s/v Patty K ICW Adventure

Our first trip down the ICW...

Vessel Name: Patty K
Vessel Make/Model: Catalina 387, Sail No. 36
Hailing Port: Solomons, Maryland
Crew: Rich Freeman/Patty Kimmel
About:
Husband & wife sailors. We have had boats most of our lives. Patty has been sailing 30+ years and Rich 17, having been a power boater in his previous life. Our homeport is Solomons, Maryland, and we regularly cruise to rivers, creeks, nooks, crannies and interesting gunkholes on the Chesapeake Bay. [...]
30 October 2012 | Brunswick Landing Marina
23 October 2012 | Wright River, near entrance to Fields Cut
22 October 2012 | Downtown Marina of Beaufort
17 October 2012 | IOP Marina
16 October 2012 | Harborwalk Marina, Georgetown
15 October 2012 | Barefoot Landing Marina
14 October 2012 | Southport Marina
12 October 2012 | Beaufort, NC
11 October 2012 | Oriental, NC
09 October 2012 | Elizabeth City, NC
08 October 2012 | Anchored behind Goat Island
07 October 2012 | Tidewater Marina, Portsmouth
06 October 2012 | Chisman Creek
05 October 2012 | Mill Creek, off the Great Wicomico River
29 September 2012 | Solomons
Recent Blog Posts
30 October 2012 | Brunswick Landing Marina

Isle of Hope, GA to Brunswick, GA

We returned to Isle of Hope from our quick trip to Virginia on Sunday evening. The boat was in good shape; the marina tied a couple of more lines and put out three more fenders to cushion against higher winds. That is what the hurricane produced at the marina - higher winds and a higher tide.

23 October 2012 | Wright River, near entrance to Fields Cut

Beaufort, SC to the Wright River anchorage

Departed Beaufort at 0720 hours. It is a beautiful, clear day with few clouds. We made good time down the Beaufort River and into Port Royal Sound, rounding Parris Island Split. We eased into Skull Creek and began our passage of Hilton Head Island. I think we saw more mansions in two hours than we have all of this trip. We then entered Calibogue Sound and passed around Daufuskie Island on the Cooper River. We then turned south entering Ramshorn Creek which led us to the New River. Passing through Walls Cut we entered the Wright River where we anchored for the night in the western branch, just past Fields Cut. We will take Fields Cut to the Savannah River in the morning at first light to take advantage of the falling tide because of the shallow depth of the cut. While looking for the entrance to the Wright River, we couldn't find G 47; it's missing. So we eased around some shoaling and anchored in thirteen feet of water. Not thirty minutes later a Coast Guard tugboat pushing a crane barge came down the river and anchored at the bend. They replaced the missing G 47 marker with a new pole and completed the job in about an hour. Then they headed into the cut and turned right into the Savannah River; we can see the top of the tug from the anchorage. In fact, we can monitor the commercial traffic going into the Port of Savannah but looking at the horizon and watching the boat traffic doing up the river. Patty got comfortable and stretched out on the fore deck to catch some rays. Rich got comfortable and stretched out in the cockpit to catch some zzzzz's. Later on in the afternoon we noticed a pair of golden eagles perched on an old dead tree on the bank, just waiting. One got up and went fishing. He missed the fish on the first pass but got him on the second. He flew off toward a grove of trees on Jones Island. There must be at least a couple of nests because Rich observed three different eagles soaring around the waterway this afternoon. Wind picked up this afternoon to eleven knots from the east. It's taking a little time getting used to six, seven and even eight foot tides and anchoring. So far all the bottoms where we anchored have been good holding mud. And we haven't dragged, so far... Not a lot of traffic on the ICW today. We will depart this anchorage early in the morning and head to Isle of Hope, 17 miles distant, where we will leave the boat until next week. We will drive back to Springfield on Thursday so Patty and I can attend a credit union meeting. We plan on resuming our trip next Monday or Tuesday...

22 October 2012 | Downtown Marina of Beaufort

Isle of Palms to Beaufort, SC

We departed the Isle of Palms Marina at 0728 hours to arrive at the Ben Sawyer Bridge in time for the 0900 hours opening. We waited for 45 minutes for the opening in a wicked current and up to 18 knots of wind. Bumped ground twice while waiting in the middle of the channel… how does that happen?? [...]

17 October 2012 | IOP Marina

Georgetown, SC to Isle of Palms, SC

We departed Georgetown 0714 hours and motored down the Winyah Bay and turned south into the Estherville Minim Creek Canal. About a mile down the canal were two bald eagles sitting in the top of a pine tree, looking like they owned the canal. Further down the canal, we saw two more eagles. They were magnificent. [...]

16 October 2012 | Harborwalk Marina, Georgetown

Barefoot Landing to Georgetown, SC

We departed Barefoot Landing Marina at 0714 hours. It was a very pleasant morning and the first part of the trip was very uneventful. We just missed the Socastee swing bridge opening (Mile 371) and had to wait about fifteen minutes to pass. Once we passed the bridge, we entered the Waccamaw River. The [...]

15 October 2012 | Barefoot Landing Marina

Southport, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC

Great day on the water today. It was a bit chilly in the morning and I think Patty changed clothes three times (at least). What a beautiful run down the ICW today with incredible homes on both sides and still the treacherous currents and tides! It is a little nerve racking at each inlet as you watch [...]

Isle of Hope, GA to Brunswick, GA

30 October 2012 | Brunswick Landing Marina
Rich/clear, cool, and very, very windy
We returned to Isle of Hope from our quick trip to Virginia on Sunday evening. The boat was in good shape; the marina tied a couple of more lines and put out three more fenders to cushion against higher winds. That is what the hurricane produced at the marina - higher winds and a higher tide.
We had a very nice supper at the Driftaway restaurant and went shopping at the local Piggly Wiggly supermarket. We then returned to the boat and got ready for an early departure. The tides were with us and we wanted to make the 0800 hours opening of the Skidaway Narrows Bridge. Patty did a great job maneuvering the boat in the winds and current while waiting for the opening; there were three other sailboats waiting in the queue with us. We were able to take advantage of the current and reached out proposed anchorage at Cattle Pen Creek about 1300 hours and decided to keep going. The wind seemed to pick up as we crossed the Sapelo Sound and entered the Sapelo River. We entered the North River and the winds were blowing 20 plus knots out of the west. There are four good anchorages along the North River and we chose to enter the Darien River and anchored just before Green 1. It was a little past low tide and we anchored in eight feet of water. The wind was blowing 22 and the anchor set itself. We had a very windy night; Rich was up every couple of hours to make sure all was well.
We departed the anchorage about 0800 hours and made it through the Little Mud River riding a high tide. We entered the Mackay River and the winds picked up to the mid-twenties and gusts to 30 plus knots. By the time we reached St Simons Sound the wind was blowing high twenties with gusts way past 30 knots. We entered the Brunswick River and then turned right at Red 30 into the East River heading toward the Brunswick Landing Marina. We called them and said to prepare for a starboard tie up. Rich got the lines and bumpers ready and Patty pulled into the slip under less than ideal wind conditions. We tied up, cleaned up the boat and had a very relaxing evening.
This is the last entry for the blog until we come back in May to begin the journey back to the Chesapeake Bay.

Beaufort, SC to the Wright River anchorage

23 October 2012 | Wright River, near entrance to Fields Cut
Rich/clear, sunny, some wind
Departed Beaufort at 0720 hours. It is a beautiful, clear day with few clouds. We made good time down the Beaufort River and into Port Royal Sound, rounding Parris Island Split. We eased into Skull Creek and began our passage of Hilton Head Island. I think we saw more mansions in two hours than we have all of this trip. We then entered Calibogue Sound and passed around Daufuskie Island on the Cooper River. We then turned south entering Ramshorn Creek which led us to the New River. Passing through Walls Cut we entered the Wright River where we anchored for the night in the western branch, just past Fields Cut. We will take Fields Cut to the Savannah River in the morning at first light to take advantage of the falling tide because of the shallow depth of the cut. While looking for the entrance to the Wright River, we couldn't find G 47; it's missing. So we eased around some shoaling and anchored in thirteen feet of water. Not thirty minutes later a Coast Guard tugboat pushing a crane barge came down the river and anchored at the bend. They replaced the missing G 47 marker with a new pole and completed the job in about an hour. Then they headed into the cut and turned right into the Savannah River; we can see the top of the tug from the anchorage. In fact, we can monitor the commercial traffic going into the Port of Savannah but looking at the horizon and watching the boat traffic doing up the river. Patty got comfortable and stretched out on the fore deck to catch some rays. Rich got comfortable and stretched out in the cockpit to catch some zzzzz's. Later on in the afternoon we noticed a pair of golden eagles perched on an old dead tree on the bank, just waiting. One got up and went fishing. He missed the fish on the first pass but got him on the second. He flew off toward a grove of trees on Jones Island. There must be at least a couple of nests because Rich observed three different eagles soaring around the waterway this afternoon. Wind picked up this afternoon to eleven knots from the east. It's taking a little time getting used to six, seven and even eight foot tides and anchoring. So far all the bottoms where we anchored have been good holding mud. And we haven't dragged, so far... Not a lot of traffic on the ICW today. We will depart this anchorage early in the morning and head to Isle of Hope, 17 miles distant, where we will leave the boat until next week. We will drive back to Springfield on Thursday so Patty and I can attend a credit union meeting. We plan on resuming our trip next Monday or Tuesday...

Isle of Palms to Beaufort, SC

22 October 2012 | Downtown Marina of Beaufort
Rich/clear, cool at night, warm during the day
We departed the Isle of Palms Marina at 0728 hours to arrive at the Ben Sawyer Bridge in time for the 0900 hours opening. We waited for 45 minutes for the opening in a wicked current and up to 18 knots of wind. Bumped ground twice while waiting in the middle of the channel… how does that happen?? Once through the swing bridge we went into the Charleston Marina and Resort Marina at 0930 hours. We fueled up and pumped out while dolphins were checking us out within the breakwater. Walked around, settled in, worked a little and took the free Ollie the Trolley into town at 1600 hours. Dropped us off right in the heart of the market district. Played tourist and had an outstanding authentic southern food dinner at Jestine’s Kitchen. Took the trolley back to the marina at 1815 hours. While this marina wasn’t our first choice, it turned out to be the best with respect to transportation into Charleston and ease of docking.
Lay day in Charleston on Friday. Rode the water taxi over to Charleston with free tickets that came with the slip. Toured galleries, historic area, lunched at Jestine’s Kitchen. There was a line around the corner this time! Happy hour at the Fleet Landing then dinner with Cheryl and Rob at the Charleston Crab House… again good food; yummy shrimp and grits! They provided us with transportation back to the boat. Nice visit.
Left Charleston Saturday morning at 0730 hours. Wound our way through Charleston Harbor and found the ICW waterway. At 1130 hours a familiar boat came upon us as we were motoring through the South Ediston River. It was Runaway, Matt and Marty Miller, from Solomons. They recommended that we keep going until the shallow areas were put behind us because the tides were significant in this area. They told us there was no way we could safely traverse the Ashepoo – Coosaw Cutoff anywhere near low tide; MWL was about four feet, regardless what the chart shows. We followed them through the cufoff to Bull River and anchored just inside the river off of the ICW in about 20 feet of water (the anchorage is shown on our chart). Motored over in the dinghy and had a nice happy hour with them then started back just as the no-seeums were biting. We saw many bottle nose dolphin during the day and they were playing around the boats in this anchorage… so much fun! It was important to pay close attention to the boat because currents frequently took Fred, our autopilot, off course as if he had a mind of his own. The currents also cause the boat to drift outside the channel, on occasion. We had reached Mile Marker 521. Patty was up at 0200 hours to see the meteor shower but no such luck – no shooting stars but an incredible sky from horizon to horizon.
On Sunday we slept in a little because we were waiting for the tide to rise. Those who do not pay attention run aground and have terrible problems. We left the anchorage around 0830 hours, just after Runaway and went through the Ladies Island Swing Bridge that was opening on demand (since it was a weekend). About 1145 hours we went into the Downtown Marina of Beaufort. Amazing currents in the marina. We turned the boat around in out slip so it will be easier to leave. Walked around town and had a good dinner at the Plum restaurant.
Monday is a lay day in Beaufort, SC. Took a walk around the historic area, found a nice little market for breakfast and then shopped a little more. We definitely supported their economy. The marina offers a free vehicle for use so we went to the grocery store. The remainder of the day was spent working on boat clean up and relaxation. We will be leaving at o’dark thirty to take advantage of the tide. We plan on anchoring out tomorrow.

Georgetown, SC to Isle of Palms, SC

17 October 2012 | IOP Marina
Rich/Cooler in the morning, sunny
We departed Georgetown 0714 hours and motored down the Winyah Bay and turned south into the Estherville Minim Creek Canal. About a mile down the canal were two bald eagles sitting in the top of a pine tree, looking like they owned the canal. Further down the canal, we saw two more eagles. They were magnificent. After we crossed the South Santee River we saw two alligators skulking along the shoreline. One was quite large. As we went down the Harbor River we observed several pairs of porpoise swimming in the river, but none followed our boat.
Today's transit crossed several inlets and rivers, with shoaling and currents quite prevalent near those crossings. It was not for the faint of heart...
We arrived at Island of Palms Marina at 1530 hours. Tomorrow we will depart around 0730 hours in order to make the bridge opening at the Ben Sawyer Bridge at 0900 hours. Then we will travel into Charleston for a couple of days.
Will try to post photos tomorrow...

Barefoot Landing to Georgetown, SC

16 October 2012 | Harborwalk Marina, Georgetown
Rich/clear, sunny in the afternoon
We departed Barefoot Landing Marina at 0714 hours. It was a very pleasant morning and the first part of the trip was very uneventful. We just missed the Socastee swing bridge opening (Mile 371) and had to wait about fifteen minutes to pass. Once we passed the bridge, we entered the Waccamaw River. The river generally opened up and got a little deeper. Of course, the tide was higher in the morning. It was a pleasant ride, especially since it was warming up. Since about 1000 hours, the tide was against us and we were only making 5 knots. It wasn't until we passed Butler Island that the tide changed and we were able to do 8.2 knots into the turn-off for Georgetown, crossing the Great Pee Dee River and motoring into the Sampit River. Many boats were anchored in the river, many of them shrimp boats. We fueled up, pumped out and went to our slip.
Since this is the third Tuesday, we attended the Belvoir FCU Board Meeting by phone. After the meeting was over, we went to eat at the River Room restaurant. Rich had the shrimp and grits (excellent) and Patty had grouper (also excellent). Overall, an excellent choice since the seafood here is fresh caught off the boats...
The facilities at the marina are very nice and we are taking the opportunity to do some laundry. Tomorrow, we are hoping to make it to Isle of Palms, and then on into Charleston on Thursday and Friday.

Southport, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC

15 October 2012 | Barefoot Landing Marina
Rich/80 degrees but cool early, sunny, little wind, fifteen minutes of rain this evening
Great day on the water today. It was a bit chilly in the morning and I think Patty changed clothes three times (at least). What a beautiful run down the ICW today with incredible homes on both sides and still the treacherous currents and tides! It is a little nerve racking at each inlet as you watch the current swirl and wonder if you will run aground, like another boat that is traveling in our group did today. Unlimited towing insurance is like a safety blanket. We went through two swing bridges today and several bridges that were a minimum of 65' tall.
We began transiting today a stretch of the ICW called the ‘Rock Pile’. It’s eighteen miles of channel with rocks on both sides and often the channel is narrower than usual. It reminds us of the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. We were a little intimidated about the 'rocks' as we traveled south. It's the narrow part of the ICW where commercial traffic can make you run up on the rocks. It did not happen today....whew!

Barefoot Landing Marina is a wonderful spot with shopping. Patty has purchased five sets of new shoes by now... is there a new obsession here? The restaurants offer super happy hour specials too.

We had a quiet evening with two fellow boating couples and all looking forward to an early start to Georgetown in the morning. It will be a fifty-five mile trip. Hopefully we won’t be experiencing the currents like we did today.
It rained tonight for about fifteen minutes. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice.

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