Report #7 - Nov 7 2013 - Nov 19 2013 - Charleston SC and onto North-Central Florida

We stopped at Awendaw Creek between Georgetown and Charleston South Carolina.  The ICW is a waterway made up of various rivers, smaller rivers called creeks, man-made ditches connecting other waterways, bays, etc that is marked, bouyed and sometimes (not often enough) dredged out to a controlling low mean tide depth of maybe 6 feet (although silting makes finding that "guaranteed" 6' sometimes interesting.  We managed to keep water all the way under us into Charleston. 

This stretch of the ICW was just beautiful, a very delta type wetlands with grass stretches with multiple creeks crisscrossing the ICW route and very few trees for miles, lots of birds, dolphins and apparently some alligators that we have yet to see.  Our anchorage at Awendaw Creek was lovely, shared with about 7 other sailboats.  The Awendaw Creek connects the ICW route to a very shallow inlet to the ocean proper and we were looking at the Atlantic while at anchor.

OK, this inukshuk thing is getting out of hand, containers stacked on a river barge!

The next day we rode the tide into Charleston and the ICW became more and more developed until we entered Charleston Harbor proper.  A number of Coast Guard ships monitor the harbor and we saw 2 cruise ships and passed Fort Sumpter.  We saw lots of dolphins (including some small young ones.)  The anchorage is across from the municipal marina and alot of very large motor and sail yachts are slipped there.  By large I mean huge.  However, the dinghy dock is located there and while they want $5 per day no one monitors the dock so you can assume we have done the right thing.  River has a big current and we swing 4 times a day.

 

We have walked around historic Charleston, the french quarter, King St., the Market etc and have seen the horse drawn tourist carriages.  The area has a different feel and flavour but there is no mistaking it is touristy.  Laundry today and hopefully will get internet at a coffee shop to edit and post pics for last report.  Have run into old friends (Nauticus and Lance L'Eau, making new acquaintances on Sea Change & Taia) - and everyday the boats change.  Tonight have a concert at the Circular Congregational Church (Sounds of Charleston From Gospel to Gershwin covering slave music, civil war music, gospel, jazz, Gershwin from Porgy & Bess) which is a beautiful and historic building.  The song Amazing Grace was inspired by a sermon the slave ship Captain John Newton heard here.  Edi's b-day tomorrow so this is a night out with dinner before.

We pushed on from Charleston thru lower South Carolina and into Georgia.  Georgia tides are much bigger, the water rising and falling 7-9 feet so when you anchor, you must allow for that and put out a greater "scope" or length of chain.  Georgia also has the worst shoaling areas of the ICW.  We plowed mud coming thru "Hell Gate" from the vernon river to the ogeechee river for about 200'. 


We stayed the day and another at Crescent River as the winds upped to about 25++ knots, made for a sleepless night with the very strong tide in and out also operating on the boat - wild that even with that wind, the tide is stronger on the boat until it gets closer to slack.  I am using the garmin handheld to track boat's movements at anchor (in addition to plotting way points on the E80 for boat positions) and I took a picture - looks like a kid on a sugar high on an etch-o-sketch!  The anchor held well but we did crazy back and forths and circles all night long, I'll post the pic it is pretty funny.  We took the "free day" to change the engine and transmission oils, checked the alt belt and the raw water strainer and got caught up on season 6 of Sons of Anarchy. 

 

The next section of the ICW Georgia has some very shoaled areas that are alerts and warnings are to only go at high or rising 2 thirds tide for the STM 650-660 Little Mud R and also STM678-686 Jekyll Island.  We left Crescent River timing to cross  Little Mud R at mid rising tide and got passed right at the top of the stretch by "Silver Six" m/y - I noticed his home port was St Simon's Island GA - a local!  I revd up and rode his "six" all the way - a little local knowledge is a good thing here and there and here was one of those. Anchored at Jove Creek off Mackay River STM671, only us and the crab pots. 

 

 

We got through again time the rising tide thru the next problem areas and in fact got passed by a Carnival Cruise lines river cruiser with a 7 foot draft - follow him - an expert and a 2 foot lower draft!!

 

 

 

Just when the tug and barge traffic started to slow down, the shrimpers come out!  These guys have dismasted sailboats that got in the way!

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Yes we are still tripping - can't believe it's 3 months.  Getting colder again, getting condensation, running diesel heater in mornings and before bed.  We are enjoying the ICW alot, yes a little monotenous(sp?) by the end of certain segments but really the ICW is very varied so it is holding our interest.  We are trying not to get bogged down in cities and towns - we blew a few months budget in Annapolis - and being back on the boat is very relaxing.  Towns and cities are money vacuums! Things are mostly working - some glitches but nothing major.  The weather has been just great so that has probably contributed to the overall level of enjoyment and makes everything so much easier.

 

We are anxious to get south - we really are looking forward to slowing some in the Bahamas and gunkholing with multiple days in one anchorage.  We are hoping to jump early December.  The ICW has been great and there has been a lot to see but this is not our main priority.  So we are seeing some, provisioning and dieseling up as needed etc. and taking some time off here and there as needed.  We had thought of going to Savannah but both of us felt that we didn't want to spend the extra 16 miles round trip!  Charleston was great but we only stayed 2 full days getting laundry done in there too.  Nice town, we walked a fair bit but tried not to be too touristy and saved our money. We are travelling like we will be back - maybe not as frequently as Larry Webb was but we'll do this more than once up and down.  Really the ICW has been enjoyable but it is a travelling route to another area - Bahamas and on. 

We've met alot of boats, exchange some emails, but when we are in an anchorage it is not our priority now to drop the dinghy and do drinks - we and most seem to be focused on racking the miles under the hull.  Different of course in Oriental, Georgetown, Charleston etc.  We are not travelling in lock step with any one - we seem to be slower anyhow than most.  Makes for some conversations tho - when we get passed 3 days in a row by the same boat we joke if we are the turtle and they the rabbit!  We seem to start a bit earlier and finish a bit later but that is our choice.

 

 

Finally made shrimps - bought a pound in Georgetown and edi sauteed them with garlic and olive oil - was good!  We have also become Sodastreamers.  Cost is about the same as regular pops but much less room required and don't have to lug the cases - and also of course less garbage.  The diet coke is actually almost a doppleganger for "the real thing".

 

 

The weather got noticeably better when we got to Florida, the ICW got more water in it and the humidity picked up.  Yay!  More bridges to time for openings but it is not really bad. 

 

 

Getting into Cumberland Sound, heading past the end of Georgia and pointing to FLorida we passed the Kings Bay Submarine base and its security boats.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We spent 3 nights on a mooring ball in St Augustine.  The town is very nice and the price of the municipally run marina was excellent at $21 / day with fantastic facilities and great services.  Bridge of Lions just before the St. Augustine Municipal Marina. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

St Augustine's City Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got a huge shopping done there, loaded up all our provisions for the Bahamas for about 6 months and will just need to "top up" in Miami in 10 - 14 days before we leave with as much fruit, veg, meats etc as we can - and more beer!  Have loaded up a 8 month supplly of sodastream pop syrup and CO2. 

 

 

 

 

Laundry was done, filled diesel, water, pumpout etc. Again will top up before leave Miami all liquids and get another laundry in. We went out for dinner with Manon and Alain (Nauticus) and walked the "old town."  Went to A1A Brewery that is a microbrewery pub on premises, very nice  and we went to JP Henleys another pub style place that has 70 beers on tap and over 200 diffent types of bottles beers.  Wow, we played the trivia game with the locals and might have done better if we knew anything about NFL football.  No questions regarding the Argonauts.  Didn't get thru all the different brews but made a valiant effort. 

 

The Showboat carwash on the walk to Winn Dixie supermarket in St. Augustine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saw breaching (jumping out of the water) dolphins today - they do this to herd fish and direct the fish to other dolpins in the pod (a group of dolphins is called a "pod".)  We also saw a manatee (they are big cow-like creatures that eat seagrass and are very slow and are endangered as they do not do well when hit by speed boats)today right in front of the boat.  I immediately put the boat in neutral so if we hit it (we go slow so not likely) there was no possibility of the propellor stricking it.  Very cool, first time either of us has seen one.  Lots of birds, pelicans, egrets, ossilets, ibises etc.

 

It seems every day we see boats like this that must have been caught in a storm and were thrown up in the marsh and have been abandoned.  We wonder how long they lie there - we have seen some that really look like they have been abandoned a long time. 

We got in at sunset to New Smyrna Beach today (which is 20 miles south or so of Daytona Beach) (statute mile marker 846.2 - only 240 more miles to Miami!) and are docked on the municipal dock (illegally but it is 6pm and we will be gone by 7am so we won't be in anyone's way) so we can stretch our legs and get rid of garbage without dropping the dinghy.  Another boat here we've met along the way Reve D'Ocean (Ocean Dream, from Montreal, young couple with two boys aged about 7 & 10.

We will make for Cocoa Beach area or Indian Harbour area tomorrow - how far we go all depends on the tide.  We mostly somehow rode the tide all day long which madeup for us sleeping in today - nothing to do with JP Henley's, honest.  I still can't figure out sometimes how or why the tide is moving a current the way it does.  We assume everyone is well as we haven't heard to the contrary. 

 

So far we've spent about $700 on diesel and it will be about another $100 or so in Florida. 

Love and hugs and Kisses to Amy Megan Hannah Thomas Charlie Grace

1789.9 Nautical Miles / 2059.5 statute miles / 3295 kilometers

November 19, 2013

Blair & Edi out

Report #6 : October - November 6, 2013 - onto ICW and moving south to South Carolina

Stayed in Annapolis thru the boat show and saw some truly great boats.

The first 3 days were torrential rain so - yes you guessed it - we made extended happy hours.  Here with Lisa and Marty from True Colours at Middleton's Tavern (best mussel steamers anywhere - about 30 for $8.50 during happy hour.)

  On the last day, the sun shone and we hustled and saw as much as we could squeeze in. Got some work done on the boat at Annapolis Harbour Boat Yard. Jeff and Al there took great care of us and John was very good on the bill. Highly recommend this yard. Jeff drove Edi to the food store and liquor store and brought a great crab dip to dinner on evening.  

We got in a visit to the Naval Academy (Edi just wanted to see more of the boys in their whites - but they had changed into their Black uniforms for winter - she was still happy!)  We also squeezed in a final dinner at Chik & Ruth's - I managed to restrain myself from ordering the 6 quart milk shake (seriously, they have them!)

We left Annapolis Oct 23 or so and navigated the Chesapeake Bay stopping in Solomons Island, Deltaville and 2 remote Creeks and made it into the Naval Hospital Anchorage in Nolfolk past all the warships, aircraft carriers etc., only staying one night. 

 

 

 

 

 

 We saw Carnival's Glory do a 180 degree turn in front of us and will NEVER complain again about handling Magic in tight quarters. That is our boat in the foreground and there are cruisers in the cockpit of the boat right behind Glory - they could order drinks from the bar!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onward the next day to Great Bridge passing Brian on Sea Angel going north to pick up Anne in Norfolk.  We entered the Virginia Cut and transitted one more lock our biggest yet.  The lock opened and then we encountered our first Bridge waiting to open on the ICW. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Met some new boats (Chesapeake - Joe & Connie on the trawker Chesapeake, Frank on Just Desserts a 42' Whitby and Pam and George on a 53' Selene motor yacht Thoedore)  We were in company with these folks for the next several days and look forward to meeting up again. We waited for the boats to go thru the bridge and then moved up to just in front of the bridge and took a piece of the wall dock (yes, you guessed it - free)  and spent the night - nice town, did shopping, laundry and met Ann on Crazy Lady also docked there.  Next day off and running to Broad Creek, off the North River before heading across the Albermarle Sound.  Had sundowners on Theodore and with Joe and Connie and Frank (and of course the owners Pam and George) and had a tour of an awesome motor yacht.  Spent 20 minutes in the engine room and didn't see it all. 

 

The next day we were off and running to Broad Creek, off the North River before heading across the Albermarle Sound. Had sundowners on Theodore and with Joe and Connie and Frank (and of course the owners Pam and George) and had a tour of an awesome motor yacht. Spent 20 minutes in the engine room and didn't see it all. The Albermarle Sound is shallow and so can be rough in high winds but the day was wonderful and it was a great sail and then onto Alligator River, decided really didn't need a swim. Then spent the night in Back Landing Bay on the Pungo River.

There are a hundred "Back Creeks" "Mill Creeks" and "Broad Creeks" so when I forget an anchorage I just choose one of those and have a good chance of getting it right. Then, on to Oriental, NC. It is a really lovely town. We anchored in front of the bridge (only 45' clearance which is a bit low for us.) Met Dave and Rose on Cloud 9 on the way into Oriental and had sundowners on their boat the first night and we all went into town. Again, the next night, we went in company to "The Silos" - an italian pizzeria type restaurant and the food was awesome. Even better, it was open mic night and we had a blast, walking back the 3 miles late in the dark stopping for a carton of ice cream at the gas station on the way back.

 

We left Oriental early and pushed on seeing more dolphins going down past Beafort NC & Morehead to Bogue Inlet - wow, there was some real skinny water - down to 1 foot under the keel at points, wind gusting to 20 knots. 


Thru Beaufort Inlet and Bogue Inlet to Mile Hammock Bay anchorage - part of the US Army's Camp Lejeune.  Saw lots of army airplanes, heard lots of booms, very entertaining.  Saw black bears swimming across the ICW going into the anchorage, we were as surprised as they were.  Again decided really didn't need to go for a swim.  Spent 2 nights there and got some reading done. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onto Wrightsville SC anchorage which was great.  Tried the shortcut - one book said 6 feet - maybe at high tide!  Got off, got stuck,got off, went the long way around and found a great anchorage.  Dinghied to dock, went to local bar on beachfront strip (saw lots of surfers but water was COLD) for cheap beers and they were doing oyster steamers behind building in parking lot at a great price - free! 

 

Met and talked to Billy the owner, his friends and some of the locals @ "Lagerhead."  Really great evening, bar looked real rough with no boaters so it just goes to show, go local. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left with the tide and made the run past Carolina Beach into and down the Cape Fear River.  It was fast, and not bad at all.  Made such great time we pushed and going past at low tide at Shallotte Inlet bounced again and got stuck for a bit.  Heard lots of calls for TowBoatUS!!  Careful where you drop your way points!

 

 

 

 

 

We got off again OK and a local boat with guys fishing (man, these guys like killing things down here - fish, crabs, oysters, ducks - basically anything that moves and doesn't carry the death penalty for the shooter!!) pointed the way.

 

 

Saw some wild goats on an island - surprised they hadn't been shot.  Passed some guys in orange hats with shotguns and duck kazoos and decided NOT to motorsail that stretch (we dislike Swiss sails!).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The anchorage next at Little River was full so we went on the ocean side of the ICW on Little River Inlet - to find Casino Cruise ships transit it to Atlantic from their moorings on the ICW - but the river was plenty wide so me staying in the cockpit reading until they came back at 2 am was just coincidental.  Lots of current but the anchor bit and held very well. Our VHF radio has been very staticy since Annapolis.  Did some trouble shooting and found it powered just fine with the red wire and the coax after I disconnected the black ground.  Hmmmm.  Got reception to Raymarine (on a cell phone that is) and after 2 hours of calling talked to a real person.  He confirmed it should not do that.  Well, making progress.

 

Got an early morning start and rode the ebb tide all the way to Georgetown, through the Maccamaw River which was really pretty, nice fall scenery but of course not as nice as home.   Well, it was pretty close.  We made it through the "Rockpile" unscathed. Saw a golf course that was on both sides of the ICW - with a cable car for the golfers back and forth! Maccamaw empties to Winyah Bay and a right turn took us into Georgetown.

Georgetown is a funny town, some of waterfront is really nice and docks and board walk are high end but alot of empty, derelict water Front st. buildings, vacant lots etc. Withering downtown and misfortune just keeps coming.  There was a fire on Front St. on the waterfront stretch 2 months ago that has left a large hole about 500 feet wide.   Lots of derelict boats in harbour, some on anchor and a dozen shoved into an island in the harbour. For all that, it is worth a visit, the people are friendly and there are all the shopping and services you'd want.  We went to the UPS store and shipped the VHF radio back to Raymarine and will have it repaired and sent on to us when we have an address or UPS store etc further south (we have 2 hand held vhf radios that are fine for the ICW.) We walked a lot one day, trying to find Walmart, completely missed it (by 2 or 3 miles) and got lost but found Palmetto Kitchen, a very local and small joint that just does a buffet - $7.99 with fried everything - chicken, catfish, whitefish, shrimp, crabcakes (using the crab shell to serve!), mac and cheese (not fried for a change of pace), rice (fried) and iced tea and lemonade. Well I do declare, I think I'll have a third plate. Life is like a box of chocolates... Found Walmart, got lots of supplies, cabbed back, dieseled up, watered up, found laundry at marina past fuel dock, did that. Up at 6:00am, back to boat and packing away clean clothes, strapping down jerry cans, putting away food at only 8:30pm. Yes indeed, living the life! :-)

No internet since Oriental (@ The Bean) hope to find in Charleston.

So far, 1616 statute (regular) miles now as ICW is all laid out in those so have converted.
Blogging via SSB from Georgetown habour SC, will edit and add photos when have internet.
Edi & Blair signing off