As we left the OXBOW anchorage on the Waccamaw River the idea was to stop and get fuel and water at Harbor Walk Marina in Georgetown SC…. WHICH is just what we did….
Harbor Walk is a place we’ve stayed before…so we knew where it was, and how to get in and out safely…. (The reason I mention “safely” is that the entire entrance is “RED” on AquaMaps; indicating extreme shoals….)
BUT… we did it…. And put exactly 100 gallons of diesel on board at $1.90 / gallon… and some water for the potable water tanks….

Then we moved on south, down Wynyah Bay to the junction with the AICW…. (decision time)…. OCEAN or AICW to Charleston…. In we went to MINIM Creek anchorage, just off the AICW… (wonderful anchorage….-- Quiet; minimal current; soft change from ebb to flood)…

The PULL (anchor) this AM was before first LIGHT… and well before sunrise…. WE were determined to make the Ben Sawyer Bridge north of Charleston harbor before the 4 to 6 PM lockout…. SO OFF we went, well before sunrise…. We could see the water surface but the BUOYs were still flashing their night time strobes…. SO it was dark…
Anyway… the currents were with us… to the point that we actually arrived at the bridge (Ben Sawyer) at around 1400 hours (2 PM)…. He opened…. (on request)… SO……………………. NOW comes the decision; anchor in our normal “Battery OVERLOOK” anchorage… in Charleston SC, OR move on south to the Stono River…. And toward Beaufort, SC.
Moving on meant we had to negotiate the Wahpoo BRIDGE on the ½ hour… AND fight the FULL EBB current going through Elliot Cut… That may not mean much to most of YOU, but ELLIOT cut is so narrow that that the full ebb current runs against you at about 4.5 knots…. Which means your boat speed will be reduced by that amount, and also be thrown around by the eddy’s and up-WELLING….
SO Elliot cut is nothing to “sneeze at”…
We made it…. And we’re anchored down in the STONO river…. About 5 miles from Charleston….
We still get TV signals out of Charleston…. Which means Susan is in the aft stateroom watching the Buffalo Bills play the 49’r’s
Anchorage tonight is 32.77970 -80.05436 (See BLOG page for actual plot of those coordinates).
NO real plans for tomorrow…. Nice breakfast…. Then move off toward Beaufort SC.