Rising before dawn allowed us to take full advantage of the falling tide and pass through the Lady's Island Bridge without worrying about the rush hour restrictions. Our canvas went aloft just before passing under the Port Royal Fixed Bridge. By the time we passed the US Marine Corps base on Parris Island we were making great time on a broad reach under the main and genny. Rounding the southern tip of Parris Island the ICW doubles back towards the inland side of Hilton Head Island. The tide that was adding a pleasant 2 knots to our velocity now became our enemy, but the winds finally awoke and kept us above 5knots. The ICW follows Skull Creek on the inland side of Hilton Head. Despite Skull Creek having more turns that a double bowline the increasing east winds allowed us to jibe our way through and emerge in Calabogue Sound without starting the diesel. As our understanding of winds, water ,and canvas grows; I continue to derive more and more satisfaction from light air sailing in tight quarters. Anne will probably scoff at the last line. If the toe rail is not submerged then she doesn't believe we are sailing. Soon she would have her way.

Small craft advisories continue to force us inland along the ICW, but today's winds offered us an opportunity to have a taste of sailing outside without the commitment of a long offshore run. Making 7.5 knots southward out Calabogue Sound gave us the idea to continue the heading and run outside of Dafuskie Island and reenter the ICW via Tybee Roads. This would allow us to spend around 2 hours in open water. Check the tides, reef the mainsail, plot a course and we are rolling.... Really rolling the waves picked up immediately after passing the southwestern tip of Hilton Head. One reef in the main and the genny flying we, yet again were over canvassed, but on our current beam reach the worst effect was a tremendous weather helm. The trickiest part of our passage was the jibe required to enter Tybee Roads. Entering channels over canvassed and on a downwind run seems to be a reoccurring theme in our journey south. At least we are now well practiced. A successful jibe placed us on a pleasant broad reach. Unfortunately, as the rock jetties' hemmed us in our heading turned to a run. The genny began to flog violently in the main sail's wind eddy. Anne took the helm as I went forward to drop the main (see image included). A bit of canvas wrestling to stow the main and we continued on under the genny. Open water gave way to channel and the seas calmed, yet Anne was not done rock'n. Inspired by Gene Simmon's "Celebrity Shuffle" on Sirrus Radio, Anne two stepped and juked laps around the deck. What will the neighbor's think.

The Clauston Bluff's Bascule Bridge, just south of Savannah, GA, finally forced us to drop the sails and start the motor. It felt good to be back on the move... riding the winds and tides.