We're in Georgia
04 December 2008
We had a short but very enjoyable visit to Beaufort. We were in a bevy of boats most of which either anchored by the marina or are tied up in close proximity to Sea Sharp. Judy and I took a couple of great walks along the majestic streets of this town; the second in the evening. While it is like September at home, the streets are festooned with Christmas lights and the stately homes are impressively decorated. We have probably the best day since we've arrived back on Sea Sharp.
To bed early and up early but no point of leaving until mid morning because we need sufficient water under our keel to transit several very shallow areas of the ICW. So, we leave around 9:45 at half tide rising. It's a bit tricky leaving the marina but we back out against the current and do an aggressive turn to get going against the current. We hope to make Thunderbolt today but it will be very tight. We start out in front of a tug pushing a barge and we're just ahead of him all day long. He passes us but we take a short cut and get ahead of him; he passes us again. Again many bridges and skinny water to navigate. Judy and I remark at how much more relaxed we are about these things; now we don't even give a 65 foot bridge a second thought; a barge/tug has to be very close to us before we get nervous and unless the depth sounder screams at us that we've less than two feet under the keel we don't even back off the power.
It's a very pleasant day today and we roll up all the sides of our enclosure. The route today is a complicated one, taking us across various sounds, meandering through creeks, crossing the Savannah River and transiting various land cuts including the infamous Fields Cut which has badly silted in. There is a final bascule bridge which we'll need to open for us to be able to get to our destination. At 4:30 it stops opening because it is rush hour and the traffic from the mainland to the barrier island is incessant. If we miss this opening, we'll have to back track to an anchorage and will be disappointed. Anyway, we make it to this bridge at 4:20 and get through. We tie up at Thunderbolt at 4:45. A good day for Sea Sharp! Each day more serene and happy than the last.!