Sunday -- 19 NOV 2017 - LOG Cooper River (Dufuskie) to Vernon River (Georgia) – above Hell gate

Early rise this AM, but late leave. Dalmatian called just before the scheduled anchor pull, with concern that IF we ran too fast and hard after Fields CUT (which is a story unto itself) AND the tide was still HIGH, they would not be able to get under the first HIGH Rise Bridge in Georgia. (So they wanted to time the arrival at that bridge for 1.5 hours after high tide). OK.
Anyway, (late leave from the Cooper river)…. So I used the extra time to tighten the V-belt (alternator-coolant pump), and transfer some fuel (bow to mid-ship tanks).
So… off we went toward Fields cut… Active captain had given a superb description of the shoaling, and the resultant buoy changes… But even though we knew what to expect, it was still unnerving, when both Dalmatian, and Autumn Borne are “crabbing” (i.e. pointing one way but going another) because of current, and a 24 knot wind, while passing through the navigable section of Fields cut… (approximately ONE boat length WIDE)…. So, we’re going through there basically Sideways….
Then… after passing into the Savannah River… two huge container ships passed us, and each other, and so stirred up the bottom, that when we started to enter the AICW on the south side, our depth gauges read 5.1 to 5.4 feet !!!!! NOT GOOD!!! So Both Dalmatian and AB did a little “roundy – round” there…. (back out into the channel… let things settle, and then tried it again… Success!)
The rest of the day…which was short due to a rapidly falling tide, was without incident…. But we anchored before 1530 hours.. in the Vernon River… Just above HELL GATE (notorious shoaling spot – with 3 foot depths reported at mean low water- BTW the tides here are 8+ feet…. So IF you make a mistake on a falling tide… YUP TOAST !!!
We’re anchored at N 31 55.488 W 081 06.685 after only 27 nerve wracking miles. ;)
Tomorrow we’ll scoot through Hells gate, and down to Tea Kettle creek, or Cattle pen creek…or …. Or …
We’re NOT going to make St. Mary’s with our usual 4 day party time before Turkey DAY… In fact, we’ll be lucky if we make it… period. The weather has not given any chances for our usual outside HOPs.  Bummer.
More later.