Saturday 11/18 - Passing Through  Charleston

It's good that I don't ask much of God.  Because this time, he answered my prayer!  When I got up at 6am and looked out, I was in the center of the channel (like when I had set the anchor the afternoon before).  I want forward and the anchor line was leading off the bow just as it should.  The tide was up about 4 or 5'.  My plan had been to stay there till about 9.  That plan changed quickly.  I figured I better get while the getting was good!! 

I was about 10 miles north of Charleston Harbor.  There was really no rush because I wanted to cross through Elliot's Cut (about 3 miles south of Charleston) at slack current which was 2:30pm.  At 9am, I was approaching the Ben Sawyer swing bridge just north of the harbor.  Another sailboat that had just passed me had gone through at 9am.   I called the bridge tender and was told the next opening would be at 10am.  Oooops!  Lesson Learned  "look at all those bridge tables" that I so painstakingly prepared ahead of time.  Out came the anchor again. 

Unfortunately, the tide was against me in the harbor and the 3 or 4 miles to the ICW on the south side took almost 2 hours.  I entered the cut at noon and timed my passing of the bascule bridge (just north of Elliot's Cut) for a perfectly timed opening.  After passing through, I pulled over to a little side channel and anchored again - to wait till 2:30 pm.  So here I am - it's 1:30 and I'm all caught up.