Nov. 11, 2026 Using Every Available Bit of Daylight to Get to GA.

 Wed. Nov. 11, 2026  Toogoodoo Anchor to Skidaway River Anchor   93 miles and 10 hours

 Anticipated this being a long day, so anchor is up a little after 7AM.  The rising tide will be at full level in a few hour's time and we'll need every bit of it to get through some shoaled in areas.  Au Mine, who was anchored by us last night, has the same idea.  They leave at 7 but we catch up and pass him before the entrance to Watts Cutt - the first of several trouble areas with shoals.   Takes a few hours but we make it through Watts Cut, Fenwick Cut and the Ashepoo Cut without grounding.  Ashepoo Cut is the most troublesome if the tide isn't right.  We have a 7+ foot high tide as we came through.   Depth sounder is showing less than 6' under the hull as we pass.   Means we would be sitting on mud at low tide. It's the reason we pay such close attention to tides at these cuts when coming through SC and GA.

Perfectly still morning on the Toogoodoo River as we await sunrise

Raising and washing off the anchor as we prepare to leave

We're done with the only real concerns for the day.  Remaining cuts and passages all have sufficient depths.   Pleasant cruising in between the cuts.  More marshlands but filled with dolphins who see us and come out to play.   Long sessions of watching them surf on our side waves.  We get this treatment several times over the day at different locations.  Never stops bringing a smile to our faces.

Early morning run to check the crabtraps

Had a good radio conversation with Asylum. 
They were just returning from the Down East Loop. 

 Onto the Coosaw River.  We're hitting some open water at slack high tide.  Perfect conditions to try and recalibrate our autopilot.  Seems to have lost its orientation.  Very specific sequence to reset.  Requires no wind and no tide.  Set the autopilot to recalibrate then make several 360 degree loops at less than 3 knots.   We try unsuccessfully several times, and then slack tide is over, and we need to move on.   Hard to find those conditions in tidal waters, and even then slack tide only lasts a short time. In the meantime, Otto is on strike and we continue to manually steer all day. 

These tracks show the pretty circles we were making try to recalibrate the autopilot

Work our way past the swing bridge, no wake zones, and marinas at Beaufort, NC and then the military installation at Parris Island.  More open water as we cross Port Royal Sound and over to Hilton Head Island.   Wind our way around the back side of HHI as the locals call it and then behind Daufuskie Island.  This was where I had originally intended to anchor. We get here at 3.  

Swing Bridge at entrance to Beaufort, SC. 32' clearance, so no stopping.

Decide to press on as we can get across the Savannah River and into GA and some anchorages on that side before sunset.  Winds will pick up tomorrow.  Gusts are forecast up to 25-30MPH in the afternoon.  Really would like to be docked before then.  We press on passing the marinas and boatyards at Thunderbolt.  Always interesting to see the mega yachts at Thunderbolt Marina either docked or waiting on repairs. Next up is the Skidaway River.  We see a sailboat anchored on the side of the river off the main channel.  Nice open area, good depths, some wind protection, and the start of a No Wake Zone.  Close to ideal conditions so we decide to pull in and anchor behind him.  Anchor down and set by 5:15 after a 10-hour travel day!  Suset is 5:30 but with a heavy cloud cover we never see it.   Dinner, a shower and bed are about all we have left on today's agenda.  One more day with an early start and we'll be home!

Journey for Nov. 11, 2026

Nov. 10, 2026 To Charleston and Beyond

 Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026   S. Santee River to Toogoodoo River   78 miles and 8.4 hours

Long day planned ahead.   Up at 6AM.  Still dark but can tell we've got fog.  Not super thick as I can almost make out the shorelines once daybreak starts.  More disconcerting is I can't see the sailboat that pulled in by us yesterday and he's probably less than 600' away.   Sun comes up and makes for an eerie scene but also very quickly starts burning the fog away.  By 7AM we feel it's okay to get on our way using our AIS, radar, GPS route, and depth finder.   We've been caught in worse conditions up in Maine and lived to tell about it. The sailboater decides it's time to go too and gets his anchor up before us and is on his way.   Doesn't take us long before we catch and overtake him.  

Sun is up and trying desperately to burn a hole in the fog

Sailboat at anchor with us finally starting to come into vision

Fifteen minutes later we overtake the sailboater.  Looks like clear sailing
but we have one more fog bank to pass through on the horizon.

We make it to McClellanville about an hour before today's 5.8' high tide giving us plenty of water. Pass over a couple areas where the depth sounder was showing less than 6' under the keel.  Means we would have been pushing mud if we came through yesterday afternoon at low tide!   Turns into a sunny and windless morning as we work our way through the tidal marshlands and continue down the ICW.   Several packs of dolphins eye us as we cruise by.  See them surface once or twice ahead of us and the final sighting is them either riding the bow wave or riding our side wake.  Always fun to watch them.  The ones here in SC and GA appear more inclined to engage boats than other places we've travelled.  

Tranquil morning passing through the marshlands with occasional clumps of vegetation.
 Some people find it all monotonous, but we find it scenic.

Dolphins on the bow.

Never gets boring watching them play and jump

Onward to Isle of Palms and back in civilization with a no wake zone due to docks and marinas. Dredging around the Ben Sawyer Bridge is holding up well. Pretty bad several years ago. We're still riding an upper tide as we cross through the area without issue.  While this is a swing bridge it's another of the ones with over 30' clearance so no need to open for us. Out onto the open waters of Charleston Harbor which are amazingly flat.  Time to give the engines a little workout so run them up to recommended cruising speed of 2300 rpm and 15 mph for half an hour as we cross over to Charleston.

Ben Sawyer Bridge at Isle of Palms. Nice when we fit under them

Skimming behind cargo ship Murueta at anchor flying its yellow quarantine flag.   
Iconic Ravenel Bridge in the background.

American Glory cruise ship had just arrived in Charleston. 
Last time we saw it was in Maine

Make our way past the historic homes along The Battery and up the Ashley River before making a sharp turn to port and into Wappo Creek.  Current here is running against us as we approach the Maybank Hiway Bascule Bridge. Another 30+' clearance so we just ease our way through while a large sportfish with a massive tuna tower idles around waiting for an opening.  The infamous Elliotts Cut is next.  Strong currents in effect as the differing tides on the Stono River and Ashley River fight it out.  Thankfully the actual length of the cut is only about a half mile.  We're doing 5mph at rpm's that should be getting us 11 mph!  Most sailboats and slow trawlers need to time this passage but with our available 1000HP's we're able to push through. Certainly a lot more fun to get shot through the cut with the tide running the other direction.  

Charleston Historic waterfront

Maybank Hiway Bascule Bridge.  Easy passage without opening for us.   
Only open once an hour on the half hour if requested

The infamous Elliotts Cut.   Doesn't look very intimidating
 but the water was rushing at us over 5 mph.

Out onto the Stono River and start our way around Johns Island (our hailing port on the boat) and Wadmalaw Island.   All very familiar cruising grounds for us. We have current against us halfway around the island then get positive flow for the balance as the Edisto River pulls us around the back half of the island.  Combination of developed land, marshes and woods most of the way.   Pass the ever-expanding Stephens Shipyard.  They work on large projects and today we're impressed to see two sister ships from the American Cruise Lines at the docks.  Several other big jobs being worked on up on land.

Continue to be impressed with the size of ships they service at Stephens Shipyard

Sister ships American Star and American Independence in for service

 Get to Toogoodoo Creek and find Au Mine is already anchored.   They went through the Wrightsville Beach Bridge and anchored overnight by us several days ago.  Pass by them and move deeper up the creek and drop anchor.   Full 8 plus hour day on the water.    Quick dinner of leftovers then watch a couple dolphins playing nearby as the sun goes down and call it a day.  Tomorrows another long one. 

Dolphins playing in the creek as the sun goes down

Opposite horizon from the sunset still puts on a colorful cloudy display

Sunset hidden by the tree line offering us wind protection if needed

Journey for Nov. 10, 2026

November 9, 2026 Waiting on the Tide

 Monday, Nov. 9, 2026   Osprey Marina to S. Santee River Anchor   48 miles and 5.1 hours

Today's trip is all about the shoaling on the ICW just past McClellanville, SC.  Been a trouble spot for years.  Gets dredged and within two years it's shoal again.  Despite the Army Corps of Engineers 9-12 foot depth standard, this section currently has stretches at just 3 feet or less at low tide.  Impossible to traverse with our 4.5' draft. Low tide is at 2 PM.  Worst possible time for us.  We either need to leave at dark to get through or come through very late and be anchoring in the dark.  Neither a viable option so we change our plans.  Make today a short day.  Leave a little later and anchor before the town.  Then early start on Tuesday to get through easily on Tuesday morning.   

Decided to top off the water tank before leaving since we'll be anchoring the next few days. Puts us on the water around 9.  Much more relaxing cruise through the natural swamps of the Waccamaw River.  Tannin-stained river water just adds to the growing discolored mustache on the boat's bow.  Cold when we woke up. Mid 40's but sunny and light winds.  Temps will rise into the 70's making for a nice day on the flybridge.   Virtually no one out on the water.   A big Kady-Krogen had stopped at Osprey Marina in the morning for fuel but left ahead of us.  He's a slower trawler and we eventually catch and overtake him. Our one big power move on the ICW today.  Only other boaters were a couple center consoles in a hurry to get somewhere and Coastal Carolina College's massive research catamaran that surprised us coming around a corner at full throttle without any AIS. 

Wild natural wooded swamplands of the Waccamaw River

Coastal Carolina's marine research vessel up on plane and making time

 Eventually get to the end of the Waccamaw as it enters Winyah Bay.  Swamp disappears and makes way for the flat open areas that were once indigo and rice plantation fields.   Under the Hiway 17 bridge and onto the bay.  Pass the newly dredged entrance to Georgetown.  We bypass it today but will check it out another time.  Always a good stop, but had nerve-wracking depths in the channel. 

Headed for the Hiway 17 bridge and the open waters of Winyah Bay

Further down the bay we take the western channel and then a sharp turn to starboard to enter the Minim Creek Canal.  Just ahead is the unusual floating swing bridge connecting the mainland to a wildlife area.  Basically, just a big barge that swings across the entire canal. We are in SC low country now.  Low lying marsh areas. Occasional small islands.  Lots of meandering streams and inlets that feed back to the ocean.  

Old fire lookout tower overlooking the wildlife area

Cross over Minim Creek, then North Santee River and eventually get to our anchorage on the north side of the South Santee River.   Primarily open water with a just a touch of wind protection from some low-lying land.  Not really a concern as winds will be light.  Drop the anchor at 2 PM and put out enough scope to insure we stay put as we swing 180 degrees in the current.   A little time to relax in the sun for a few hours.  Then a nice grilled steak dinner as we watched another colorful sunset. 

Last of the day's warm rays headed down

You just can't beat a good sunset at anchor to finish the day

Journey for Nov. 9, 2026

Nov.8, 2026 Onward to the Lowcountry

 Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026   Lightkeepers Marina to Osprey Marina   28 miles and 4.0 hours

Another relatively short run today through protected ICW waters.  Nice day.  Sunny. Minimal winds 5-10.  Starting the day from the north and ending with a bit of southerlies.  Off the dock at Lightkeepers at 9:15. Couple of boats already out fishing at the exit from Coquina Harbor so we were planning for another day of crazy boaters.  No wake zone until we get past the Little River Swing Bridge.  Usually extremely prompt as weekend openings here are "on demand".  Weekdays on the half hour.  We made no demands just a pleasant request for passage at next opening.   Short wait - after all we are on "southern time" - and the horns started blowing, the gates went down and the bridge swung open.   First of two still operational swing bridges we'll pass today.  This section of the ICW that passes behind Myrtle Beach and all the way down to Garden City is a man-made canal.  Fairly wide to accommodate barge traffic but mostly just a straight ditch.  Used to be a lovely cruise down a tree lined shore.  Getting more and more built up with houses sitting right on the water's edge.  Every time we come through now there are several more large tracts of land stripped of trees being prepped for more residential development. 

Heading past the landmark lighthouse at Coquina Harbor

Waiting for the Little River Swing bridge to fully open before proceeding

Multi-million dollar homes now line the sides of the ICW.  I don't understand
  the attraction. The only view is your neighbors across the ditch.

Get past a couple more no wake zones at marinas and under some high-rise bridges transporting locals and tourists alike out to "The Grand Strand".  Approach the Socastee Swing Bridge and hear a northbound boat waiting on far side of the bridge abruptly ask the bridgetender, "When you gonna open the bridge?".  Bridgetender tells him he's prepping for it.  We're still over a mile away so we radio the bridgetender that we're southbound and on our way.  Ask politely if we can make that opening.   Radio's back "I got my eyes on you.  You'll be fine".  Seems his prepping may have intentionally taken a little longer than expected for that northbound boat as the timing worked out perfect for our arrival.   We're starting to get into the natural Waccamaw River area.  More wooded shoreline.  More swamp lands.

Northbound boat hurries through the open Socastee Swing Bridge.

Just a little further and we're into the protected waters of Osprey Marina.  It's another marina we've used in the past.  Best diesel price I can find at JUST $5.65/gal. with my Boat US discount.  Load up with 350 gallons.  Our first fill since Bowleys Marina just north of Baltimore.   Spend the afternoon catching up with Mary Ann in the office.  Keeps saying she's retiring but still here every time we arrive.  Did some route planning for the rest of our trip home.  Always a challenge with multiple shoaled areas where we need to time our passage on the rising tide.   Watched a recording of the Brazilian F1 race in the evening.  Crazy race with wet conditions to start, finally dried out, then rain at the end.  Made for an interesting race trying to follow the pit stop strategies of different teams for tire changes.  Lots of lead changes.  Max Verstapen was amazing coming from back of the grid to 2nd. Happy to see Lando Norris take a win and Mercedes getting enough points for Constructors Championship.   Good way to end the day.  

Journey for Nov. 8, 2026

Nov. 7, 2026 Crossing State Lines - Back in SC

 Sat.  Nov. 7, 2026   Carolina Beach, NC to Lightkeepers Marina NMB, SC  53 miles and 6.0 hours

Winds swapped 180 degrees overnight bringing in some brisk north winds running 10-15mph.  Temperatures only getting into the 60's but will feel cooler with that breeze. At least it's sunny. Running from the flybridge, so we'll layer up our clothes.  Better visibility up there for keeping an eye on any traffic that's coming up behind us.  No big hurry this morning.  Relatively short day so we finally untie and get going around 8:30.   High tide in Carolina Beach.  Oddly that means we'll be fighting an incoming tidal current as we go through Snows Cut down to the Cape Fear River.  But then we'll enjoy an outgoing tidal current going down the river to the ICW.  The benefit of wind at our back along with outgoing current is that we make good time on the open water with little wave or spray action.  

Heading towards Hiway 421 bridge on Snows Cut to the Cape Fear River

By the time we turn onto the ICW and pass Southport at 10 AM it's obvious the sunny weather has got all the weekend fishermen in their small boats out on the water.  We can give off a sizeable wake so if people in boats are stopped and fishing, I tend to drop to no wake speed and not rock them too badly.  Have never had one offer me the same courtesy.  They just buzz around me full throttle. Of course, their wakes are not as big as mine, but they can still jostle us.  More unnerving then anything.  About the time we hear them, they're passing us without warning.  

Not a small fishing boat at anchor, but still need to reduce to No Wake speed 

No more swing bridges to the outer islands here - all been replaced by high rise ones.  Makes for easy vehicle and boat travel but I miss seeing that old unique pontoon style bridge move out of the way at Sunset Beach.  Lots of good memories at Sunset Beach on family vacations while growing up. Several inlets feed into the ICW and they all seem to be working against us. Just a constant negative flow all day.  Apparently, the Army Corp of Engineer has been doing dredging projects.  Saw a couple of dredges and pipes laid out and all the inlet crossing were direct and shoal free. Even the notorious shoaled Lockwoods Folly Inlet.  

This seafood market on the water in Holden Beach always gives me a chuckle

Once we cross the Little River Inlet and Calabash Creek we know we are in SC.  Very familiar waters as we pass The Big M Casino boat and Mariners Pointe (home for a previous boat).   Then into the narrow channel for Coquina Harbor.  Made more interesting as we hit it at dead low tide. Depth sounder going off, Martha talking to me in the headset as she's setting fenders and lines and I'm trying to talk to the dockmaster on the radio - all simultaneously.  We're just a one night stay at Lightkeepers Marina so they have us in a slip for a 65' boat.  Full length finger pier.  Easy docking even with some wind.  Always feels like we're coming home when we stop here as we had the boat stored here for an extended period several years ago.  Just missed catching old friends on Galopante as they took off for Florida 2 weeks ago.  Spent the evening watching a recording of the Clemson vs Syracuse football game.  Not pretty.  But as they say - a win is a win.  Go Tigers!!

We think they may have replaced the older and smaller Big M and New Big M 
with the one newer and larger Big M Casino.  

Adding to our thought process was the dock for the second casino ship
 has been converted to this tiki hut waterfront bar

Entrance to the marina at Mariners Pointe.  Started a lot of fishing trips here

Journey for Nov. 7, 2026