We aren't going to get long-winded here... just want to give you our impressions and a few scenes along the way.
North Carolina is all about getting across the large, shallow rivers and sounds; Albemarle and Pamlico Sounds and the Neuce River turn nasty when the wind is in the wrong direction. Short, steep waves pick up quickly. "Go when the wind is from the north" was good advice! Getting through South Carolina means more maneuvering in winding, narrow passages with a combination of more cuts, canals and rivers. One day you see sandy barrier-type islands and the Atlantic, and then you are back winding through inland marshes.
Beaufort (pronounced Boe-fort) is a convenient place for boaters who want to provision before leaving for an ocean passage.
You can sign out a courtesy car for one hour. When you pull out, you set the pylon down to keep open the parking spot...quite a system...did I mention the big old station wagons?
The ICW goes right through Camp LeJeune. When the Marines are on maneuvers, they close the Waterway for three hours at a time.
On this day, we put up the jib, turned off the engine, and moved at 3 knots toward the bridge. We had to wait for the opening along with a few other cruisers.
While Old Rosie rode with the current, this big cat was clawing its way up the Cape Fear River.
Another cat on another day, passing a barge in the morning mist.
Once we were past the busy stretch of ICW in the Myrtle Beach area (canal-side golf courses and a dock-side outlet mall), we were back to nature at the Osprey Marina. There was no vacancy this night...
In Georgetown, Old Rosie was quite at home with the fishing boats.
The Boat Shed Marina is a third generation business- this is the original boat shed, still standing and in use.
Charleston.....
Through the Elliott Cut the current can be up to 4 knots; we were down to 2.8 knots at one point.
The day after Charleston, we anchored off the ICW at daymarker 157. I decided to check the chart book that we got from John and Kristen...looks like they anchored in the very same spot. This is a photo of their book...honest!
Georgia requires special navigating and planning skills. There is a nine foot tide through most of Georgia and the shallow spots have roughly ten feet at high tide, so there's not a lot of room for error when many sailboats, including Old Rosie, draft about 5 feet. Timing the passage at rising or high tide through the shallow areas is the trick. We travelled with a group of experienced cruisers and learned which anchorages are just north of the trouble spots, so the next day you can get through the shallows at high tide. Our usual speed of travel down Colpoys Bay is 6.9 knots. Sometimes Old Rosie was going with the current at 8-9 knots; sometimes beating against it at 2.5 or 5.2 knots; this was determined by the ebb and flow of water from the inlets to the Atlantic. Just another detail to factor in when trying to get to your anchorage before the sun sets.
St. Mary's River Inlet...the Atlantic looked very inviting this day.
Barge carrying dredging equipment - shoaling is frequent, especially near the inlets.
Low tide....
High tide....
Hard aground and waiting for the tide to rise.
Georgia anchorages, surrounded by grassy marshes, are very different from what we are used to in Georgian Bay.
Our friends, The Cruising Sailors of St. Micheals.
Once in Florida, you still need to stay in the channel of the ICW, but it seems like you can relax a bit. The dolphins are plentiful ... but they are hard to photograph. I never tire of seeing them.
Ben never tires of seeing tugs.
St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States, guarded by the Castillo de San Marcos.
The Spanish Quarter
More scenes from the fort
The Bridge of Lions, as we leave St. Augustine
Continuing down the ICW, there are an endless number of bridges. You have to check which ones have restrictions and which ones open on request. It also helps to call on the correct VHF channel and request the correct name of the bridge in order for it to open for you. LOL
The Christy McAuliffe Bridge is the last bridge Old Rosie went through before arriving at Harbortown Marina.
Old Rosie is temporarily a Florida Condo while we spend a few weeks playing at Cocoa Beach.
The adventure will continue when we return to Florida in March.
No comments:
Post a Comment