After close to a week of slowing down, we were finally on our way to Savannah this morning. We left Beaufort a bit ahead of schedule and had the rising sun directly ahead of us. The sunsplash was blinding at times. Luckily this didn't last for long as this section of the ICW is quite curvy. We snaked our way down through the low country at low tide. There are still the occasional high-and-dry boats along the way to remind us of recent hurricanes. The large water tower proclaiming "We Make Marines" welcomed us to Parris Island, the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot. The open water of Port Royal Sound greeted us with a constant boat wash. Waves were churned up with opposing forces of current and wind. A lone sailboat passed us enjoying that nice breeze.
Soon we saw the Bluffton-Hilton Head Bridge and began remembering our trip to the island close to 20 years ago. We visited a fellow Insty-Prints location here and Marie, the owner, hosted us at her home for dinner. Both she and we have since left the industry and attempts to connect via email did not work. It was fun though to spot her house along the ICW and remember that evening on the dock with her dogs watching the sunset. Windmill Harbour Marina has a private automated lock for entrance to their basin. It will remain one lock that we haven't passed through. Further south, we passed Spanish Wells and thoughts turned to the Bahamas and family on Spanish Wells, Eleuthera. A quick internet check showed that it was over 20 degrees warmer in the Bahamas. At the southern tip of Hilton Head the American Cruise Line ship Independence was anchored just off the distinctive Harbour Town Lighthouse.
The day passed quickly. The Haig Point Lighthouse on Daufuskie Island was a pleasant surprise. We had expected to need the Causton Bluff Bascule Bridge to open for us. It has a stated vertical clearance of 21-feet. The bridge tender said he had five extra feet in the center and that it was also low tide. With an air draft of 26 feet, we SHOULD be able to make it. A stressful few minutes ensued as we approached the span at idle speed, trying to judge whether or not we'd sneak though with our mast intact. We scooted under the green bridge and breathed a big sigh of relief. I then pulled out the camera to snap a photo of it and the new 65-foot replacement bridge under construction. We passed a large dredge while in Fields Cut on the way to the Savannah River. Many large earth-movers were excavating along the point. The scene looked reminiscent of all the Tonka Trunks in the childhood sandbox.
With the crossing of the Savannah River, we entered Georgia. We had bypassed the Peach State on the Great Loop when we went straight from the Bahamas to Charleston. Now it can be checked off. We pulled into Thunderbolt Marina and tied up to the floating dock. It was warm in the sun and a perfect day to give Crossroads a well-deserved bath to get rid of her salty crust. We'll leave her here for a few days as we travel to visit family in Winston-Salem and do our traditional Christmas season kick-off. We were in Pensacola last year this time and I missed the festivities for the first time in 30-some years. I'll take a break from the blog for a few days and pick up again on Monday as we prepare to depart once more. Now, off to pack ...
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