoo Creek that leads to the cut to an anchorage that was suggested. However, I found that it was really exposed to the current and to the passing boats. All of the guides recommend that you use two anchors. I have enough trouble with one and I had no desire to repeat the Thoroughfare Creek incident either. There is some anchoring in the Ashley River but the holding is poor. It left me with no option but to dock for the night. I got to pump out and fuel up and got to see a little of Charleston while I was at it. It is really quite a beautiful city, especially the older section along the water front. With slack being 13:14 at the Wappoo Bridge 2 miles before Elliot's Cut, I have time tomorrow to get to Fort Sumter, do a little shopping and be there in time to make it through the cut unscathed. The weather for the next few days will be in the 70's and clear and if my timing is right, I will be on my way toward Beaufort (pronounced BUU - Ferd) and hopefully a chance to haul and fix my dinghy. Tomorrow's choices for anchorages are Church Creek, Toogoodoo Creek and Tom's Creek. Talk about being up a creek . . . . . .
I got a call last night from Chuck Estell who has made the trip on the ICW, up & down, a dozen times. He warned me that I was headed to the most dangerous spot on the ICW, Elliot's Cut. It is just beyond Charleston. It is dangerous because it is a narrow cut through a rock face and beyond it two rivers merge and flush through it into Charleston Harbor. Unless you go through a slack tide, you will be battling a 4-5 knot current in a narrow cut with no margin for error. He told some hair raising stories of his experiences, enough so that I was going through at slack or not at all. Discretion is the better part of valor.
I left Whiteside Creek, after going up the mast to check out the marsh it's in. It stretches for miles. The marsh grass is about 5 feet high and from the cockpit you can't really see anything. Sort of like being in the movie, "The African Queen."
Back out on the ICW, I found that this stretch bears little resemblance to the Magenta Line on the charts. The depth of the water goes from 20 feet to 14 feet to nothing in a hurry. You would think that this close to a major city, they would do a little more dredging but such is evidently not the case. Passing by Isle of Palms I was looking for a marina to fuel up and pump out but the two there were set inside the Isle of Palms, off the ICW and the entrances to both were narrow and shallow. Call me chicken but I have seen enough of Towboat/US as I am sure they have of me.
Approaching the Ben Sawyer Memorial Bridge, just outside of Charleston Harbor the water was still shallow. I only draw 5 1/2 feet but I get nervous whenever the depth approaches single digits. But no grounds, not even a kiss and I was under the bridge, after it swung open, and into the Harbor with the city to starboard and Fort Sumter to port. when you look at the fort, you can see that it must have provide the city with wonderful protection. But it is so close the the land on either side that at the start of the Civil War, it was a real trap. Just passing by it gave me a thrill and a chill. This was a place of real history and it was amazing to see it at last.
Charleston Harbor is good size and has a heck of a current running through it at tide. It was rather choppy as well and it really cut down the speed even further. Needless to say, I wasn't going to make slack at Elliot's Cut today. I headed up Wappoo Creek that leads to the cut to an anchorage that was suggested. However, I found that it was really exposed to the current and to the passing boats. All of the guides recommend that you use two anchors. I have enough trouble with one and I had no desire to repeat the Thoroughfare Creek incident either. There is some anchoring in the Ashley River but the holding is poor. It left me with no option but to dock for the night. I got to pump out and fuel up and got to see a little of Charleston while I was at it. It is really quite a beautiful city, especially the older section along the water front. With slack being 13:14 at the Wappoo Bridge 2 miles before Elliot's Cut, I have time tomorrow to get to Fort Sumter, do a little shopping and be there in time to make it through the cut unscathed. The weather for the next few days will be in the 70's and clear and if my timing is right, I will be on my way toward Beaufort (pronounced BUU - Ferd) and hopefully a chance to haul and fix my dinghy. Tomorrow's choices for anchorages are Church Creek, Toogoodoo Creek and Tom's Creek. Talk about being up a creek . . . . . .
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