St Simons Sound

   30 hours after leaving Charleston, we're arriving in St Simons Sound, Ga, passing by St Simons Lighthouse.  Fairly uneventful transit (the best kind), basically a motoring trip as the winds were light and just enough forward of the beam to not allow sailing. As usual, a bit of traffic at the Savannah Channel which we transit across between 11pm and midnight when you leave Charleston in the morning.  We had five cargo vessels coming and going to dodge through. Only one was a close pass and he made the necessary maneuver to pass astern of us as we poked along with the right of way at our 5 knots.

    We arrived at the St Simons channel at the same time as this car carrier heading up to the BMW plant in Brunswick. Note that our camera makes these ships look a long ways away, not the hundred yards he actually was.  We transit outside the deep water channel and stay out of these guys way.

   We're anchored off Morning Star Marina on Golden Isle just off St Simons Island (which is to the right of the bridge in the photo).   We have ten days to explore the area around the Sound before we have to return to Yorktown for February. We plan to take our bikes ashore and tour around St Simons Island tomorrow.

Charleston

Charleston is always a fun stop along the way south. Most of the downtown area is very picturesque and maintained in good condition. 

      We had lunch at Fleet Landing with our high school friend and had ring side seats for the Saturday afternoon sailing races. This is a photo from our lunch table on the deck. What a great day.

   How many cities in America still have foot operated drinking fountains that actually work (in January). This is just outside the City Marina.

   After a short visit it was time to push on further south. Fort Sumter is impressive, especially on a sunny day heading out to sea.  Brunswick, here we come.

Awendaw Creek Anchorage

   Sunrise at Awendaw Creek anchorage (mile 436 on ICW) looking out into the Atlantic Ocean. It was a noisy night as a strong cold front came through just before sunset with winds gusting to 35kts. The wind finally settled down to a steady 20kts from the NW by 1am and we were able to secure the anchor watch and get into a restful sleep. The holding was outstanding in some very thick mud here, so once again our trustworthy Bruce anchor and 150ft of chain kept us firmly in place despite the strong winds and reversing 2kt tidal currents.  Took a few rpms on the engine to pry the anchor out this morning.  This is a great place to anchor in anything but a Northeast blow.

   Yesterday afternoon it was 71 degrees, this morning 38 after the cold front passage. You can see the mist drifting up from the 60degree waters.
   I took advantage of the "relatively warm" waters to dive and clean the prop and our weed shoe connecting the keel to the rudder. The weed shoe is stainless steel and bottom paint does not stick well so it collects loads of barnacles.
   I had hoped to clean out the thru hulls which are also a bit clogged with barnacles, but the strong current and low visibility made it impossible to swim down, locate, and hang on to a slippery hull while trying to clean a thru hull. That job will have to wait till we get further south and a no current day/time.

   The ICW is slow going compared to offshore transits but, it provides the opportunity to see more sights than the endless sea. We watched this deer swim across the ICW in front of us, then struggle through the mud nearly up to his stomach to make his way to shore. He finally made it.
   On our way to Charleston for a couple days (with shore power for the 30 degree nights).

Georgetown, South Carolina

   Main street, Georgetown, SC....  small town USA.  We were cruising down the Waccamaw River intending to get halfway to Charleston today when the wind and the current turned against us. It was such a nice day, we decided why waste it struggling against the wind and current, let's pull in to Georgetown for the day.

   We anchored right off the town docks and rowed our dinghy over to the landing to tour around town. In hindsight, we probably should have pulled right up to the open spot on the town dock as you can park there during the day, just no overnight berthing.  Especially since we then moved our anchorage spot for the evening as I felt we were too close to the channel. There was a big open spot down the channel farther for a more comfortable location for the night. The Georgetown anchorage area can be very crowded during normal transit periods, but funny, lots of room in January. We have met other boats along the way though including a single hander who stopped to chat, he's on his way back to Elizabeth City after spending Nov/Dec in the Bahamas.

  
 Georgetown has a nice boardwalk along the waterfront with shops and restaurants. We ate lunch at Buzz's Roost, on the upper deck down the walkway with the blue umbrellas. Had good Flounder and Cod fish sandwiches. Then finished with an Edy's ice cream cone (me not Sue) right at the town landing.

   It was a lovely day with temperature in the high 70s and we were glad we changed our plans and stopped for the afternoon. This is the park right in front of the town docks. (Ice cream parlor just on the left)
   The cold front is now forecasted to move in tomorrow night with nightly temps in 30s. Brrrr
We will be anchoring tomorrow night, probably with the Honda generator running to heat the electric blanket. Then on to Charleston where we'll plug into shore power for couple days while visiting with friends.

   We'll be leaving the Waccamaw tomorrow and into the South Carolina marshlands. There are still bald eagle nests, like this one along the river, down in the sparsely populated marsh lands. Hope we see another eagle. Only spotted one so far.

Bald Eagles on the Waccamaw

   We anchored Saturday at this oxbow off the river with a bald eagle's nest at the top of the tree near the left of the photo. No eagles in sight on Saturday, but Monday was a different story.

   We departed our anchorage Mon. morning in clear blue skies, motored around the corner back into the main river channel and sighted this wall of fog rolling up the river towards us.  I've been in fog in the ICW before - it's quite dangerous.  We quickly pulled back into the oxbow and anchored for breakfast and to let the fog burn off.

   This is why you don't want to be in the ICW in the fog. This tug and barge takes up most all of the channel. You have to get way over where the water might not be so deep or clear to get out of his way.

      You won't be able to tell from this photo, but right above the first stanchion on the port side is a bald eagle flying ahead of us. He came down our port side and landed in a tree ahead, then took off as we approached and flew on down the river. Watching these eagles soar with their white heads and white tails is breathtaking. I guess if you live in Alaska its ho-hum, but for us they are majestic.
    We're now anchored in Cow House Creek for the next couple days in Waca Waca, SC, enjoying the 70 degree weather. We'll head for Charleston on Wednesday.

Waccamaw River Anchorage - day 1

   We departed Barefoot Landing, North Myrtle Beach, this morning after a decadent breakfast at Cracker Barrel (last taste of civilization for a few days) and have now anchored in a short loop off the Waccamaw River. Great weather for January - 82 deg today - which is supposed to last from today (Sat) through Wed morning before the next cold front rolls through.

    For those who have not cruised the ICW, this Waccamaw River section from south of Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, SC is one of the prettiest sections of the entire trip - although the January view does not do it justice. When we return in April the bald cyprus trees will be leafed out, all will be green, the bald eagles, osprey, herons and other wildlife will be out and about.  There is very little development along the river from here through Georgetown, just a winding waterwater through the SC cyprus forest with all trees draped in spanish moss.  One year in the Spring we counted 5 bald eagle nests, each about 5 miles apart, and each with an eagle sitting guard over the nest. There is a nest just off our stbd bow at this anchorage but no one home in January. Probably already down in Florida where we are heading eventually.
   We plan to stop and anchor along the river the next 3 nights as we slowly move south until the cold weather arrives Wed and we make a run for Charleston. Check our latest position above in the "Where is Tides Inn" section.

Calabash River Anchorage

   We're anchored in the Calabash River just inside Little River inlet and spent the day here today, nice and sunny and warm, so why leave? Last night we had just one small sailboat anchored behind us. Tonight we have a different small boat just ahead. Quiet anchorage area.Temp in 70s. Won't need the elect blanket tonight.
   This morning we had a dolphin circling the boat hunting for his breakfast. The pelicans and cormorants have been fishing alongside all daylong.
   Weather is supposed to be warm and sunny for the next week. We'll head to Barefoot Landing near Myrtle Beach tomorrow then on to the Waccamaw River and spend a few sunny days there.
  

River Dunes and Oriental, NC

   We're currently at Grace Harbor Marina at River Dunes, enjoying the warm sunshine today after a gray and rainy transit from Belhaven yesterday. We decided to stay an extra day taking advantage of the sunshine, the free courtesy van, and the inexpensive winter dockage rates.

   River Dunes is one of the nicest marinas along the ICW, just north of Oriental and slightly off the ICW to the west up Broad Creek. Its a great place to stop during a winter transit to plug in and enjoy the comforts of luxury settings.
   The gourmet restaurant is only open Fri and Sat nights during the winter and we unfortunately missed those days.

   We grabbed the courtesy van and headed to Oriental for lunch. Its not often you see the Oriental public dock empty, but early January is a good time.  We thought of heading down here but its still a little chilly at night to have no heat although the days are comfortable with the bright sun out.

   We had lunch in Oriental at M&Ms, just up the street from the town docks. The seafood was fresh and terrific.

   After lunch, time for a latte at The Bean, just across the street from the town docks.
   Oriental is a great town to spend some time in. There is room for several boats to anchor inside the breakwater and a couple marinas downtown. Boatyards are just up the river a little bit for any repair one might need. And a West Marine in town we have spent some dollars in previously.

   Fuel and water tanks topped off, we are ready to continue southbound tomorrow morning. The weather looks good to head out to sea at Beaufort and on down the coast. Our plan is to pull back in at Little River, SC, before the winds shift to the south on Friday, and cruise down the pretty Waccamaw River towards Georgetown and Charleston. We could probably stay offshore till Charleston, but we don't want to miss the beautiful Waccamaw River section and the weather is supposed to be near 70 for several days, so we'll stop and anchor along the ICW for a couple nights.
   No internet until we get back into the ICW so next update will be this weekend once we get down to Georgetown or Charleston. I will be able to update our position reports so you can follow our passage along the coast for the next couple days.

Coinjock to the Alligator River

   Beautiful morning at Coinjock, NC. The gray skies are gone and high pressure sunny skies forecasted for the next week.

   The downside of clear skies is COLD nights. A heavy layer of frost and ice where any water had pooled. This was supposed to be the coldest night of the week, so hopefully the end of frosted windscreen.

   All tied up at Alligator River Marina after a great sail across the Albemarle Sound.  The marina is actually still closed for the holiday season but the manager said come on in and tie up and plug in.
   Off to Belhaven, NC, tomorrow. Forecast is for another sunny day.

Southbound 2013

   Its a gray day as we make our way south down the Chesapeake Bay for Norfolk and the Intra Coastal Waterway.
   Not many pleasure boats on the water but the comercial traffic and fishmen are hard at work all year round.

   The full enclosure Sue made is essential for winter sailing. Even without the sun, the enclosure eliminates windchill and provides a comfortable environment.  Step outside and its about 20deg windchill.  It also keeps the cockpit relatively dry during rainshowers and evening dew/frost!

  
Lots of carriers and escorts in port at Norfolk Naval Base for the holiday period, but my favorite is the spooky subs. The ultimate stealth machines. 

Pushing hard we made it through the bridges before the evening rush hour closures - and arrived at Great Bridge Lock. Sue and Genny manned the bow lines and prepared the boat for arrival at Atlantic Yacht Basin.

   It gets pretty cold just sitting around for 8hrs even with a protected enclosure.
   But we're now tied up at the marina, plugged in, fueled, watered, pumped out and running the heater. Ready for a toasty evening, then back to the ICW trek tomorrow. On to North Carolina!