Monday 11/20/2017 -  Beaufort SC Layover

I got in a little late (around 4pm) but I had decided to try hard to make it here since this is a town I've always wanted to visit AND I need marina power to run my small space heater (the forecasted low was 40 degrees).  I got settled and did my first "load" of laundry in the galley sink.  It went reasonably well but I'm not sure the marina or the patrons appreciated seeing all my underwear hanging on the lifelines but I didn't have enough for a full load at the laundry.  I was a little unhappy with a couple things related to the Marina but the next morning I took my first walk into town and my attitude about Beaufort changed.  The houses in the historic district are beautiful.  There is lots of Spanish moss hanging from the trees that really adds to the charm.  At noon, I moved the boat over to the cities free "day only" dock and went for another walk to look a the large homes on Bay Street (along the waterfront).  I was really impressed.  Everyone looks so well maintained that a photo taken at any time could be on the cover of a magazine.  I also liked the downtown.  It was a compact but "real" downtown.  It had lots of nice shops and businesses.  On the back side of the businesses that line the south side of Bay street is a really nice waterfront garden area and brick waterfront walk.  I was sure glad I stopped here and spent the day.  Just before leaving the dock, I ran into a couple (Tina and Mike).  I had met them at Osprey Marina about a week before.  They told me they and another boat were going to leave at noon the next day to go offshore from Port Royal Inlet to St. Mary's River inlet - and wanted to know if I wanted to join them.  I told them I'd give it some thought but that there was a good chance I would - based, in part, on Mike having done lots of checking into tidal currents out and in, weather, swells, etc.  I went out and anchored the boat and started doing my own research into weather etc.  I concluded it was a good idea. 

Later in the afternoon, at anchor, the current shifted in the river. When it did, the anchor rode wrapped around the keel - as it had done about a week before during the night.  This time, I did some "googled" reading and ended letting out an additional 30 feet of rode.  The line sank before the current could run over the line and the line cleared the bow (and the keel).  I still need to come up with a better/long term solution.

Sunday 11/19/2017 - Church Creek to Beaufort SC

I'm sure today's 42 miles was by far the most complicated of any I've done to date. The chart plotter said it lasted 9.5 hours but it stated at 6:45 am and ended at 3:30 pm - and that's only 8.75 hours.  It started out a little rainy but was windy ALL day.  The wind was out of the west in the morning and rotated to the NW.  It seemed like it was on the nose most of the time but there was even one stretch where I was under genoa alone and doing 6.5 knots.  Sometimes I do forget it IS a sailboat.  The day was filled with many shoals, twists, and turns (see below).  If the current was against me for one stretch, it was with me for another.  I guess it all evened out but the 9 mile stretch up the Coosaw had 1.5 to 2 knots of current against me with the wind on the nose.  The good news was that the sun was out all day after about 9 am.  I had not planned on making it to Beaufort but this WAS one of the stops I wanted to make AND the temperature is supposed to be in the high 30s tonight.

Wadmalaw River - 7.4 miles

Dawho River - 4 miles

North Creek - 1.1 miles

Watts Cut - 1.4 miles

South Edisto River - 6 miles

Fenwick Island Cut - .4 miles

Ashepoo River - 1.6 miles

Ashepoo - Coosaw Cutoff 1 - 1.5 miles

Rock Creek - 1 mile

Ashepoo-Coosaw Cutoff 2 - 1.4 miles

Coosaw River - 9.4 miles

Brickyard Creek - 3 miles

Beaufort River - 3.4 miles

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.  

Friday 11/17 -  Georgetown to Charleston

I was up at 6 am and planned on leaving at 7.  Again, I wanted to catch several shallow areas at something other than low tide.  I was surprised when 3 or 4 other boats left before me.  It turned out the current was with me almost all day and the tide was fairly high so I didn't really have any problems.  That made it a long day but I ended up motoring about 55 miles.  I anchored in some marshes that showed two good anchorages on Active Captain.  A catamaran already had the first one so I went to the second.  It was narrow but I figured the current would keep me centered - WRONG!!  One thing I didn't account for was the tide.  When I anchored, I was in 11' (MLLW).  But when I started hearing lots of little rippling and ticking noises at 11 pm, I decided to go out for a look.  I was shocked when I was the bow was over exposed mud and about 5' from the shoreline of reeds.  The anchor line was against the hull, leading aft - under the boat.  I assumed the tide had changed and the anchor line had wrapped around the keel.  What a MESS.  And it was still 2 hours from low tide.  By the way, I forgot to mention this area has an 8.5' tidal range.  I went back to bed and got about an hour's sleep the remainder of the night.   Hi tide was at 9am the next morning so my plan was to get up at 6, and haul the dinghy out of the quarterberth (where it is all neatly packed away), and take a spare anchor to the other side of the channel so I could kedge myself off.   I prayed that God would help me get out of this one.

Thursday 11/16 -

OK - it's Saturday and I'm a little behind.  Having been at a dock for two weeks caused me to to get out of my "on the go" routine.  Hopefully, it will come back quickly. 

I left Osprey Marina at 8 am sharp.  I wanted to time my pass through some "skinny" water to the south of Osprey.  I don't know who came up with the word "skinny" to describe shallow depths but I don't like it.  However, I'm trying to be more open to new things so I thought I'd give it a try here.  I only had 30 miles to go to Georgetown so it was a slow day.  I made it there around 3pm and anchored out just off the waterfront (Riverwalk).  What a picturesque town it is.  It was a cool night (which I was not used to).  

Wednesday 11/15 - Osprey Marina

I was sad to have Joan leave today and I know she was too.  She left around noon for a 3pm flight home.  I did laundry, got the boat ready, and made my preparations for an early departure tomorrow.  

Wednesday 11/15 - Osprey Marina

I was sad to have Joan leave today and I know she was too.  She left around noon for a 3 pm flight home.  I did laundry, got the boat ready, and made my preparations for an early departure tomorrow.