Awendaw to Charleston

We stopped to anchor on the Awendaw River in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, 64,000 acres of wilderness that is mostly inaccessible because of the wetlands and dense undergrowth. We can attest to that. Its quite a relief from the noise of the mill in Georgetown. The trip here was the thinnest water yet. Many times we turned up enough silt to render our depth-finder useless because of the false readings. It is also a waning moon so the negative tide is 1 foot below average.

North

East

This is our view of the wildlife refuge.  Tomorrow we plan to leave on the high tide in order to be on the low end at Charleston thirty miles away. This will also help us dock since the Cooper River will be at slack at about noonish.



Well, having writen the above we found the trip into Charleston to be a bit more intense.  There were areas of swift currents from different rivers that pushed us sideways in several narrow passages.  We also met a couple tugs pushing barges northward straining to keep in the channels too. 

As the tide fell it went below normal by a foot or more creating long stretches of 7 foot water.  We officially draft 6 foot 10 inches and have water tanks and fuel at about 2/3 full.  The boat slugged through the bottom muck and drug three times nearly stopping us.  It wasn't until the broad Cooper River in Charleston did we feel free of the bottom.

We delayed our entry into the Charleston Maritime Center for 1 1/2 hours until the three knot current abated.  It was still a rough docking, but we'll be here for a while to attend to family matters and some repairs.  That will be all for now.

Tom and MaryLou
S/V Dalmatian

Georgetown

This is one of the bridges that passes over the ICW in Myrtle Beach.  It was more stylish than any of the others so MaryLou decided on the shot.  There was still some haze in the air from the morning fog. 

 

 

We did notice an aquatic plant floating in the waterway.  It is water hyacinth which is an invasive species filling in the slower moving waters and choking out the native plants.  Its also becoming a problem for navigation since it collects in huge mats making it almost impossible to motor through.

The Georgetown SC area is rich in the history of our country and was also the center of commerce for this part of the state.  Besides fishing and tourism there are two different mills that add to the local economy.  We walked down Front Street near the paper mill and found this old cannon along the way.  Made in the early days of our country it is a 24 pounder that was found burried in the sand.  It has a federal stamp and number, but its uncertain on how or why it is here.  There are only two others remaining of this size in the US.  I think I remember they are in Savanah.

 

 

The cannon could shoot a 24 pound ball a mile so it would have been used to fortify any port along the water.  I did notice something different in the two pictures.

 

 

 

If you didn't notice, there was an armoured car stopping at the local bank just behind me.  We walked back through town to the fish market to get some local shrimp and did a little shopping.  There were also several historical points of interest.  One was the sinking of the USS Harvest Moon during the Civil War.  

 

Four nautical miles from downtown Georgetown is the wreck of the Harvest Moon, a Union paddle wheeler. During the Civil War, Georgetown was taken without resistance, but soon afterwards an angry local resident placed a mine near the Harvest Moon in the middle of the night. The mine exploded when the ship got underway the next morning, and the Harvest Moon sunk - in the shallows, where the rusting smokestack can still be seen today (the rest is buried in mud). 

 

If you would like more info, here are some local webs http://www.cogsc.com/History/History.cfm  and http://www.georgetown-sc.com/history/historicgeorgetown.shtml .

 

By the way, the shrimp was good on the grill.

On this day

Well I gotta tell ya, "On this day nothing happened!"  We left at 0700, no fog or rain.  The sun came up beautifully and with the tide falling we got under eleven bridges.  We saw a bald eagle and many ibis and herons.  The temperature climbed into the 70's.  We were able to follow the magenta line and it never fell below 12 feet in depth. 

Coming into Georgetown we followed the advice of Active Captain and kept to the right side of the channel and we powered through mud to get to 8 feet and anchor.  Tomorrow we should leave at high tide so there won't be any mud issues. 

The only minus in the whole day was seeing an invasive plant in the waterway.  It is the same plant that people buy for their backyard ponds with their little waterfall.  It appears that there isn't anything that will slow its progress as it covers all the waterway and kills the native plants.  Such a shame, at least we can see what the ICW should look like before it gets choked by this plant.

Complication

We're sitting in the Barefoot Marina waiting for fog to lift.  It hung around until 9 am before it thinned out.  The problem is twofold:
1   It takes away valuable time needed to reach the next anchorage.
2   The tide runs out quickly so this morning we found ourselves unable to move from the dock.
The water didn't return until 1 pm so we would just barely make it to the next stop.  We decided to stay and it was a smart move.  The fog rolled in around 4 pm and we would have been out in pea soup trying to find our way in a narrow channel.  Hats off to Mike and Hank for having the experience to see the big picture.

We'll try tomorrow since the high tide is almost 1 hour later and the fog should thin earlier.  Soon the new moon phase will create higher tides so we'll be looking out for the fixed bridges at high tide again.

Belt

I went out to look for a belt and found one that needed some assembly.


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Cape Fear

Quick trip from Carolina Beach to Cape Fear.  Actually it was quite relaxing to get into the Cape Fear River and have plenty of room and water.  We pulled into Southport Village Marina for the night in order to have the right tides for the thin water ahead.  Of course we could have made it if we left at 4 AM but that got voted down real fast.

 

 

Saw these places along the way from Southport to Myrtle Beach.  Long docks, little cabanas with adirondak chairs, and Christmas decorations.

Little River

Short day on the water today!  We headed down the canal with several spots of skinny water to get behind us.  We were stuck to the bottom for just a brief time as Tom was able to wiggle us out of that jam.  We saw some beautiful homes. 

 

                                              

                                           This one is for sale!

 

This is probably for sale too and at a far more reasonable price...

 

Fixer upper

 

Tom was far more impressed with this boat parking arrangement then our methods up north.  How do you get the boat way up on top? Then how do you get it down?

 

After squeezing the boat into the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club slip, it was time for a nap.    



 

 

There are a few things we've found different from NH, pools with palm trees.

 

 



Stuck

Well we just spent a grueling day on the water. We started by everyone in the group getting stuck near a inlet from the ocean, While the others were able to pull free, we had to wait for the rising tide to get off the bottom. That put us about an hour behind the group and another bridge to contend with. We got to the bridge at high tide and waited an hour for the water to drop giving us enough room to get under.

This also gave us a push along the river to the next inlet so we were gaining on the rest of the group. Unfortunately this also reduces the amount of channel you have to traveling and we again found ourselves aground. This time we called for Towboats US to help us out. As members we get the service when needed.

It was nearly dark when the tide changed again and we were free. Now we had to navigate the narrow waters with our chart plotter, depth gauge, and spot light. It was pretty intense since the charts and actual markers differed in some locations. Captain Mike phoned us giving a run down of the trouble areas and which side to favor in those locations. We also had difficulty judging distances of different objects like mile posts and swing bridges. So many silhouettes slid by as we caught a slight reflection from out navigation lights. Being the Christmas season we also had to decide if the red and green lights were for navigation or decorations along the waterway.

We opted to travel to Carolina Beach where the others were instead of turning in to a marina in Wrightsville. We pulled in at 1030 and grabbed a mooring that Mike and Hank lit up with their spot lights. Fifteen hours plus and grouping through the dark was a bit tiring.

We stayed in the harbor an extra day to relax and tend to some maintenance items. Captain Mike made some of his sour-dough pancakes for breakfast which is always a treat. It was 72 degrees so we took an afternoon dingy ride around town and just kicked back visiting everyone else at their respective boats. Plans were made for the next leg and we turned in for the night.

Oops

Since getting under the Wilkerson Bridge we’ve been making good time traveling through the remote part of the ICW. We stopped at RE Mayo’s commercial fishing dock for a night. They have an office where you can buy some of the seafood they catch, a few groceries, and boating equipment. MaryLou found a pair of boots that are a good compliment to her foul weather gear. We also picked up some frozen shrimp, scallops, and flounder for meals along the way.

From there we made it into the Morehead City Yacht Basin for the following night. There were a few spots along the way that were shallow so we have to mind the channel markers to stay in the lane. The MCYB is good protection from storms, but the current runs swift inside so you have to dock quickly. We had to change our plan for docking as we were pulled sideways toward the docks. An hour later it was slack so we adjusted the lines for the night.

Leaving the next morning we planned to have a short run taking advantage of the tide which would influence this segment of the ICW. I misjudged the bridge height leaving the MCYB and the swell underneath it due to the in-rushing tide. We damaged some our antennas on top of the mast as we went under. Further down the way we came to the Atlantic Beach Bridge and decided to anchor while the others went ahead to the next stop.

We waited for three hours to have a falling tide while going under the bridge. We watched the numbered board on the pier under the bridge for the 64 and 65 foot water level. Most of the numbers were covered with grime so you have to estimate the reading. We also referred to the tide tables for the area and information from our chart-plotter. At noon we decided to move under. We had plenty of room and we could see the 65 outline on the board.

It was a slow ride against the tide to our next stop with several areas of thin water due to the falling tide. Captain Mike had given us a list of trouble areas to pay attention to and gave us an update over the radio as we neared the Swansboro Marina. A particular spot included a marker for the Bogue Inlet. Looking at its placement, it would take a traveler to a shoaling area instead of along the travel lane. Also as we turned to Casper’s Marina in Swansboro the red marker needs a wide berth since it is too shallow for us to get by.

We got tied up and everyone came to give us a hand. After getting fuel and plugging, in we all sat down and chatted about the experience. We also made plans for the next several days plotting about 100 miles to North Myrtle Beach. This area also has some thin areas as well as the military base, Camp LaJuene, which is in the first leg.

From Swansboro it was a nice ride with a favorable current pushing us along. We had heard the military had closed the ICW the previous day for some gunnery practice. As we made the bend near their watch tower we didn’t see any gunboats blocking the way so we proceeded through. There was a dredging operation going on that was cleaning out the sand in a particularly thin area. We passed by and noticed the strength of the dredging pumps as they twisted the water under our boat. Only in one spot did we see the depth gauge drop below 9 feet, and then we were back in 14 feet of water. We were amused by some hunters using hounds to chase prey through the marshes along the way. Several dogs swam across the waterway between us. They had transmitters on their collars so the hunters could find them if they strayed too far.

We were now seeing porpoise and pelicans quite regularly, since the water stays warmer in this area. As we pulled into the anchorage there were quite a number of them feeding in the bay. This spot is Mile Hammock which is part of Camp LaJuene. We watched the marines on land setting up tents and equipment for some type of exercise. We could only guess as to what they were doing.

This spot is alive with wildlife coming to feed on whatever is in the water. Many different birds and a few fishermen were seen along the shore. We watched some men throwing small nets into the waters. Mike said they were shrimping. We could see them through the glasses pulling something out of the water. It looked too easy.

Well early day tomorrow as we head for Carolina Beach on a favorable tide.

Down Under

These two days have been quite an adventure. The Dalmatian has two features that make it a fine boat, but also features that need to be addressed while traveling the ICW. The water draft is ~7 feet so care has to be taken when traveling the low water areas.

We have Captain Mike with Our Little Cape (4 foot draft) in front of us so we know the exact water depth we will be traveling in. There were several spots along the route that shoal in from currents and storms which aren’t as deep as listed on the charts.

Also the Magenta Line that we follow on our chart plotter isn’t always the deepest point of the waterway. In fact it can be off enough to run a boat aground. Captains Mike and Hank have made many deliveries over this route and know the trouble spots. When we anchored at the Alligator River Marina we pulled the Dalmatian into a slip with deck lines and were actually sitting on the bottom for most of the day. During the night the water level was increasing and we were able to back out using half throttle in the morning.

The other issue with Dalmatian is the mast height, air draft. We measured the mast to be 63 feet from the water to the head. The lights, wind instruments, and antennas add 1.5 to 2 additional feet. The amount of fuel, water, and storage items affect this level bringing it up or down several inches depending how it’s loaded. We wanted to be light to get over the shallows but heavy to get under the fixed bridges.  Of course a swing bridge is no problem. 

The ICW has a limit on bridges to have 65 feet minimum clearance at Mean High Water. One bridge doesn’t meet that requirement, the Wilkerson Bridge at the southern end of the Alligator River - Pungo River Canal. It is 64+ feet with the water level affected by the wind blowing over the nearby waters. Northerly winds draw it down, west and southerly winds raise it up. Over night the water was rising with a south wind to help us get out of the marina but we knew it would be rising under the bridge also.

We worked out a plan to lean the boat over so we could get under the bridge. Everyone sailed ahead on their boats to anchor and then come back to us before we went under the bridge. With everyone aboard we could only make the Dalmatian list 3 degrees. We then rigged the dingy, Pooper Scooper, to the boom and swung it out to the starboard side. That made 3.5 degrees.

 

The final push was to pump water into the dingy and have that added weight to heel us over. The current was twisting our boat while this was being done so Captain Mike was keeping close tabs while holding Our Little Cape behind us to keep any other boats back from us. The added water got us to 6 degrees plus so I decided to go under the bridge.

I set speed to two knots and centered Dalmatian in the channel look up to avoid the bridge center lights which hang down below the beams. As we made our way Captain Mike kept a distance and reported a good track for missing the lights. We touched the beams with the two VHF antenna whips but everything else, including the static lightening diffuser cleared by inches.

 

Our reward was seeing palm trees along the way.

 

 



Bridges

There are several types of draw bridges on the ICW.  This is the bascule bridge at Great Bridge as we are going through.

You need to call the bridge tender to ask permission to have it opened.  Some open on demand, others have a scheduled time to be opened.

 

We left Great Bridge with 26 degree weather and ice forming on the water.  We continued on rivers and canals through cyprus and pine groves.

There are also swing bridges, here we are lined up to go through.  The tender will ask for everyone to move close to the bridge so the opened time is short and not disrupting the vehicular traffic patern on land.

We made it to Broad Creek to anchor for the night and then proceeded to Alligator River Marina the second day.  The weather warmed to 65 during the day so it felt good to be in the sun.

 

 

 

Here's Dalmatian in a slip at Alligator River in exactly 7 feet of water.  Tomorrow we head down the canal to a bridge that's fixed at 64 feet vertical.  Our mast is also 64 feet tall, this should be interesting.

Thanksgiving

I thought these pictures say it all for Thanksgiving. I’m loading the turkey pouches in the grill for the dinner. We got the recipe from a cruising magazine.

New to the group are Alan and Sherri sitting between Mike and Irene. Their boat is Silver Spray.

This side has Stacin sitting beside Ken and Hank. His boat is La Dolce Vita. As you see we combined a fairly good meal.

Here are some other folks headed south, including the geese.

Tomorrow we head under the bridge when it opens.

 

So far, so good

Well we had two whomping good days from the Solomons to Great Bridge Va covering most of the two days at 7 to 8 kts speed over ground, (SOG).  That was because we had the tide, wind, and swell behind us giving the boats a big push.  This also filled in the lower bay with more water so the water levels were up several feet allowing us to cut across some thin water areas.  This resulted in our cutting an hour or so from the run time the first day, and even more on the second. 

So we got to Norfolk around noon and were able to head through the harbor and on to the Elizabeth River ahead of schedule.  Here's some of our military that protect us so we could have our Thanksgiving today.

Someone had entered their secure area as we were passing and over the radio we heard the warnings.  Well there must have been some confusion with the interloper because we soon heard "Leave the area or you will be fired upon."  Since the area is so large we didn't see who was going to need some fiberglass patched.  Why mess with the guys with the big guns?


Over the past 6 weeks or so we've been watching the weather near the Gulf Stream at Cape Hatteras and it's been nasty.  In the meantime we've made calculations as to what we could do to be able to travel the ICW through Va and the Carolinas.  Our first look at this came yesterday while traveling the first segment of the ICW.  Here we are running under a fixed 65 foot bridge.  There was plenty of headroom.  Thank you Interlude for the fine picture.

We also traveled over some thinner water and should see some more, (read less), tomorrow.  But for today we are having a Thanksgiving meal with everyone contributing.  We're tied up between the locks and the bridge at Great Bridge, Va. 

Here are the locks and where we tied up along the pier.  Well our dinner's waiting for me to get the grill going.  More to come.