day five - Georgia

Overnight winds, rain and rushing tide.  Nothing better than wake to a steady rain, roll over and drift off to sleep in a warm, dry sleeping bag.

Sail off anchor 6:55 with a double-reefed main, wearing thermals, a wool sweater and drysuit.  Dark, fast moving clouds give a stormy feeling to the morning.  

In the wind shadow of trees on Daufuskie Island some blue skies, sailing wing and wing at 1.9.  7:45 approaching the turn to the Wright River, 4.6.

I look across the marsh at 7:45 and can see no shipping on the Savannah River.  I turn down the cut to the river, take a second look at see a container ship passing by.  Surprised, but no problem, the ship will be well downriver by the time I cross.  Reach the river at 8:30, slight outgoing tide.  Across the river at 8:50, sailing double-reefed on St. Augustine Creek, wind on the stern and an opposing tide.

On the Wilmington River at 9:30 and under the high rise bridge by 10:00.  Round up to shake out both reefs.  2.1 against the tide, then 4.8 once out of the wind shadow of the trees on shore.  A light rain as the sun breaks through the overcast.  Passing Thunderbolt with the big yachts and shrimp boats at 10:50, 11:15 turn to starboard to enter the Skidway River.  Wing and wing on the Skidway with an opposing tide.

12:15 making 3.8 approaching Isle of Hope.  A big powerboat comes up from the stern.  A man comes out of the wheelhouse and shouts "This the ICW south???"  I tell him yes.  He goes back into the wheelhouse, confers with his captain, comes back out and asks "This the Skidway River?"  Yes, I tell him.  Seems like a boat that size ought to have a GPS.

1:15 sunshine feels good and warm as we enter the Moon River.  2:00 round up on the Burnside River to tuck in a reef.  2:20 making 4.5 on the Vernon River, overcast again.  

3:00 very choppy crossing a tideline on Ossabow Sound, calmer on the other side.

3:20 turn to cross the cut behind Raccoon Key, 3:35 on the Ogeechee River making 5.8 with the flood tide.

4:15 enter what is marked on the chart as the Florida Passage, though it is a long way from Florida.  Anchor down Redbird Creek 4:45.

 32.81 NM

Lasagna for dinner.