Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Bucksport Plantation Marina, Bucksport, South Carolina:  April 30, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bucksport,+SC+29527/@33.6507851,-79.0948979

A yellow Lily about to bloom at the Bucksport Plantation Marina.

Marc-  We departed McClellanville at 08:00 and quickly exited Jeremy Creek to the ICW.  I was happy to see a favorable current the entire day of travel.  There were some 1-2 foot waves encountered in the lower Waccamaw River below Georgetown.  Once past the Georgetown Bridge  (Lafayette Bridge) the wind shifted to the West and the river calmed down and allowed for raising the genoa.  This boosted our speed to 7 knots while motor sailing.  It also allowed us to arrive at our destination at 16:00.  Like the photo above, the marina here is not quite in bloom although the owners are very friendly and many improvements are underway.

The Waccamaw River runs deep and has mostly forested shores.  We saw miles and miles of bald cypress with Spanish moss.  Bucksport was established by Henry Buck from Bucksport, Maine.  Mr. Buck moved to South Carolina in 1828 to start lumber mills near the vast forests of cypress, pine and hardwoods in this area.  Henry Buck's three sawmills produced 3 million board feet of lumber annually in the mid 19th century..  He owned ships that transported his timber to the Northeast as well as overseas.  In 1875 he brought crews of Maine shipbuilders to Bucksport to build wooden ships.  The shipbuilding venture was short lived since his men wanted to return to Maine after several years.  The Buck family owned 9,000 acres of forest land known as the Bucksport Plantation.

Local Osprey nest along the Waccamaw.

Another Osprey Nesting.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Leland Oil Company Marina, McClellanville, South Carolina:  April 29, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/33%C2%B004'59.0%22N+79%C2%B027'45.2%22W/@33.0830582,-79.463648

The no frills marina where we are docked.

Marc-  Today we travelled 52 nautical miles in favorable conditions with one exception: Elliott Cut.

The problem spot is a narrow passage noted to have difficult to deal with current up to 6 knots.  We managed to get through fighting only a 3.5 knot current.  We waited 30 minutes for the drawbridge to open to enter Charleston Harbor. The remaining parts of the trip were easy enough with winds from the South 15-20 knots (forecast to be 10-15 knots).  We flew only the genoa and made excellent speed up to 8 knots at times.  Charleston Harbor was exciting with its beautiful homes on the waterfront and a  broken water main creating a huge water fountain shooting up into the sky as high as the local homes (this seemed to be related to some construction going on).  Further on we were passed by ferries going to and from Fort Sumpter, an oil tanker, a tug and barge and finally a shrimp boat fishing. It did quiet down once we entered the ICW passage through the coastal marshes.  Michael again became the scouting party exploring the passage to Jeremy Creek into McClellanville and pointing out the shallow spots for us.  This is a nice small fishing centered community.  Sue and I went over to the Seafood Market right on the fish pier and bought some fresh shrimp for dinner,  We had a delicious dinner with Michael and Doreen.

Opening on demand.

Leland Oil dock.

The docks here are shared with fishing boats.

A crab trap at low tide.

When these mittens have thumbs and the ends are cleaned up, they will be felted, which will make them boiled wool mittens.  They are made from a big colorful ball of yarn with 2 strands of wool -- with one strand from the outside of the skein and one from the inside, so they come out mismatched. 

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Church Creek Anchorage, Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina:  April 28, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wadmalaw+Island/@32.706411,-80.175301

Lucy III and Fiddler's Green rafted up for the night in Church Creek.

Church Creek sunset

Marc-   We spent the early morning hours going to Publix with a borrowed car to get some groceries.  This worked very well but delayed our departure until 09:30.  We mostly fought tidal currents today though there were a few passages with favorable current.  We got buzzed by several US Navy fighter Jets near Beaufort, South Carolina this morning who were doing some kind of low altitude training runs.  We were fortunate to have favorable winds from the South the entire day (motor sailing).  This helps compensate for the slow down caused by the tidal currents.  At Church Creek we dropped anchor and Michael & Doreen grilled dinner.  A great meal was had by all.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Lady's Island Marina, Lady's Island, South Carolina:  April 27, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lady's+Island+Marina/@32.4192654,-80.6601498

Marc-  We fueled up before departing Thunderbolt and although we seemed to be the last to leave the docks we ran into our sailing friends waiting for the highway bridge to open at 09:00.  No issues crossing the Savannah River, various sounds and numerous creeks and cuts today.  Hilton Head Island seemed to have more activity on the water than other areas.  Hilton Head Island is developed as a vacation home retreat of sorts.  We arrived at Beaufort and called for the highway bridge to open only to be told that if we missed the 16:00 opening we would need to wait two hours for the next opening.  Fortunately the town has set up a very convenient free dock right off the downtown just below the bridge.  We docked, mailed a letter, and waited.  It was intimidating that we appeared to be pinned to the dock by wind and current.  Luckily the tidal current changed at 15:45 making it a lot easier to depart the dock.  Michael walked over the bridge to assist us but discovered that we were already out in the river waiting for the bridge to open.  We arrived at Lady's Island Marina and were warmly greeted by the dock staff.  This is a nice spot with a great seafood restaurant on the premises and a Publix supermarket and DQ nearby.

An armada of kayaks we had to contend with.

Birds do like these perches.

The Beaufort free dock to await the bridge or to go shopping downtown.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Thunderbolt Marina, Savannah, Georgia:  April 26, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Thunderbolt+Marine+Inc./@32.0248298,-81.04988

Evening in the moonlight at Thunderbolt Marina.

Marc-   We pulled up the anchor at 07:30 this morning in the Wahoo River.  The noseeums were thick but not biting due to the cool temperature (66 degrees).  I started out by cleaning the raw water cooling strainer (it had weeds and slime in the stainless steel basket).   No need to clean the anchor or chain - it all came up clean and easy with Sue at the helm.  We then covered the next 36 miles of winding rivers and sounds and changing currents and winds to end up at Thunderbolt Marina by 15:00.  The Marina never responded to the Dockwa reservation request and they did have space available.  We were welcomed without a problem.  Fiddler's Green and Fleetwing already docked.  There were a few other boats that we have seen and some of them Loopers (boaters doing the Great Loop).  We went to Tubby's Tank House nearby for dinner.  After dinner we saw a pink moon rising in the Eastern sky.  The scenery here is nice with a shrimp boat fleet as well as undeveloped land.  Our marina caters mostly to megayachts and specializes in megayacht repair.

Marc cleaning the raw water strainer (to keep the water circulating to keep the engine cool).

View from the waterfront.

Thunderbolt shrimp boats

The pink moon rising.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Wahoo River Anchorage, Georgia:  April 25, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wahoo+River/@31.6028388,-81.2154404

Lucy III is the red triangle

This is what you see when you look around the boat this evening - for miles and miles.

Marc-  We left Jekyll Island this morning after filling our fuel tanks and with help from Michael and the dock staff turning the boat in the current.  At first we saw good speed as we were helped along by the tidal current but this changed as we turned in St. Simons Sound to head up the next river.  The ICW here is a series of interconnected sounds and riverways such that you never get a favorable current for very long.  At one point we were doing only 3.5 knots and later we were doing 8.6 knots.  We decided to call it a day in the Wahoo River Anchorage rafted up with Fiddler's Green.

Check out that boat speed

No mistakes allowed around here.

Then we entered the Little Mud River.  The depth showed only 2.9 feet yet we plowed through it somehow.  We did have a tidal push of 2.5 knots making our boat speed 6.1 knots through here.

Little Mud River.

It really is a river of mud.

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Jekyll Harbor Marina, Jekyll Island, Georgia:  April 24, 2021 (Day 2)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jekyll+Harbor+Marina/@31.046425,-81.4235565

Jeckyll Harbor Club Hotel

Marc-  Today started out with getting free loaner bikes from the marina and touring the island.  We started out with a few shops in the village and then headed over to the Island Museum and then the Turtle Hospital.  We passed through a dense forest via a bike path in the middle of the island.  

We met up with Michael and Doreen for lunch at The Pantry sandwich shop in the Hotel.  The Cuban sandwiches were awesome.  Sue found some beautiful flowers and a beautiful monarch butterfly attracted to one flower type.  We rode our bikes around the "cottages" and saw the sky beginning to darken so headed back to the marina.

We secured the boat as the wind and rain picked up, then hid inside during the storm.  It took several hours for the multiple thunderstorms to pass.  We came out later when the sun appeared and the wind disappeared.  Unfortunately the noseeum bugs came out.  Sue and I walked over to the Heritage Village in the State Park.  The evening light and the full moon had a special effect and we tried to capture some of this in the following photos.  We saw several white tailed deer on our way back to the marina.

The temperature here today was in the low 60s and it was 70 at home!

riding our bikes

Sue enjoying the flowers

A beautiful Studebaker at the Museum.

The Pantry is here somewhere.

Storms approaching - we are the blue pin.

Securing Lucy III as the storm clouds come in.

Sunshine and a cruise ship after the storm passed.

Several white tailed deer seen from the bike path.

Turtle Hospital video:  https://youtube.com/shorts/5_B2w7F-TB0?feature=share

Sailing South aboard Lucy III: 2020-21 (Part III - returning North)

 Jekyll Harbor Marina, Jekyll Island, Georgia:  April 23, 2021

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Jekyll+Harbor+Marina/@31.046425,-81.4235565

Small Cruise Ship passed by in Cumberland Sound

Cumberland Island Lighthouse

Marc-  We departed Fernandina Beach without difficulty with excellent advice from the dock hands who knew just what to do with the tidal currents sweeping through their docks.  All we had to do was release the stern dock line and the boat swung out and add a little reverse gear and we were off.  We actually did very well in the remaining miles in Florida averaging 7 knots.   This ended as we entered the St. Mary's River in Georgia with a speed drop to 3.5 knots.  We soon raised the sail and got the boat speed up to 5.5 knots.  Not much excitement passing Cumberland Island or the United States Navy Nuclear Submarine base at St. Mary's.  We crossed paths with a small cruise ship called  Independence.

Our progress was hindered at times and helped at times as we crossed land cuts between estuaries during the day.  North of Cumberland Island we had to got out into the Atlantic a short distance to avoid blocking shoals inshore.  We were welcomed to Jekyll by the marina dock staff.  They indicated that the marina has both bikes and golf carts for use by marina guests.  We took the golf cart since we needed to go to the market to get groceries.  Both Sue and I drove the electric two seat golf cart on the island roads without difficulty since the speed limits are only 15 mph.  The market had all that we needed and it was great to have the cart for the heavier items.

After dinner we went over to Jekyll Village stopping at the Dairy Queen for a treat and then going over to the beautiful beach.  Most of the Village shops had closed at five.  

We're staying an extra day here because a storm is on the way.