I left Port Royal Sound in the dark (again!) this morning. Anchored last night along side Parris Island where the marines do training and had brilliant night flares and helicopters to entertain me in the evening! My reward for leaving in the dark was yet another incredible sunrise as I headed out to the ocean. Beautiful!
I wanted to sail the coast today and come in at Sapelp Inlet in Georgia but none of my cruising friends had ever used it or even heard of it. I was still within internet range off the coast and did some "Googling" and found out that it had some treacherous shoals, was not used by "pleasure" boaters but only used by shrimpers. Well, I like shrimp so I thought, why not? Definitely a "fair weather" inlet as I saw breakers and shoals on either side of me as I came in! That said, as long as I followed the chart (which I did) and navigated properly (must have or I wouldn't be writing this) I had plenty of water in the channel and it was quite a good entrance. I would not use it in bad weather as I can see how the waves and swells could get steep and intense with the shallows all around and it would be quite a wild ride getting in if you made it!
So, tonight I'm anchored in Wahoo Creek and dolphins have already been by to say hello. Tomorrow I'll do another before dawn exit and follow a track I laid down electronically on my way in through the shoals this afternoon. That track will guide me out into the Atlantic again for my push into Florida! I'll come in at Fernandina Beach.
Ok, all for now. Time to fix some dinner and watch the sunset....