Southport - Charleston

Sunrise at depature

The Captain set an even earlier start this morning.  He seems determined to train his crew to operate on his schedule.

Moon still up high at departure

Tanker highway

The decision had to be made whether to continue down the ICW or go outside.  The marina in Georgetown, our next proposed stop, had indicated that a bridge was inoperative, but the boat across the dock said that he had checked and it was open.  A call to the 

Our route across the Atlantic

bridge yielded no response.  The Captain was then given some printouts of areas of shoaling that were quite low if you did not get there at high tide.  In the end, we decided to go outside and bypass Georgetown to get to Charleston.  This allowed us to get there before Jim Pyke had to leave on a business trip.

MFP navigating

It was a good day to go outside.  The seas were about as calm as you are going to find them although the Admiral finds the rocking movement not to her liking.  She does not complain however and takes up her position on the aft settee, lies down and meditates!  There was no cause for concern however, since upon hearing we were going to make a crossing of the Atlantic, MFP came aboard to guide the way.

Hazard on the ocean

The water on the ocean is beautiful – a much nicer colour than the tannin stained waters we have been passing through. 

Ocean colour

There is a very marked delineation of colour between the ocean and the waters laden with silt from exiting major rivers - even 10 miles offshore.

Shrimp boat and Cooper River Bridge

We are now in an area of significantly more tidal flow.  At the entrance to Charleston, just at the beginning of the breakwall, a considerable current created 3 foot waves.  Later as we went through a narrow cut headed for St. Johns

The Battery

Yacht Harbor Marina the Captain calculated the current at 4 knots.  This was his first real experience at docking in a current.  Fortunately it was on a T dock and he was able to point the boat upcurrent to dock.  Jim

Elliott Cut approaching St. Johns Yacht Harbor Marina

Pyke was out on the dock making sure Seas the Day did not hit his boat.  The Captain must have passed the skipper’s critical eye as we were invited aboard “Driftaway” for a great meal and a lovely evening with Jim and Debbie.

Live oaks with spanish moss along the sides of Elliot Cut