| CHESAPEAKE TO FLORIDA |
Perfect Weather (October 2007 - November 2007) - We left Hampton on October 2, heading south on the ICW. The weather was
settled so we decided to make progress south while calm conditions persisted. The first few days south can get rough in crossing the
Carrituck Sound and Albemarle Sound in windy conditions (large bodies of shallow water). However, the wind was forecast to be variable at
only 5 to 10 for days, so we would not encounter any difficulties.
The first day, we passed mile zero at Hospital Point in Norfolk and went through several bridges and the one and only lock on the east coast
ICW by mid-afternoon. Immediately on the south side of the lock is a restricted bridge with tie ups available on either side for 4 or 5 boats
each. Boats had already started the trek south and we got the last available space. There is a marina on the south side of the bridge, but why
pay $100 bucks for the night when the tie up is free? You can also get any provisioning you need (including propane) within walking distance.
Leta says that the super market is one of the best.
During the next day, we made it as far as the south side of Buck Island in the mouth of Lutz Creek. We started slow because of fog, but
picked up the pace. The anchorage is protected from the north and east which worked perfectly for us. I would not want to be there in any
south component wind, since you would be exposed to the entire Albemarle Sound.
From there we spent a long day making it to the anchorage on Pungo River at mile 127.5. Again, the weather and the anchorage matched
perfectly. Leta also got a free air show in the middle of nowhere on the Alligator River (Ellis was driving) while underway. It appeared to us
that two fighter pilots were practicing dog fighting techniques, but who knows what they were doing. Leta was glued to the sky for about an
hour.
After Pungo River we spent a shorter day underway and stopped at South River off of the Neuse River for a pleasant anchorage there. The
entrance is very, very narrow with one foot shoals on either side, but we never saw less than 20 feet of water. We stayed a day to rest up and
plan the next few days. Just as well. It rained all day. Perfect for planning. The anchorage is very large and protected from wind in any
direction depending on where you anchor in the river. There is lots of 10 to 12 foot water.
Shallow. Shallow. Shallow. Our next stop would be Morehead City (about three hours away). After Morehead City we would be encountering
very shoaly, shallow spots on the ICW most every day until we reached Florida. We knew exactly where those areas were by studying
cruising guides (especially Skipper Bob's) and reviewing the US Army Corps of Engineers web sites. The trick is to time your crossing at
least half tide rising, or in some cases high tide. Sometimes not easy to do.
The timing was just not right for tides for the first two days after Morehead City. The weather was not really good for sailing outside to
bypass those areas, but we could motor all night in calm conditions (light and variable winds) with a persistent 4 to 5 foot eastern swell for
landfall at Southport. There are no anchorages close to Southport so we would be staying at South Harbour Village Marina about two miles
from the inlet and right on the ICW. From there we could take the ICW to Myrtle Beach and beyond.
We left South River about 9 a.m. the day after our planning day. We motored the ICW to Morehead City and stopped at Morehead City
Yacht Basin to fuel up. On the way north we had stayed at Morehead City Yacht Basin for several days waiting on weather. We would
recommend the marina. It's easy to get to and the people are very friendly. It is a bit pricey at a couple of dollars a foot if you are staying
overnight.
Anyway, we left about 2 p.m. and by four we were at the outer marker of the inlet channel. We had plotted a course to clear Frying Pan Shoal
about 12 miles from the channel leading to Southport; 78 miles away. The night was uneventful except that in the middle of the night we were
blinded by a spotlight. Ellis had been tracking a vessel on radar for two or three hours that was directly in front of us. We were slowly
overtaking the vessel and radar had us passing the vessel to port about a quarter mile to one half mile on his starboard. When we were within
a mile of the vessel, we were spotlighted. After contacting the vessel by VHF, we found out that it was a slow sailboat (we were only motoring
at about 6 knots). Apparently, the boat had no radar and could only see our red and green lights getting closer and closer over the hours. I
guess the guy thought we would run him over. We assured the him that we would pass well clear and that was the end of it.
We arrived at the outer marker to the Southport Channel right on cue about dawn and tied up at the marina around 10 a.m. We had been
underway for roughly 24 hours. Each of us had managed a few hours of sleep the night before so we began planning the next day's trip. We
had that all sorted out, including the timing of tides and shallow spots, when we found out that a bridge in Myrtle Beach was to be closed that
day for repairs and would not reopen for several days. There's always something. Also, the wind was to be out of the southwest (the direction
we were going) at 15 to 20 for a couple of days. So going outside was not an option. We were stuck at the marina for a few days. No other
options until one of two things changed. The weather or the bridge.
Okay. Almost immediately we began hearing rumors that the bridge (although officially closed) would open if you showed up. The bridge was
two days away, so we left for Myrtle Beach. There were no credible anchorages that we felt comfortable with so we stayed at Barefoot
Landing in Myrtle Beach. It's really just a tie up to a face dock adjacent to the ICW, but works perfectly. There are many, many restaurants
and bars within walking distance if you like that sort of thing. We don't, but had a pleasant night nevertheless after Ellis changed the oil.
Next day we were up early and left the dock at daylight. We would find out soon whether the rumors of the closed (open) bridge were
accurate. Sure enough, when we hailed the bridge, it opened right up. Not even a wait. We had talked to the Coast Guard the previous
afternoon and they assured us the bridge was closed. Go figure. We made it to one of our favorite anchorages at Thoroughfare Creek off the
Waccamaw River. It's very protected and the current is not too strong in the midst of trees lining the banks. There's just enough room to
have enough swing room with sufficient scope. The only problem with the anchorage is that it's the local weekend hangout due to a large
white sand hill next to the anchorage. It was Friday, so we were up early the next morning and were off at daylight to avoid the crowds.
We were beginning to move into an area (South Carolina, through Georgia to Florida) with higher tides and the current that comes with it.
The tide was about five feet and would slowly increase to about nine feet until we reached northern Florida where it would slowly decrease to
a couple of feet as we moved further south. You have to pay particular attention to your anchorage and anchoring techniques in high tide and
swift current. Additionally, swift current is potentially dangerous when taking the dogs on the grass on the swim platform. If Leta or one of
the dogs fell, they would be gone before anyone could do anything. The current is definitely too strong to swim against. Ellis rigged a clip in
for both the dogs and Leta. The dogs would be clipped into their leash and harness so you could retrieve them. Leta would also wear a
harness and clip in to a contraption that would deploy a rope ladder both attached to the boat. Another problem solved.
The next day, our goal was an anchorage on Dewees Creek on the north side of Charleston. We would be going through a shallow area at the
end of the day near the anchorage. We try to time transiting the shallow areas with a rising tide, but sometimes the timing just doesn't work.
We would be going through on a falling tide with only a foot or so to go for low tide. So, if we ran aground the boat wouldn't end up lying on
it's side and it wouldn't be long to wait before a rising tide. Sure enough, as we were following the guidance of Skipper Bob and favoring one
side of a channel (shoal building into the other side), Ellis apparently got too far over and ran aground. It could have been much worse, but we
were going slow and were glued to the depth gauge so we knew immediately when the depth went from about nine feet to four. We nudged the
bottom and Ellis was able to reverse off the shallow spot very quickly and found ten feet of water almost immediately. No harm, no foul. But
very stressful. Have we told you we hate the East Coast ICW? We pulled into our anchorage on Dewees Creek more or less on schedule.
Definitely time for happy hour.
We were off again at daylight. We made it through Charleston and during the afternoon had another shallow area to deal with. We timed the
transit for high tide (about seven feet). The shallow area was where the ICW and the Dawhoo River meet. There is no guidance from any of
the guide books or Coast Guard or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers other than numerous groundings had been reported and the bottom no
longer resembles the chart. Fun stuff. We saw about 13 feet of water in a couple of places, so we could have made it with six inches to spare
at low tide (unless of course we were slightly out of the channel and ran aground). We anchored off the ICW in South Edisto River.
Up again before daylight to make it through yet another shallow spot (two feet at low tide) close to high tide. This time our goal was Port
Royal Landing Marina in Beaufort, South Carolina (just north of Hilton Head). Beaufort is definitely deep south and we really like it. All the
people are so nice and the marina staff go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. If you need provisioning they just give you a car.
We would definitely recommend the marina if you are in the area.
Our plan was to stay in the marina for a couple of days then go to a local anchorage for a few days before continuing south. We needed a
couple of days for maintenance. Our packing gland was leaking and Ellis had to tighten it and clean the bilges of the nasty water that had
made it into the boat. Working on the packing gland is an exercise in hanging upside down into the aft-most bilge for a couple of hours.
There's always something.
We left the marina at noon one day. We were only going south a couple of hours to hole up in Cowen Creek. All the weather forecasters had
strong thunderstorms coming in a couple of days leading a strong cold front. The front fizzled in front of our eyes without so much as a rain
shower. Another missed forecast. The two or three days we waited cost us some favorable tide over the next few days. We wanted to go
sooner but it would have been shear folly to travel during the severe weather that never came. Great.
The first day out we had four shallow areas to transit. One on either side of the Savannah River, one through a place called Hells Gate
(appropriately named) and one called the Florida Passage. If all went as planned we would arrive at our anchorage about 5 p.m. We were
moving before daylight. The first obstacle was to negotiate the area around Hilton Head Island at low tide. Low tide is always nerve racking
around here. On the north side of the Savannah River we scraped the bottom where the water was supposed to be 10 feet at the time. I
guess we can always use a little bottom cleaning but this is ridiculous.
The problem with the South Carolina and Georgia ICW is that you never know exactly where the channel is supposed to be. You can get
updated information on depth surveys from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but the surveys say that they measure depths from the center
of the channel and 45 feet on either side. That's great if you know where the channel is. Chartplotters use data that is derived from NOAA
charts, but sometimes the data is years old, and of course, the chartplotter positions you with GPS (the accuracy can be within 10 feet or it
may be 25 feet or more). Our chartplotter has had us driving on land before. Chartplotters are great, but they were never designed to be that
accurate. The markers of course have been moved over the years and may or may not be depicted on the chartplotters accurately. Also, the
markers may need to be moved to mark moving shoals, but the Coast Guard may not have gotten around to it yet. Sometimes, especially in
narrow cuts, like the one approaching the Savannah River, there are no markers. You have to assume the center is between the banks,
unless you have some other information from cruising guides or the Corps of Engineers. What all this means is that sometimes you have to
go with your gut and depth sounder. Fun stuff.
Anyway, we were following survey data and Skipper Bob's which suggested to favor the red side (there were no markers, so the red side was
the west side of the cut). Just as soon as we bumped the bottom (and the bottom felt hard) and saw the depth gauge show less than our draft,
we were back in 12 feet of water. I'm guessing the shallow spot was about a boat length long and just deep enough to not stop us cold. Thirty
minutes earlier, we would have been hard aground. It's literally enough to make you crazy. The keel is probably fine, but I won't know for
sure until I get a diver to take a look. I would do it myself, but I won't go overboard in this nasty water. I"m glad we have a full keel. More
than likely, the worst damage we will have is scraped off bottom paint. We'll worry about that later in Florida.
A few hours later, we went through Hells Gate at high tide. At low tide it was supposed to be zero on one side. At least Hells Gate was
marked well and we made it through fine.
Florida Passage was the same (we made it through fine) and we dropped anchor in Buckhead Creek in 25 feet of water.
The next morning we left about 10:00 (Leta loved sleeping in) to time another stressful day of the morning at low tide with the afternoon
going through Creighton Narrows at high tide (only two feet at low tide). We saw an area shallower than it was supposed to be (we saw 8
feet-remember the tide is about 8 feet), but made it through just fine. We dropped anchor in the Duplin River at about mile 649 in another 25
feet of water. It's amazing that the anchorages are deeper than the ICW.
The Duplin River would be our home for a few days. Next up, we had two hours of shallow areas to transit (three of them with 2 or 3 feet of
water each at low tide) and high tide would not be in daylight hours for a while. We needed a rest anyway.
We left Duplin River at dawn Thursday, October 25. We timed our departure to transit Little Mud River, Altamaha Sound and Buttermilk
Sound very close to high tide. These transits have very narrow sections and are shoaled to a couple of feet MLW in some areas. It would
take 2 to 3 hours of tedious driving to make it through unscathed. We finally made it to the deeper water approaching St. Simons Sound
about noon with any barnacles we had still clinging to hull. We needed fuel and water and decided to stay at Golden Isles Marina on the north
side of the sound (there are only marginal anchorages around the area). We would recommend Golden Isles Marina to anyone. Sources of
provisioning are close and the marina provides an old car for transportation. The only problem I have with the marina is the tremendous
current. The dock for transients is an easy on and easy off face dock, but with max ebb or flood there is nothing easy about it. If there were
reasonable anchorages around we would prefer that, but all things considered, it was a nice stay.
We left the marina around 10 a.m. on Saturday in order to transit our last serious shallow spot in Jekyll Creek (one foot MLW) at high tide.
That proved to be a bit problematic because immeditately south of the shallow spot is a 65 foot bridge. The tide was running about a foot
higher than normal so we were anticipating a wait before going under the bridge. We were not anticipating the bridge not having a height
gauge and ended up waiting an hour and a half to make sure we had enough clearance. But hey, we made it.
Nor'easter - Our goal was to make it to Brickhill River about 10 miles north of Fernandina Beach, Florida. We had planned to stay there
until Monday or Tuesday (the 29th or 30th) for insurance reasons. Our policy covers losses anywhere, except between July 1 and October 31
any damage from tropical storms are excluded if we are below 31 degrees latitude. Well, 31 degrees is in the middle of St. Andrew Sound,
north of Brickhill River and south of the shallow spot in Jekyll Creek. We would be below our magic arbitrary insurance line, but only by 8 or
10 miles. Our plan was to keep a sharp eye to weather and, if need be, go back across the 31 degree line. The only problem with that logic is
that there are no anchorages to be had. Our only options would be to go back through Jekyll Creek (I would rather be beaten) and go to
Golden Isles or get a tie up at Jekyll Harbor Marina (strategically placed between Jekyll Creek and St. Andrew Sound). Jekyll Harbor
Marina is small without much transient space, but there was no indication of bad weather so we didn't worry about it much.
So. We get to the anchorage in Brickhill River by mid-afternoon, find a spot with plenty swing room and drop anchor. We expected wind of
20 to 25 for a couple of days and put out plenty of chain, not anticipating any difficulties. After resting for a few minutes we decided to check
weather. Big surprise. The forecast had completely changed due to tropical depression Noel in the Caribbean. There was a high sitting over
the eastern U.S. that happened to be in the right proximity to Noel in order to cause a Nor'easter and the forecast now called for gale force
winds all week. Gale force winds are not necessarily a problem (we have big anchors and lots of chain), but we decided we should take a
quick look at the definition of "tropical storm" in our insurance policy. Sure enough, a Nor'easter, among other things, is defined as a
tropical storm (I guess under the theory that it takes a significant low to set up the right conditions for a Nor'easter). At first we decided to sit
tight and ride out the weather in Brickhill River. But we started thinking that if anything went wrong (even another boat coming into the
anchorage and hitting our boat) the insurance company would probably argue that the damage was a result of a tropical storm. We called
Jekyll Harbor Marina and they had room for Sunday. First potential problem solved. The next problem was getting back through St. Andrew
Sound on Sunday.
St. Andrew Sound is rough even in mild conditions. The reason is that the channel across the sound squeezes through two shoal areas with
the seaward shoal area shallow enough for the ocean swells to break immediately next to your boat across the channel. Additionally, the
current through these shoal areas can be up to four knots. On Sunday morning, the wind was forecast to be 20 to 25, gusting to 35. The
ocean waves were forecast to be 6 to 8 feet, so the breakers across the channel could be scary. Suffice it to say, we were not looking forward
to Sunday morning. Not to mention the fact that if anything went wrong during the most treacherous spot, we would be below our 31 degree
mark by about one quarter of a mile. Fun stuff.
We were up very early and left Brickhill River before daylight in hopes of getting through the sound before the wind really kicked up. In
three hours it was over, but not before crashing into waves, wind and current only to have our speed over ground knocked down to about 2
knots at times and getting rolled around quite a bit as we went through the waves on our beam. It is very difficult to steer through this kind of
thing because it is so bouncy and narrow. Ellis was exhausted by the time we tied up at the marina. Leta was stressed so much that she
thought about beating the dogs. Well, maybe not.
The marina and Jekyll Island turned out to be a nice place to spend a few days. There were free bicycles with bike trails through the huge,
moss covered oak trees all over the island. Very pretty. Under the tree canopy, you would never know that the wind was howling at over 30
knots.
Okay. We were underway again on November 1st. Good to go with insurance. The wind had moderated a bit, but was still very windy. St.
Andrew Sound would not be fun. It wasn't, but at least we were downwind. We made it through St. Andrew Sound unscathed and were on
schedule to make it through a reported shallow spot in Cumberland Sound close to the huge nuclear submarine base at high tide. Cool. The
worst of the shallow spots were behind us.
About noon we had crossed the inlet at Fernandina Beach and were on our way to a pull over anchorage south of Amelia Island. We had
stopped there in the spring and knew that it was relatively exposed to the wind but had good holding and plenty of swing room. The wind was
forecast to be 20 to 25. It would not be comfortable, but we would be safe.
Bridges - Well. About 10 miles north of the anchorage we were approaching a high rise bridge with the wind behind us (at least 20 to 25) and
the current pushing us at least two knots. It was not a good combination for us to stop and turn around in tight quarters if the bridge
clearance was too low. It was close to high tide, so we knew that with the strong wind during the last week the clearance could be a problem.
It just so happened that there was another Island Packet in front of us with the same mast height. At least they would face the brunt of the
problem if there was one. Sure enough, the height gauge read 62 feet and the other boat somehow turned around without crashing into the
sides. On paper our masts are 62 feet high and with the stuff on top like the wind instruments, tri-color light and VHF antenna, we need at
least 63 and one half to clear everything. If we had to, we could get by with 63 feet and the VHF antenna would touch without ripping anything
off.
We managed to turn around without running aground in the narrow channel and just sat there a while holding position facing into the wind and
current. We took a few minutes to assess our situation. There was not a decent anchorage in the vicinity (surprise), so we called the large
marina in Fernandina Beach (I forget the name) and they told us that the only space available was on their face dock and the forecast strong
winds would make that very rough and suggested for us to call another marina. That marina turned out to be so close to us that we could see
it. The only problem was that marina had a very small entrance channel and the cruising guides said that the MLW depth was seven feet.
We could deal with that as long as the info was accurate. We called the marina and grilled them a few minutes on depth until we felt
comfortable going in. We might have to play the tides a bit to get out, but we would have a secure place to stay. We made it fine and
somehow managed to get into a slip with 25 knots on our beam without banging the docks.
Next morning we were off at daylight and planned to get as far as St. Augustine. The only problem (as usual) was that there were no
anchorages that could safely deal with 25 knot winds and we would have to find a marina once again.. And yes. The winds were still howling.
During the day, we went under a bridge showing 63 feet and our VHF antenna bounced along under the bridge. Fun stuff. By late afternoon
we arrived at Comachee Cove Marina just north of St. Augustine. We had fun getting through the narrow, shallow channel, beam to the wind
and waves, and had even more fun maneuvering in the close quarters in the marina (they had way too many boats squeezed in there). Ellis
banged the dock but managed to get into the slip with no damage. The relatively small black streak would come off with a little elbow grease
and rubbing compound. There's always something.
Next up was Daytona Beach. We scraped the bottom of a couple of bridges and by late afternoon had only a couple of more bridges to go
under to get to our planned anchorage. It was a pull-over but the winds had finally moderated to 5 to 10.
As we approached the last couple of bridges, the height gauge showed less than 62 feet. Great. Another boat with a similar mast height
heard the VHF chatter and told us that the gauges were wrong and we had two or three feet more than the gauge reading. Well. We never
take the word of another boat, especially if we don't know them. That's just a recipe for disaster. Luckily, the Island Packet that almost ran
into the 62 foot bridge a couple of days before was behind us and volunteered to test the assertion that the bridge had more clearance than
the gauge showed.. I would not have done it, but they slowly inched their way to the bridge and, as advertised, the bridge was at least two to
three feet higher. Go figure.
We anchored in a pull-over just south of the last bridge. We had anchored there in the spring and it worked fine in settled weather.
We made our way to Titusville the next day for another pull-over anchorage. You could see the Space Shuttle launch pads in the distance.
Nothing special other than that.
Sadness - We got to Melbourne on Monday, November 5 and pulled into a slip at Melbourne Harbor Marina about 1 p.m. The marina was
well protected but expensive with no internet connection (no wireless or cable - nothing). They also had a funky attitude. Something like they
were doing you a favor to let you stay there. We would not go there again, but stayed for a few days because Ellis had to go to Dallas for a
couple of days and Leta's sister (Lori) and family lived there. It made for a good few days, except for one major life changing event.
Buster, our 15 year old dog had deteriorated significantly during the last couple of weeks. He had serious health issues during most of the last
ten years but we made sure he was always comfortable and having fun. We already had appointments with Lori's vet for international health
certificate reasons, so it was easy to get him in for a more serious look. While we were at Jekyll Island a retired vet took a look at Buster
and basically told us that his days were numbered. When Lori's vet took a look he told us in so many words that it was time to put Buster to
sleep. We always knew the time would come and expected the bad news, but it was the hardest thing we ever had to do. But it was best for
Buster. He was beginning to suffer and that was the last thing we wanted. Buster loved to eat and Ellis had him munching on a treat while the
vet administered the drug. He went to sleep in mid-munch so his last thought was YUM. It was the perfect way for Buster to go. He went
very comfortably and painlessly. We knew all of that, but we still cried like babies. See the Pug page for more of Buster. He was the perfect
dog and we miss him greatly. The thing that keeps us reasonably sane is knowing that he lived a great dog life.
We left Melbourne on November 11 with Buster on our minds and made it past Ft. Pierce to the Jensen Beach area. It was relatively windy
the cruising guides say the only viable anchorage is 6 to 7 feet deep. We passed on that, and much to our increasing frustration at staying at
marinas, we found one spot available at Nettles Island Marina. The approach was shallow but uneventful.
Final staging - We left the next morning at daylight and made it to the Lake Worth inlet at West Palm Beach. The day was very tedious
since you go through seven or eight bascule bridges within 20 miles or so. But we finally anchored in a relatively good anchorage just south of
the inlet no worse for the wear. The anchorage was in clear water. Clear water. You could see the bottom. We hadn't seen that since we had
cleared back into the states at Lake Worth last spring. We would stage there for the right weather window to go outside to Miami. There are
way too many bridges going further south on the ICW and there is one 56 foot bridge north of Miami which we could not get under. We are
getting excited. Not too much longer until we are back in the islands.
After two days at West Palm Beach we had a marginal weather window to get to Miami. A strong cold front was on the way and it was either
now or wait for at least another week. We left at one in the morning. The trip would take around 12 hours and we wanted to get to the Miami
area close to noon so we would have several hours of daylight to deal with the unexpected. Always a good idea, especially if you are entering
a large commercial harbor for the first time. The night was a bit bouncy with lots of big boat traffic and beginning at dawn we had lots of rain
for several hours. We used radar to dodge some particularly nasty looking showers and arrived more or less on time at Government Cut. It
was easy from there to take the ICW south a couple of miles arriving at Crandon Park Marina on Key Biscayne close to noon. The marina is
nothing special but it has 60 moorings at only $15 per night. It was perfect to weather the cold front forecast to hit our area in the middle of
the night. The marina will be our home for a while until the right weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream presents itself. It could be
days or weeks. We shall see.
Next stop. Bahamas.
settled so we decided to make progress south while calm conditions persisted. The first few days south can get rough in crossing the
Carrituck Sound and Albemarle Sound in windy conditions (large bodies of shallow water). However, the wind was forecast to be variable at
only 5 to 10 for days, so we would not encounter any difficulties.
The first day, we passed mile zero at Hospital Point in Norfolk and went through several bridges and the one and only lock on the east coast
ICW by mid-afternoon. Immediately on the south side of the lock is a restricted bridge with tie ups available on either side for 4 or 5 boats
each. Boats had already started the trek south and we got the last available space. There is a marina on the south side of the bridge, but why
pay $100 bucks for the night when the tie up is free? You can also get any provisioning you need (including propane) within walking distance.
Leta says that the super market is one of the best.
During the next day, we made it as far as the south side of Buck Island in the mouth of Lutz Creek. We started slow because of fog, but
picked up the pace. The anchorage is protected from the north and east which worked perfectly for us. I would not want to be there in any
south component wind, since you would be exposed to the entire Albemarle Sound.
From there we spent a long day making it to the anchorage on Pungo River at mile 127.5. Again, the weather and the anchorage matched
perfectly. Leta also got a free air show in the middle of nowhere on the Alligator River (Ellis was driving) while underway. It appeared to us
that two fighter pilots were practicing dog fighting techniques, but who knows what they were doing. Leta was glued to the sky for about an
hour.
After Pungo River we spent a shorter day underway and stopped at South River off of the Neuse River for a pleasant anchorage there. The
entrance is very, very narrow with one foot shoals on either side, but we never saw less than 20 feet of water. We stayed a day to rest up and
plan the next few days. Just as well. It rained all day. Perfect for planning. The anchorage is very large and protected from wind in any
direction depending on where you anchor in the river. There is lots of 10 to 12 foot water.
Shallow. Shallow. Shallow. Our next stop would be Morehead City (about three hours away). After Morehead City we would be encountering
very shoaly, shallow spots on the ICW most every day until we reached Florida. We knew exactly where those areas were by studying
cruising guides (especially Skipper Bob's) and reviewing the US Army Corps of Engineers web sites. The trick is to time your crossing at
least half tide rising, or in some cases high tide. Sometimes not easy to do.
The timing was just not right for tides for the first two days after Morehead City. The weather was not really good for sailing outside to
bypass those areas, but we could motor all night in calm conditions (light and variable winds) with a persistent 4 to 5 foot eastern swell for
landfall at Southport. There are no anchorages close to Southport so we would be staying at South Harbour Village Marina about two miles
from the inlet and right on the ICW. From there we could take the ICW to Myrtle Beach and beyond.
We left South River about 9 a.m. the day after our planning day. We motored the ICW to Morehead City and stopped at Morehead City
Yacht Basin to fuel up. On the way north we had stayed at Morehead City Yacht Basin for several days waiting on weather. We would
recommend the marina. It's easy to get to and the people are very friendly. It is a bit pricey at a couple of dollars a foot if you are staying
overnight.
Anyway, we left about 2 p.m. and by four we were at the outer marker of the inlet channel. We had plotted a course to clear Frying Pan Shoal
about 12 miles from the channel leading to Southport; 78 miles away. The night was uneventful except that in the middle of the night we were
blinded by a spotlight. Ellis had been tracking a vessel on radar for two or three hours that was directly in front of us. We were slowly
overtaking the vessel and radar had us passing the vessel to port about a quarter mile to one half mile on his starboard. When we were within
a mile of the vessel, we were spotlighted. After contacting the vessel by VHF, we found out that it was a slow sailboat (we were only motoring
at about 6 knots). Apparently, the boat had no radar and could only see our red and green lights getting closer and closer over the hours. I
guess the guy thought we would run him over. We assured the him that we would pass well clear and that was the end of it.
We arrived at the outer marker to the Southport Channel right on cue about dawn and tied up at the marina around 10 a.m. We had been
underway for roughly 24 hours. Each of us had managed a few hours of sleep the night before so we began planning the next day's trip. We
had that all sorted out, including the timing of tides and shallow spots, when we found out that a bridge in Myrtle Beach was to be closed that
day for repairs and would not reopen for several days. There's always something. Also, the wind was to be out of the southwest (the direction
we were going) at 15 to 20 for a couple of days. So going outside was not an option. We were stuck at the marina for a few days. No other
options until one of two things changed. The weather or the bridge.
Okay. Almost immediately we began hearing rumors that the bridge (although officially closed) would open if you showed up. The bridge was
two days away, so we left for Myrtle Beach. There were no credible anchorages that we felt comfortable with so we stayed at Barefoot
Landing in Myrtle Beach. It's really just a tie up to a face dock adjacent to the ICW, but works perfectly. There are many, many restaurants
and bars within walking distance if you like that sort of thing. We don't, but had a pleasant night nevertheless after Ellis changed the oil.
Next day we were up early and left the dock at daylight. We would find out soon whether the rumors of the closed (open) bridge were
accurate. Sure enough, when we hailed the bridge, it opened right up. Not even a wait. We had talked to the Coast Guard the previous
afternoon and they assured us the bridge was closed. Go figure. We made it to one of our favorite anchorages at Thoroughfare Creek off the
Waccamaw River. It's very protected and the current is not too strong in the midst of trees lining the banks. There's just enough room to
have enough swing room with sufficient scope. The only problem with the anchorage is that it's the local weekend hangout due to a large
white sand hill next to the anchorage. It was Friday, so we were up early the next morning and were off at daylight to avoid the crowds.
We were beginning to move into an area (South Carolina, through Georgia to Florida) with higher tides and the current that comes with it.
The tide was about five feet and would slowly increase to about nine feet until we reached northern Florida where it would slowly decrease to
a couple of feet as we moved further south. You have to pay particular attention to your anchorage and anchoring techniques in high tide and
swift current. Additionally, swift current is potentially dangerous when taking the dogs on the grass on the swim platform. If Leta or one of
the dogs fell, they would be gone before anyone could do anything. The current is definitely too strong to swim against. Ellis rigged a clip in
for both the dogs and Leta. The dogs would be clipped into their leash and harness so you could retrieve them. Leta would also wear a
harness and clip in to a contraption that would deploy a rope ladder both attached to the boat. Another problem solved.
The next day, our goal was an anchorage on Dewees Creek on the north side of Charleston. We would be going through a shallow area at the
end of the day near the anchorage. We try to time transiting the shallow areas with a rising tide, but sometimes the timing just doesn't work.
We would be going through on a falling tide with only a foot or so to go for low tide. So, if we ran aground the boat wouldn't end up lying on
it's side and it wouldn't be long to wait before a rising tide. Sure enough, as we were following the guidance of Skipper Bob and favoring one
side of a channel (shoal building into the other side), Ellis apparently got too far over and ran aground. It could have been much worse, but we
were going slow and were glued to the depth gauge so we knew immediately when the depth went from about nine feet to four. We nudged the
bottom and Ellis was able to reverse off the shallow spot very quickly and found ten feet of water almost immediately. No harm, no foul. But
very stressful. Have we told you we hate the East Coast ICW? We pulled into our anchorage on Dewees Creek more or less on schedule.
Definitely time for happy hour.
We were off again at daylight. We made it through Charleston and during the afternoon had another shallow area to deal with. We timed the
transit for high tide (about seven feet). The shallow area was where the ICW and the Dawhoo River meet. There is no guidance from any of
the guide books or Coast Guard or the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers other than numerous groundings had been reported and the bottom no
longer resembles the chart. Fun stuff. We saw about 13 feet of water in a couple of places, so we could have made it with six inches to spare
at low tide (unless of course we were slightly out of the channel and ran aground). We anchored off the ICW in South Edisto River.
Up again before daylight to make it through yet another shallow spot (two feet at low tide) close to high tide. This time our goal was Port
Royal Landing Marina in Beaufort, South Carolina (just north of Hilton Head). Beaufort is definitely deep south and we really like it. All the
people are so nice and the marina staff go out of their way to make your stay enjoyable. If you need provisioning they just give you a car.
We would definitely recommend the marina if you are in the area.
Our plan was to stay in the marina for a couple of days then go to a local anchorage for a few days before continuing south. We needed a
couple of days for maintenance. Our packing gland was leaking and Ellis had to tighten it and clean the bilges of the nasty water that had
made it into the boat. Working on the packing gland is an exercise in hanging upside down into the aft-most bilge for a couple of hours.
There's always something.
We left the marina at noon one day. We were only going south a couple of hours to hole up in Cowen Creek. All the weather forecasters had
strong thunderstorms coming in a couple of days leading a strong cold front. The front fizzled in front of our eyes without so much as a rain
shower. Another missed forecast. The two or three days we waited cost us some favorable tide over the next few days. We wanted to go
sooner but it would have been shear folly to travel during the severe weather that never came. Great.
The first day out we had four shallow areas to transit. One on either side of the Savannah River, one through a place called Hells Gate
(appropriately named) and one called the Florida Passage. If all went as planned we would arrive at our anchorage about 5 p.m. We were
moving before daylight. The first obstacle was to negotiate the area around Hilton Head Island at low tide. Low tide is always nerve racking
around here. On the north side of the Savannah River we scraped the bottom where the water was supposed to be 10 feet at the time. I
guess we can always use a little bottom cleaning but this is ridiculous.
The problem with the South Carolina and Georgia ICW is that you never know exactly where the channel is supposed to be. You can get
updated information on depth surveys from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but the surveys say that they measure depths from the center
of the channel and 45 feet on either side. That's great if you know where the channel is. Chartplotters use data that is derived from NOAA
charts, but sometimes the data is years old, and of course, the chartplotter positions you with GPS (the accuracy can be within 10 feet or it
may be 25 feet or more). Our chartplotter has had us driving on land before. Chartplotters are great, but they were never designed to be that
accurate. The markers of course have been moved over the years and may or may not be depicted on the chartplotters accurately. Also, the
markers may need to be moved to mark moving shoals, but the Coast Guard may not have gotten around to it yet. Sometimes, especially in
narrow cuts, like the one approaching the Savannah River, there are no markers. You have to assume the center is between the banks,
unless you have some other information from cruising guides or the Corps of Engineers. What all this means is that sometimes you have to
go with your gut and depth sounder. Fun stuff.
Anyway, we were following survey data and Skipper Bob's which suggested to favor the red side (there were no markers, so the red side was
the west side of the cut). Just as soon as we bumped the bottom (and the bottom felt hard) and saw the depth gauge show less than our draft,
we were back in 12 feet of water. I'm guessing the shallow spot was about a boat length long and just deep enough to not stop us cold. Thirty
minutes earlier, we would have been hard aground. It's literally enough to make you crazy. The keel is probably fine, but I won't know for
sure until I get a diver to take a look. I would do it myself, but I won't go overboard in this nasty water. I"m glad we have a full keel. More
than likely, the worst damage we will have is scraped off bottom paint. We'll worry about that later in Florida.
A few hours later, we went through Hells Gate at high tide. At low tide it was supposed to be zero on one side. At least Hells Gate was
marked well and we made it through fine.
Florida Passage was the same (we made it through fine) and we dropped anchor in Buckhead Creek in 25 feet of water.
The next morning we left about 10:00 (Leta loved sleeping in) to time another stressful day of the morning at low tide with the afternoon
going through Creighton Narrows at high tide (only two feet at low tide). We saw an area shallower than it was supposed to be (we saw 8
feet-remember the tide is about 8 feet), but made it through just fine. We dropped anchor in the Duplin River at about mile 649 in another 25
feet of water. It's amazing that the anchorages are deeper than the ICW.
The Duplin River would be our home for a few days. Next up, we had two hours of shallow areas to transit (three of them with 2 or 3 feet of
water each at low tide) and high tide would not be in daylight hours for a while. We needed a rest anyway.
We left Duplin River at dawn Thursday, October 25. We timed our departure to transit Little Mud River, Altamaha Sound and Buttermilk
Sound very close to high tide. These transits have very narrow sections and are shoaled to a couple of feet MLW in some areas. It would
take 2 to 3 hours of tedious driving to make it through unscathed. We finally made it to the deeper water approaching St. Simons Sound
about noon with any barnacles we had still clinging to hull. We needed fuel and water and decided to stay at Golden Isles Marina on the north
side of the sound (there are only marginal anchorages around the area). We would recommend Golden Isles Marina to anyone. Sources of
provisioning are close and the marina provides an old car for transportation. The only problem I have with the marina is the tremendous
current. The dock for transients is an easy on and easy off face dock, but with max ebb or flood there is nothing easy about it. If there were
reasonable anchorages around we would prefer that, but all things considered, it was a nice stay.
We left the marina around 10 a.m. on Saturday in order to transit our last serious shallow spot in Jekyll Creek (one foot MLW) at high tide.
That proved to be a bit problematic because immeditately south of the shallow spot is a 65 foot bridge. The tide was running about a foot
higher than normal so we were anticipating a wait before going under the bridge. We were not anticipating the bridge not having a height
gauge and ended up waiting an hour and a half to make sure we had enough clearance. But hey, we made it.
Nor'easter - Our goal was to make it to Brickhill River about 10 miles north of Fernandina Beach, Florida. We had planned to stay there
until Monday or Tuesday (the 29th or 30th) for insurance reasons. Our policy covers losses anywhere, except between July 1 and October 31
any damage from tropical storms are excluded if we are below 31 degrees latitude. Well, 31 degrees is in the middle of St. Andrew Sound,
north of Brickhill River and south of the shallow spot in Jekyll Creek. We would be below our magic arbitrary insurance line, but only by 8 or
10 miles. Our plan was to keep a sharp eye to weather and, if need be, go back across the 31 degree line. The only problem with that logic is
that there are no anchorages to be had. Our only options would be to go back through Jekyll Creek (I would rather be beaten) and go to
Golden Isles or get a tie up at Jekyll Harbor Marina (strategically placed between Jekyll Creek and St. Andrew Sound). Jekyll Harbor
Marina is small without much transient space, but there was no indication of bad weather so we didn't worry about it much.
So. We get to the anchorage in Brickhill River by mid-afternoon, find a spot with plenty swing room and drop anchor. We expected wind of
20 to 25 for a couple of days and put out plenty of chain, not anticipating any difficulties. After resting for a few minutes we decided to check
weather. Big surprise. The forecast had completely changed due to tropical depression Noel in the Caribbean. There was a high sitting over
the eastern U.S. that happened to be in the right proximity to Noel in order to cause a Nor'easter and the forecast now called for gale force
winds all week. Gale force winds are not necessarily a problem (we have big anchors and lots of chain), but we decided we should take a
quick look at the definition of "tropical storm" in our insurance policy. Sure enough, a Nor'easter, among other things, is defined as a
tropical storm (I guess under the theory that it takes a significant low to set up the right conditions for a Nor'easter). At first we decided to sit
tight and ride out the weather in Brickhill River. But we started thinking that if anything went wrong (even another boat coming into the
anchorage and hitting our boat) the insurance company would probably argue that the damage was a result of a tropical storm. We called
Jekyll Harbor Marina and they had room for Sunday. First potential problem solved. The next problem was getting back through St. Andrew
Sound on Sunday.
St. Andrew Sound is rough even in mild conditions. The reason is that the channel across the sound squeezes through two shoal areas with
the seaward shoal area shallow enough for the ocean swells to break immediately next to your boat across the channel. Additionally, the
current through these shoal areas can be up to four knots. On Sunday morning, the wind was forecast to be 20 to 25, gusting to 35. The
ocean waves were forecast to be 6 to 8 feet, so the breakers across the channel could be scary. Suffice it to say, we were not looking forward
to Sunday morning. Not to mention the fact that if anything went wrong during the most treacherous spot, we would be below our 31 degree
mark by about one quarter of a mile. Fun stuff.
We were up very early and left Brickhill River before daylight in hopes of getting through the sound before the wind really kicked up. In
three hours it was over, but not before crashing into waves, wind and current only to have our speed over ground knocked down to about 2
knots at times and getting rolled around quite a bit as we went through the waves on our beam. It is very difficult to steer through this kind of
thing because it is so bouncy and narrow. Ellis was exhausted by the time we tied up at the marina. Leta was stressed so much that she
thought about beating the dogs. Well, maybe not.
The marina and Jekyll Island turned out to be a nice place to spend a few days. There were free bicycles with bike trails through the huge,
moss covered oak trees all over the island. Very pretty. Under the tree canopy, you would never know that the wind was howling at over 30
knots.
Okay. We were underway again on November 1st. Good to go with insurance. The wind had moderated a bit, but was still very windy. St.
Andrew Sound would not be fun. It wasn't, but at least we were downwind. We made it through St. Andrew Sound unscathed and were on
schedule to make it through a reported shallow spot in Cumberland Sound close to the huge nuclear submarine base at high tide. Cool. The
worst of the shallow spots were behind us.
About noon we had crossed the inlet at Fernandina Beach and were on our way to a pull over anchorage south of Amelia Island. We had
stopped there in the spring and knew that it was relatively exposed to the wind but had good holding and plenty of swing room. The wind was
forecast to be 20 to 25. It would not be comfortable, but we would be safe.
Bridges - Well. About 10 miles north of the anchorage we were approaching a high rise bridge with the wind behind us (at least 20 to 25) and
the current pushing us at least two knots. It was not a good combination for us to stop and turn around in tight quarters if the bridge
clearance was too low. It was close to high tide, so we knew that with the strong wind during the last week the clearance could be a problem.
It just so happened that there was another Island Packet in front of us with the same mast height. At least they would face the brunt of the
problem if there was one. Sure enough, the height gauge read 62 feet and the other boat somehow turned around without crashing into the
sides. On paper our masts are 62 feet high and with the stuff on top like the wind instruments, tri-color light and VHF antenna, we need at
least 63 and one half to clear everything. If we had to, we could get by with 63 feet and the VHF antenna would touch without ripping anything
off.
We managed to turn around without running aground in the narrow channel and just sat there a while holding position facing into the wind and
current. We took a few minutes to assess our situation. There was not a decent anchorage in the vicinity (surprise), so we called the large
marina in Fernandina Beach (I forget the name) and they told us that the only space available was on their face dock and the forecast strong
winds would make that very rough and suggested for us to call another marina. That marina turned out to be so close to us that we could see
it. The only problem was that marina had a very small entrance channel and the cruising guides said that the MLW depth was seven feet.
We could deal with that as long as the info was accurate. We called the marina and grilled them a few minutes on depth until we felt
comfortable going in. We might have to play the tides a bit to get out, but we would have a secure place to stay. We made it fine and
somehow managed to get into a slip with 25 knots on our beam without banging the docks.
Next morning we were off at daylight and planned to get as far as St. Augustine. The only problem (as usual) was that there were no
anchorages that could safely deal with 25 knot winds and we would have to find a marina once again.. And yes. The winds were still howling.
During the day, we went under a bridge showing 63 feet and our VHF antenna bounced along under the bridge. Fun stuff. By late afternoon
we arrived at Comachee Cove Marina just north of St. Augustine. We had fun getting through the narrow, shallow channel, beam to the wind
and waves, and had even more fun maneuvering in the close quarters in the marina (they had way too many boats squeezed in there). Ellis
banged the dock but managed to get into the slip with no damage. The relatively small black streak would come off with a little elbow grease
and rubbing compound. There's always something.
Next up was Daytona Beach. We scraped the bottom of a couple of bridges and by late afternoon had only a couple of more bridges to go
under to get to our planned anchorage. It was a pull-over but the winds had finally moderated to 5 to 10.
As we approached the last couple of bridges, the height gauge showed less than 62 feet. Great. Another boat with a similar mast height
heard the VHF chatter and told us that the gauges were wrong and we had two or three feet more than the gauge reading. Well. We never
take the word of another boat, especially if we don't know them. That's just a recipe for disaster. Luckily, the Island Packet that almost ran
into the 62 foot bridge a couple of days before was behind us and volunteered to test the assertion that the bridge had more clearance than
the gauge showed.. I would not have done it, but they slowly inched their way to the bridge and, as advertised, the bridge was at least two to
three feet higher. Go figure.
We anchored in a pull-over just south of the last bridge. We had anchored there in the spring and it worked fine in settled weather.
We made our way to Titusville the next day for another pull-over anchorage. You could see the Space Shuttle launch pads in the distance.
Nothing special other than that.
Sadness - We got to Melbourne on Monday, November 5 and pulled into a slip at Melbourne Harbor Marina about 1 p.m. The marina was
well protected but expensive with no internet connection (no wireless or cable - nothing). They also had a funky attitude. Something like they
were doing you a favor to let you stay there. We would not go there again, but stayed for a few days because Ellis had to go to Dallas for a
couple of days and Leta's sister (Lori) and family lived there. It made for a good few days, except for one major life changing event.
Buster, our 15 year old dog had deteriorated significantly during the last couple of weeks. He had serious health issues during most of the last
ten years but we made sure he was always comfortable and having fun. We already had appointments with Lori's vet for international health
certificate reasons, so it was easy to get him in for a more serious look. While we were at Jekyll Island a retired vet took a look at Buster
and basically told us that his days were numbered. When Lori's vet took a look he told us in so many words that it was time to put Buster to
sleep. We always knew the time would come and expected the bad news, but it was the hardest thing we ever had to do. But it was best for
Buster. He was beginning to suffer and that was the last thing we wanted. Buster loved to eat and Ellis had him munching on a treat while the
vet administered the drug. He went to sleep in mid-munch so his last thought was YUM. It was the perfect way for Buster to go. He went
very comfortably and painlessly. We knew all of that, but we still cried like babies. See the Pug page for more of Buster. He was the perfect
dog and we miss him greatly. The thing that keeps us reasonably sane is knowing that he lived a great dog life.
We left Melbourne on November 11 with Buster on our minds and made it past Ft. Pierce to the Jensen Beach area. It was relatively windy
the cruising guides say the only viable anchorage is 6 to 7 feet deep. We passed on that, and much to our increasing frustration at staying at
marinas, we found one spot available at Nettles Island Marina. The approach was shallow but uneventful.
Final staging - We left the next morning at daylight and made it to the Lake Worth inlet at West Palm Beach. The day was very tedious
since you go through seven or eight bascule bridges within 20 miles or so. But we finally anchored in a relatively good anchorage just south of
the inlet no worse for the wear. The anchorage was in clear water. Clear water. You could see the bottom. We hadn't seen that since we had
cleared back into the states at Lake Worth last spring. We would stage there for the right weather window to go outside to Miami. There are
way too many bridges going further south on the ICW and there is one 56 foot bridge north of Miami which we could not get under. We are
getting excited. Not too much longer until we are back in the islands.
After two days at West Palm Beach we had a marginal weather window to get to Miami. A strong cold front was on the way and it was either
now or wait for at least another week. We left at one in the morning. The trip would take around 12 hours and we wanted to get to the Miami
area close to noon so we would have several hours of daylight to deal with the unexpected. Always a good idea, especially if you are entering
a large commercial harbor for the first time. The night was a bit bouncy with lots of big boat traffic and beginning at dawn we had lots of rain
for several hours. We used radar to dodge some particularly nasty looking showers and arrived more or less on time at Government Cut. It
was easy from there to take the ICW south a couple of miles arriving at Crandon Park Marina on Key Biscayne close to noon. The marina is
nothing special but it has 60 moorings at only $15 per night. It was perfect to weather the cold front forecast to hit our area in the middle of
the night. The marina will be our home for a while until the right weather window for crossing the Gulf Stream presents itself. It could be
days or weeks. We shall see.
Next stop. Bahamas.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
| Navy warship going out to sea |
| Aircraft carrier at Norfolk navy dock |
| South Harbour Village Marina |
| Coastal North Carolina homes |
| Pretty Scenery on the Waccamaw River in South Carolina |
| Thoroughfare Creek anchorage |
| Port Royal Landing Marina, Beaufort, South Carolina |
| The Civil War isn't over in Georgia |
| Miami mooring field with downtown in the background |
| Jekyl Island Georgia bike trails |
| Jekyl Island beaches |