Now in Georgia!

Just a quick update and some pictures.

It seems that the slower the boat moves, the less time we have.

Passing Battery Point in Charleston, South Carolina.

On Sunday afternoon we arrived at Brunswick Landing Marina in Brunswick, Georgia.  Very nice facility with an excellent staff.  And a good number of boats either waiting to move South or here for the duration for one reason or another.  Mostly experienced Cruisers.

Our last few days in the ICW were a bit sketchy.  We were in the south of South Carolina and moving deeper into the hinterlands of the ICW.  Georgia is known for have the least maintained section with radical depth changes.  Plenty of shoaling, not helped any by the tides running up to nine feet.  Sounds like Maine tides, but there, the tides roll over rock and don’t push sand around.

Where's the water?

On Wednesday, we came across two power boats and a sailboat at Isle of Palms, hard aground.  It was dead low tide in Hamlin Creek and only 9:15, so we decided to do the prudent thing and anchored quickly in 10 feet of water to wait for some room to float by.  Once the power boats floated away, at about 9:45, we eased our way through with as little as 6.1 feet showing on our depth meter.

Plenty of beautiful spots, though.

Thursday was a short day for us to Beaufort, South Carolina where we tied up at the Downtown Marina for a day at ease.  

That's B-you-fert!  Not, Bow-fert.

A great walking tour of the Town took us to the National Cemetery,…

The National Cemetery established in 1864.

Contains soldiers from both sides of the Civil War.

This is the New Hampshire Veterans section.

the historic Episcopal Church,...

Historic Episcopal Church,...

… and Cemetery.

 plenty of great, Old Southern homes and the house made famous in the movie The Big Chill. 

The Big Chill.  Filmed here.

Dinner at the Old Bull Tavern was itself well worth the visit.

Candy Canes are out in Beaufort!

Hello, Tabby!!

Friday we were off the dock by 8:35 and hard aground at 1:00.  Fields Cut in the Wright River near Jones Island, South Carolina.  Just a mere 2 ½ miles North of the Savannah River.  We had heard two boats aground all morning; talking to TowBoat US and kibitzing with each other about their mutual dilemma.  By the time we arrived, one was free and gone.  The other was way out of the channel and not happy.  About two miles further on the TowBoat US sped past us on their way to the remaining powerboat’s salvation.  Minutes later, in the middle of the channel, we dropped from depths of 12 to 6 to 5 to 4.  Full stop.  Having no response to our radio hailing of the TowBoat US captain that just passed us (we knew he was probably busy), I plugged our boat and membership info into my Boat US iPhone App and hit the Call button.  Instantly connected.  The operator had our latitude and longitude called up on his screen.  He contacted our nearby Tow captain and within 10 minutes our Tow was at the scene.  A quick pull and instructions to hug the left side of the creek and we were on our way.  A bit wiser to the tidal vagaries.

We anchored at Isle of Hope, Georgia  and the next morning departed at first light at 7:05 knowing that we were just twenty minutes off high tide and needed all the water we could get South of the Savannah River.  We followed the same process on Sunday.  Both days we saw 12 and 10 foot depths at high tide, where the chart indicated those depths were to be expected only at low tide.  We saw plenty of 8s and 7s and 6s, as well.  Clearly, there were seasonal tidal issues being confronted.  Likely, all the water was being sucked up to New England for their anticipated Nor’Easter. 

Worse than the depths though, we spent these days either being pushed at 8.5 to 9.2 knots by a fast moving current, or turning a bend into a different creek and being slowed to 3.8 to 4.8 as we fought the same current moving toward a different drainage.  Very frustrating.

These two States had some timely "shovel-ready" projects,

since at least three expected swing bridges

have been replaced by big, new fixed bridges. 

But now, the rain and wind have gone.  Did I mention that on Saturday we had a 90 minute deluge that could have refloated Noah’s Ark?  Or convinced you to rebuild it.  That was also the day that the wind never dropped below 30 knots.  The Georgia sun is out.  The sky is blue.  We are working though a list of boat chores and work projects.  Eleven days on the ICW from Oriental and its good to be stopped.

Headed to NYC for Christmas (via Delta) and then we’ll be back to continue our Southern migration.  Happy Holidays, all!!

Nothing much to add from the demoted First Mate.  Water depths too ‘wiggy’ for me…Capt was on the wheel non-stop for the last two days while I asked if it had stopped raining yet, or what the wind was, or if he wanted gloves…really helpful stuff!  We’re using up on-board stores for food to be able to start 2014 with fresh long-term storage goods.  This marina is most likely the most ‘like-minded’ professional marina we’ve been in, with very friendly and knowledgeable office staff, lifetime cruisers, boat people who actually move about on their boats from anywhere you can name to places you can’t.  Free world-class laundry facilities, beautiful club house with socials regularly…and we’re right across from a state prison and an old historic downtown turned ghost town thanks to strip-mall boom.  You can certainly see the transition of a country’s economy travelling by water.  We’re eager to see at least two of our kids, and some warmer temperatures promised later this week.  We’re still sleeping with heater on all night and two blankets, not going above for coffee until the sun is well high – 9:30 or so.  For all that, there’s no shoveling, no windshield scraping, no white-knuckles behind a plow.  It’s a good thing!

The Warmth of the Earth!

How the warmth of the Earth can work magic. It's 8:25 AM on Tuesday and the heater has been off for 24 full hours now. Yesterday afternoon the sun was actually out. It was warm. Relatively.  Sunglasses were used.

The TPH Heater, though, ran for 19.75 hours and likely saved our trip, our marriage and our toes. Let's hope we don't need it again for a while.

Keeping the Cockpit warm!

Saturday night was spent at Wrightsville Beach. One of favorite anchorages since we weathered tornados there on our Northbound trip in 2011. Only six other boats at anchor. Uneventful, but good and snug before the nighttime rain.

Coming out of the long Wrightsville Beach channel on Sunday morning we took our first ICW bounce off the bottom as we turned South. We're in the lower Carolinas for sure.

That's Ocean across the skinny dunes

Sunday we met my nemesis. The tug Royal Engineer pushing a barge with a mountain of wood chips. When we first saw her, we thought a tug was towing a house. Then, … a mountain. Turned out to be 2,000 Tons of bark mulch. That's Four Million Pounds! Yikes! It was big.

And, unfortunately, we caught up to it. It was likely going no more than half a knot slower than us. Getting past it was neither easy or pretty. And no help from the tug captain. "Do what ya gotta do", is all he said. We just thanked God that trauma was over…we pulled off to anchor, later, the Royal Engineer glided past farther down the ICW…phew!

The Royal Engineer

Anchored Sunday night just over the South Carolina line. Our third time anchored in Little Creek, SC. A couple of casino boats call the place home. But Las Vegas, it is not. Quiet and pretty though.  I always loved South Carolina anchorages.

Crossing into South Carolina.  Warmer?

Awoke to fog so thick on Monday we could not see the other two boats at anchor, let alone the two red marks leading the way back to the ICW. But, by 9:00 we could see it lifting so we tried to make a go of it. Several swing bridges, the so-called South Carolina Rock Pile (at Nixon Crossroads, of course) and, What?!? my arch-nemesis, the Royal Engineer, again (!).

This time, passing Royal Engineer tested our (or at least, my) patience and fortitude. I lost on both counts. Despite sage local (meaning, on board) advice to stay put behind this behemoth, after slowing down for all of two minutes, I couldn't stand it no more.  I made my move.  Just as I pulled ahead, Tug captain calls over, “Endurance, you better move over or you’ll hit bottom”.  Thud, thud, thud.  We did.  In too close a proximity to the square bow of this barge.  (Read, are you kidding,?  We could get sucked under that thing…this is akin to a moped playing chicken with an 18 wheeler, no joke)  After regaining water (and speed), I went down for a nap.  Exhausted.  Strained.  No longer willing to (or to be allowed to) battle this giant. 

I hate that boat!!

Monday night was spent behind Butler’s Island in the Waccamaw River.  A seemingly deserted stretch of cypress swamps that once was America’s Rice Bowl.  Abandoned rice fields on both sides of the river.  Still alligators, as well (or so Active Captain cruising reports say).  As Tess was preparing dinner and Tony was ‘in the office’, Tess called out with notice that Royal Engineer was passing on the other side of Butler’s …headed on down the way.  Amen, so long, sayonara sucker!

We were expecting the worst weather of the week on Tuesday; surprisingly, it remained warm through the night and into the morning.  Overcast and windy, between 24 and gusting to 36 knots throughout the day.  A squall or two just for show.  Nevertheless, we made good time and except for the junction of the Waccamaw and the Great Pee Dee River at Georgetown, we were well protected (or, protected enough).  With Tony’s personal obsession (on guard for the Royal Engineer at every turn) most confidently (he hoped)  dropping his load at the paper mill in Georgetown, Tony triumphantly announced “it will be a GRAND day…I’m free!”

We passed through the Romein Wildlife Refuge just a buzz with all sorts of wading and shore birds; the Waucamau yesterday was resplendent; the occasional inlets giving us glimpses of the great Atlantic and the breaking waves on shore while we slide past live Oaks dripping in Spanish Moss.  The abandoned rice fields echo our recent trip to Vietnam and Cambodia, as they sigh and wave in the breezes acre after acre.  This part of the ICW is simply lovely…(especially if you’re a golfer).

Beautiful and graceful Egrets.

American White pelicans!

Of course, within a half hour of his “I’m free” pronouncement we hear a hail to the Royal Engineer by a boat wanting to overtake him.  Aaaah, Ahab, we are tortured men!  The ICW is a miracle of engineering and transportation, but it is literally a ditch dug through marshes, sometimes a landcut strewn with stumps and rocks, sometimes fairly straight, often times quite erratic and shoaled in….  so, once we spotted “that mountain, the Royal Engineer”,  Tess took command of the helm and we slowed to a crawl.  There was no way on God’s green and snowy earth we were going to pass him a third time and survive.  We spent an hour at 4 knots or less.  Purposely!  [truthfully, we were little affected by him on any of our days, but like Moby Dick to Ahab, the bastard was deep in the captain’s head!]  At 3:00 PM we pulled into the western branch of Dewees Creek.  Royal Engineer, be gone.  To Charleston. Or to the Devil.  Please don’t be there tomorrow.

Tonight's South Carolina Sunset.

Headed South! Again!!

We'll, we're off again. After a nice Thanksgiving at home, we left Wednesday for Oriental, NC. A long day. Twelve hours from our door to River View Marina (Car-Plane-Plane-Car). While we were exhausted from our last plane trip (48 hours from our hotel in Phnom Penh to opening the door on Gorham Pond Road; Bus-Plane-Plane-Plane-ten hour layover at Heathrow-Plane-Car), on a miles per hour basis, this trip was longer.

Endurance was in good shape though. Power still on. Bilge clear. Batteries charged up. Thursday was a work day. Checking systems. Stowing provisions and gear. Temps in the high 70s.  We actually started the trip by moving to the fuel dock and topping off the fuel tank. That, after spending an hour blowing out the fuel line vent to dislodge a wasp nest. It's always something.  Picture trying to clear your nose by bicycle pump through your navel. And, someone holds the tissue by bending like a pretzel out the living room window to reach the kitchen sink. Picture Tess, thinking this is fun.

River Dunes is a gorgeous place. We'll protected. If it wasn't closing in on mid-December, it would be a great place to spend some time.

Leaving River Dunes at 0744 on Friday, we caught up with s/v Lee Shore, an Island Packet 350 which had anchored out in Broad Creek on Thursday night. We travelled together across the Neuse River in deep, deep fog and into Adams Creek. Fighting wind (20-29 all day) and current, we rarely made more than 5 knots all the way to Morehead City. Thus, we lost two hours on our "easy" day. Lee Shore peeled off at Portside Marina in Morehead City, but we soldiered on toward Swansboro.  Last time heading south we stopped at the same place, anchoring during & after sunset, & Tony almost lost a thumb in the anchor rode. This was better, no injuries and plenty of light, but I'm thinking it's not MY favorite spot!

With opposing wind and current, we dropped the anchor and 100 feet of chain. Immediately the chain was under the boat and the anchor well behind us. After some twenty minutes of maneuvering on it, we were able to back down and confirm our security for the night. Sunset at 4:30. In bed by 7:30. But it stayed warm and we held like a rock all night.

Off the hook today at 0722 for another "easy" day to Wrightsville Beach.  The early morning fog blew away quickly. Easy to do with our regular 20-29 knots of wind. Again, we fought current at 5 knots or blew by at 8, depending on which side of each inlet we were on. Not much traffic. M/Y Small World out of Falmouth, Maine left her dock at Casper's in Swansboro after us, but passed quickly. We caught her at the Onslow Swing Bridge. But she made the 11:00 opening at the Surf City Bridge. We were ten minutes late so had a 50 minute wait for the Noon opening. No other traffic except local fisherman. And we seem to be the only sailboat out here since losing Lee Shore. Saner heads prevail on other boats perhaps, but they don't have secret stash of  fresh Vietnamese coconut toffee.

Capt. Buck and Miss MacKenzie headed North on the ICW

Today's schedule includes four swing bridges and a fixed bridge. Cooling down to the 50's in overcast skies and intermittent rain. It's not snowing though.  And, we'll explain the difference between Atlantic (brown) pelicans and Pacific (white) pelicans later. Dolphins are doing well, too!

If you look real close - at two o'clock - that's dolphins splashing.

At the Figure 8 Island swing bridge we came upon two more sailboats.  Small Canadian vessels that let us pass the bridge ahead of them.  We were on a tear to hit the Wrightsville Beach Bridge for its 3PM opening.  Otherwise we would have to wait till four.  We barely made it, blasting the last ten minutes at 3200 RPMs and hitting 9 knots.  Luckily, the current was with us.  The Canadians arrived 15 minutes later and faced a 45 minute wait for the 4PM opening…30 minutes of which were just cold rain.  By then, we were not only at anchor, but had Paula & Tim's propane heater toasting us up after a cold and damp day.  Thanks P&T!

Home, Sweet Heated Home!