TRAVEL DAY IN LOW COUNTRY

Trip Day:           25         Latitude:            32°42.63' N                        Locks Today:    0

Miles Today:    49        Longitude:     080°10.30' W                      Locks Total:     6

Total Miles:    726        Location:         North Edisto River, SC      

Departure time this morning was set by The Ladies Island Swing Bridge.  She was closed to boat traffic from 7:00—9:00 am, so we said farewell to Beaufort and were in the channel ready for the 9 a.m. opening.  Ron called Charleston for reservations at Charleston Maritime Center—we were lucky to reserve the last transient slip! 

We never saw the Marine Corp Air Station, but we certainly heard the jets as they

maneuvered overhead. 

 

This was an easy day of travel on rivers such as The Ashepoo River, the Coosaw River, and South and North Edisto River.  The larger   rivers were winding and pleasant; and in places we connected to rivers via man-made cuts.  We only saw five boats in our eight hours of travel today—just a lazy day!

It’s obvious this is still a commercial area with channel depths to handle large vessels.  This tug was one of several large ships in this ship yard.

 

We dropped anchor at 5:00 p.m. in Church Creek off the main river.  Pot roast with onions, potatoes and carrots for dinner this evening.  Tomorrow morning we will head for Charleston with a target time of 2:00 p.m. arrival which will be slack current conditions.

BEAUFORT, SC - SOURTHERN CHARM

Trip Day:            24        Latitude:            32°25.77' N                       Locks Today:    0

Miles Today:    17        Longitude:     080°40.46' W                      Locks Total:     6

Total Miles:    677        Location:         Beaufort, SC           

Our little cove was calm this morning with no remnants of the high winds of yesterday.  As we crossed Port Royal Sound it was eerie quiet and calm.  It would have been a good weather day to continue into the Atlantic, but we would have had an overnight run to Charleston.  We want to spend some time in the little town of Beaufort so we continued up the ICW past Parris Island and enjoyed the calm seas and favorable current. 

The ICW marker system reverses for this stretch;  green to port and red to starboard, then as we entered Beaufort River it switches back again.  All these little adjustments and problem solving opportunities will hopefully stave off the dreaded Alzheimer curse!

Beaufort exudes southern charm and hospitality.  The river front park was amazing with flower beds, a dozen porch swings, amphitheater, and open picnic areas.

Beaufort was settled in 1514 by the Spanish, but seven flags have flown over the city including the Union.  Indigo, rice and island cotton were the money making crops and allowed wealthy plantation owners to build spacious homes along the river. Unlike Savannah, the homes here are more of a West Indies style with a raised first floor, high ceilings and double porches.   

 

 

We visited this Gullah   Exhibit and the Tabernacle Baptist Church.  There seemed to be a strong sense of the freed slave   heritage in Beaufort.

Many of the old plantation homes had beautiful gardens with walkways and fountains.  It is easy to understand why film makers have been drawn to this area.  Movies filmed in this area include; The Big Chill, Prince of Tides, and parts of Forrest Gump.  Actor Tom Berenger is a local resident. 

We enjoyed our day in Beaufort and had some amazing food tonight.  Low Country Gumbo, Oyster Stew, and Softshell Crab over grits, okra and tomatoes!!!!!!!

BIRD CONTEST WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

This morning we awakened to winds of 20-25 knots.  We had only planned to travel 3 hours to Beaufort and knew the only area that would be worrisome with strong winds would be crossing Port Royal Sound.  We pulled anchor and decided to poke our nose out into the sound to see how rough the conditions really were.  After 20 minutes against wind and current, we turned back, returned to our cozy little cove and dropped anchor.  We have spent our day reading, and doing a few boat maintenance chores.  Just a lazy "weather day".



BIRD CONTEST RESULTS:  A big thank you for all who submitted entries!

GENERAL CATEGORY:
WINNER:         A bird a day means Ron and Jean are making headway.          By: Kent Putnam
HONORS:        A bird a day keeps sailors on their way.                                      By: Dodie Neuhauser

 POETRY CATEGORY:

WINNER:         A bird a day                                                                                        By:  Kathy Houghton
                       A dolphin, a manatee
                        Oh the wonders you meet
                        As you sail the seas!

HONORS:        A bird a day                                                                                         By:  Carrie Hannabass

                        We view on our way
                        Each morning as we awake
                        A moving Target we make
                       The odds we can see
                       Aren’t good for staying poop free
                       Jean can only hope its RON
                      That they s____ ON!

 LOL CATEGORY:

WINNER:    A bird a day means you’re really upsetting a lot of rude people.            By: Ken Marsh
HONORS:    A bird a day keeps the me no seeums away.                                          By:  Stacey Lonie

Appropriate prizes will be sent by mail—all cruising coupons must be redeemed no later than
December 31, 2013. 

WELCOME TO SOUTH CAROLINA!

Trip Day:          22        Latitude:            32°15.29' N                        Locks Today:    0

Miles Today:    32        Longitude:     080°44.54' W                      Locks Total:     6

Total Miles:    660        Location:           Hilton Head, SC    

We had a nice surprise last night—we received a Skype video call from the Davie Family!  It was fun to see all of the family, especially the three girls.  Alicia and Emma had fun at their swim meet over the weekend and posted some personal-best times.  Back to school for them today.

Our day started slow and easy with the delivery of the newspaper and donuts—we are forced to leave today just to get away from the donuts!  Thunderbolt Marina is by far the best we have           experienced to date—updated and clean facilities and a friendly staff. 

As we head toward the Savannah River we are  following this enormous container ship, giving him plenty of room and staying out of his way. 

10:20 a.m. We just passed marker #1 which is the last marker for the state of Georgia; so we have just entered South Carolina!  The tip of Tybee Island marks the inlet access to the Atlantic and we experienced rough seas and stronger winds.  The weather hasn’t bothered the local dolphins as they play in our wake.

There was much more boat traffic today, pleasure and commercial   vessels.  This US Army Corp of   Engineers barge and crane passed us headed south—Ron guessed it might be a buoy tender.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hilton Head announced itself with an array of waterfront houses with long piers and docks stretching into the waterway.  We knew we were coming into a resort area when we noticed a para-sail group and cruise ship making her way up the channel.  

HARBOR TOWN LIGHTHOUSE

OUR ONLY OPENING BRIDGE OF THE DAY

Tomorrow morning we will be on our way to Beaufort, South Carolina!

HISTORIC SAVANNAH

DAY 21 -  LAND DAY OF TOURING SAVANNAH


Our day began with the delivery of the newspaper and six Krispy Creme donuts to our boat producing a nice sugar high!  This has been a great marina stop, but we feel like the minnow in the river compared to the other boats.  This is just one of the multiple boats exceeding 100 feet.


This blog will be a bit of a history lesson .  .  . so, no hard feelings if you want to pass!

Savannah sits on a bluff 40 feet above the banks of the Savannah River.  General James  Oglethorpe and 120 passengers landed in 1733 to found Britain’s last American colony. Savannah is America’s first planned city because Oglethorpe carefully organized the town into grids with wide streets and a series of 24 public squares.  At the time of the original charter,  religious freedom was guaranteed, but lawyers, and rum were forbidden.  Cotton was the major source of income in the area and the cotton gin was invented on a plantation outside the city. 
                                                                                    

  The live oak is the Georgia state tree and many streets are lined with 200 year old trees.  The azaleas and crepe myrtle trees add to the charm

 

There are abundant example of historic and famous homes in the historic district.  The Mercer House was made famous by the movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  "Lady" Chablis, who layed herself in the film, still performs today.

Many different architectural styles are represented in the historic district.  The Davenport House on Columbia Square was completed in 1820 is the best example of  Georgian architecture.

 Colonial Park Cemetery was used from 1750 to 1853.  Famous early settlers and Revolutionary War generals rest under the old trees.  This beautiful park below was the dueling field which is  conveniently located next to the cemetery.

The Savannah River was an integral part of the city which was dependent on exports of cotton and indigo and deliveries of staples from England to survive. Today it is the third largest port in the United States, as witnessed by this container ship that steamed down the river while we walked the river front.

 Memorial to the slaves who were brought in chains and sold at auction in this port.

Pirates played a significant role in the history of Savannah in the early 1800s. An underground tunnel system built by the pirates allowed them to capture locals and force them to work on the pirate ships and later provided pathways to smuggle rum during Prohibition.  This old pirate house was built in 1754 and associated with Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island".

Saint John the Baptish Cathedral - 1876

Life is like a box of chocolates.  .  .  .

Many movies have been filmed in Savannah such as Forrest Gump, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Glory and Cape Fear. Savannah’s own, Johnny Mercer, won 4 Oscars in Best Song category including “Moon River.”

If you want more, slide show of all photos .  .  .

WORK DAY !

Trip Day:          20        Latitude:            32°00.91' N                        Locks Today:    0

Miles Today:     0        Longitude:        081°01.90' W                      Locks Total:     6

Total Miles:    628        Location:           Thunderbolt, GA   

Thunderbolt, Georgia is just outside Savannah.  We chose this marina because none of the    Savannah riverfront Marinas had fuel or laundry facilities.  Today has been a work day and   tomorrow will be a play day as we tour Savannah.  

Yesterday afternoon we realized we had a leak in the galley sink.  So, plumber  Ron set about to repair it which meant actually removing the sink to gain access to the leaking pipe.  All is well—the sink is now back in place and leak free.  

While plumber Ron was working, Jean got all the laundry done and made a trip to the grocery with the offer of a ride from someone at the marina. 

4;00—We are off to Tubby’s (YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT, TUBBY'S) to watch the Gators play and have dinner.  See ya tomorrow!

GO GATORS!

APPROACHING SAVANNAH

Trip Day:         19        Latitude:            32°00.91' N                        Locks Today:    0

Miles Today:     40        Longitude:     081°01.90' W                      Locks Total:     6

Total Miles:    628        Location:          Thunderbolt, GA   

 Last night after my blog post "Blues Breaker", a sailboat from Elgin, Canada pulled in and dropped anchor—this is our view this morning.   The sunrise over Cattle Pen Creek was a nice touch!





The dolphins welcomed us as we stepped out on deck to have our first cup of coffee - seriously, does it get better than this?

As we wind in all directions on the rivers we slowly continue north.  The rivers are wider in this section and nothing but water, small islands and low lands of marsh grass can be seen. 

Crossing St. Catherine’s Sound we again glimpse the Atlantic.  We considered a run in the ocean today, but the marine forecast is for increasing winds and 5-7 ft seas as a cold front approaches, so we continue up the ICW.  This morning the US Coast Guard has issued warnings regarding procedures if you come in contact with Right Whales. How amazing would it be to see whales?!

This beautiful trawler from Wisconsin passed us at noon and Ron had a short conversation with him on the VHF. This couple started out to do the Great Loop in 2005 and are still traveling! He indicated that they loved the keys, the islands and the South in general and simply have not been able to force themselves to leave favorite places to continue.  I told Ron to not even think about a multi-year voyage!

We slipped into what is called Hell Gate which is a passage in the convergence of Vernon River and Ogeechee River (Georgia coast’s second largest river).  The currents of the rivers meet the current and waves of the Atlantic and make for a fiercely strong ebb current.  It was nice to have the trawler in front of us to show the way through Hell Gate!

Skidaway Bascule Bridge gives way to progress.

Skidaway Institute of Oceanography

We have rejoined civilization!  We are only 8 miles from Savannah and homes now populate both sides of the river.  Tonight we are anchored in Herb River away from the homes and docks.  We have our flag flying to indicate the bar is open in case any of the locals want to stop by. 












Tomorrow we will go into the Thurderbolt Marina to reprovision, clean the boat, and do laundry. 

 Saturday we will be tourists in Savannah!

GO GATORS! ELITE EIGHT

ANOTHER DAY IN THE SAW GRASS PARADISE

Trip Day:         18        Latitude:            30°38.59' N                        Locks Today:    0

Miles Today:    39        Longitude:     081°11.05' W                      Locks Total:     6

Total Miles:    588        Location:          St. Catherine’s Island, GA

 

Our anchorage last night was peaceful with no wind and no boat traffic.  This morning as we stepped out on deck we saw two porpoise feeding very close to the boat—nice way to start the day.  We sailed for hours without seeing another boat, house or person, just miles of marsh grass. 



VIEW OF CONVERGING RIVERS ON CHART PLOTTER

This section of the ICW follows natural rivers such as The Altamaha River and Sapelo River which means an interesting winding course.  We have taken many 90 degree turns today.  As we neared the Sapelo Sound which opens to the Atlantic we were under full sail and had a wild ride.  With gust of 20 kts and a favorable current we hit 9.2 knots—for sailors, that’s fast! 

Sapelo Island was once owed by tobacco magnate R. J. Reynolds, and now houses the University of Georgia’s Marine Institute.  The landscape has changed after rounding Sapelo Sound and headed for North Newport River.  The marsh grass has given way to barrier islands with trees, but still totally undeveloped. 

This was an easy day as we dropped anchor at 2:30 in the afternoon off St. Catherine’s Island in Cattle Pen Creek.  We only saw one boat on the ICW this entire day.   We still had plenty of daylight to do some chores such as haircuts and beard trimming. (We know some of you were worried about us keeping up with personal hygiene)

Captain Ron, as chief judge, says you only have 24 more hours to enter the bird contest by completing the line
     A bird a day .  .  .





So get those entries in - Capt Ron is looking for more from the under 13 age group!