Going With The Flow

Charleston to Beaufort  |  8.1 Hours  |  60.5 Miles   

The day began with good fortune on our side as first light and slack current coincided. We made the most of this and had cast off from the Charleston Mega Dock by 7:00. The marinas in the Low Country have floating docks because of the huge tidal range so it is often lost on us what a five foot swing looks like. This morning we were able to appreciate that five foot tidal drop as we passed pilings, docks, and other fixed structures with their understructures exposed. We were very thankful there was plenty of water depth in the channel ... and that the current was giving us a good push.

Scenery is scarce along this section of the ICW as low marsh grasses and mud flats dominate. We were surprised by the number of dolphin swimming along with us in the 48-degree water. I guess they were just trying to stay warm. We were doing the same in the pilothouse with the heater taking the chill out of the air. Stevens Towing on Yonges Island provided multiple points of interest as we passed by their yard. The huge barge in the dry dock first caught our eye, then the multiple landing crafts docked beside it. As we got closer, we noticed a very large crack down the midline of the barge (probably why its in the yard). Anchored across the the ICW channel was the American Waterways Wind Orchestra floating arts center. A quick Google search elicited a "Wow" from both of us. Who knew? Crossroads chased off plenty of cormorants and gulls that were wading in our path. We were surprised to spot a lone bald eagle, but managed to pick up the camera in time to get a not-so-sharp photo.      

All day long we lucked out and seemed to have the current in our favor. We spent quite a while over 9 knots (really fast for us) and found ourselves just going with the flow. The sky never cleared, and the thick gray clouds sure made it look like snow was eminent. 

The route today was quite curvy with many switchbacks along a meandering network of rivers. We had to keep focused on the channel markers to guide in the deep(er) water channel. We had three charts active on the helm, and I was referencing the printed chart book and Google maps on my phone. At one point I checked to see where we were in relation to our destination and laughed when seeing that we just needed to go "Attaway." The only nail-biting shallows we encountered all day were in Watts Cut. It is never good to see that much orange and red. We exited without incident and exhaled. The development of Edisto Beach was on the horizon just before we turned and transited Fenwick Cut to the Ashepoo River. Barry and I both fondly remembered our cruising friends on Tumbleweed who stated something like, "the only redeeming part of this voyage is getting to say Ashepoo." The sky lightened a bit and the wind laid down as we moved around the top of Lady's Island and turned into the Beaufort River. We were making great time and were thrilled that we would arrive in Beaufort (BEW-fert) ahead of schedule. Winter weather was heading our way and it was both interesting and entertaining to listen to the radio station out of Savannah passing along tips for dealing with the impending wintry mix. Once we passed under the Lady's Island bridge, it began to rain. I went on deck and prepared the docklines and fenders for our arrival at Safe Harbor Port Royal Landing. Once docked, we wasted no time in connecting the shore power and turning on the heat. By nightfall the rain had turned to a wintry mix and there was already accumulation on our caprail. As I write this, sleet/freezing rain is falling quite loudly on the bow over my head. We fully anticipate waking up to find that we're encased in a thick layer of ice. We are thankful we had a good travel day and will stay here until we thaw out and get an offshore window. Next stop: Florida.