day one - caught by the tide

Down at the ramp a little after 9:00.  Take my time rigging and loading SPARTINA while a Coast Guard crew inspects a couple of "party" style pontoon charter boats nearby.  I wonder how the CG feels about giving the "ok" to boats that have no other purpose than to let people drink on the water.  The boats and inspectors are gone by the time SPARTINA is ready to launch.  

I launch earlier in the tide cycle than normal. Usually I launch as slack tide approaches, I need the slack tide to get through Elliott Cut.  This time I make the mistake of launching at full running tide.  I cast off and back out of the slip so I can tie up on the outside of the docks where I won't block the ramps.  As I back out the tide carries me quickly to the southwest.  The tide is running perpendicular to the docks.  Each time I approach to tie up, we are blown down current.  I find that I can't throttle back the outboard and reach the lines in time to get on the dock.

After a few attempts, I decide to see if I can use the dock at the restaurant across the river.  Maybe I can pay for a nice lunch and they will let me tie up there while dropping off my truck/trailer at Pete's house.  Arriving at the dock, which is parallel to the running tide, I see the restaurant is closed.  And I also see "no trespassing" signs and security cameras.  Not a place I would want to leave the boat for an hour or so.

Motoring back to the ramp, I see a fisherman coming in on the skiff.  I put a line up on the foredeck near the port shroud.  He grabs it, ties it to a cleat.  I thank him.  SPARTINA tied up securely, I drive to friend Pete's house and leave the truck trailer there.  Catching a LYFT, I head back to the ramp.

Cast off 1:05.  1:20 anchor at the mouth of Wappoo Creek to wait for the slack tide.  Anchor up 1:30, through the cut and on the Stono River 1:45.  Full sail at 1:50, and it feels so good.

Making 2.8 with wind on the stern. Clear skies and getting warmer. Soon making 4.1 as the wind fills in.

2:20 jibe, wind now over the port quarter.  Making 3.9 rounding a bend in the river.  And I recall the odd feeling I get each time I begin the sail, something strange about beginning the sail south by sailing west.  

Making 4.6 following the channel as it meanders back and forth across the river.  I know from past sails that the water is pretty thin outside the channel.

2:45 jibe, wind over starboard quarter, making 4.8 to the west-northwest and figure at that speed the tide must be helping.  3:25 jibe at red marker "28," wind over the port quarter.  3:40 turn into the Oxbow, a little bend in the river that surrounds a marsh.  Tacking back and forth, I compare the gps chart with the Navionics chart to make sure I'll have plenty of water at low tide.  Anchor down at 3:55.

13.99 NM

 

a few photographs

Photograph by Webb Chiles

 

the track

Above is the track from the winter sail.  A good and, at times, challenging sail.  Twenty days on the water.  I would describe the first week as good sailing and a little chilly.  Second week was excellent sailing and more comfortable temperatures.  The third week included the coldest and strongest winds.  Gusts to 35 and early morning temperatures down to 31 degrees.  

Above is a favorite stretch, south from just above Isle of Hope through the Florida Passage (though not yet close to Florida) and then across St. Catherines Sound to a nice anchorage on Walburg Creek. 

And here is a good challenging day sailing on Altamaha Sound (upper portion of the image) against the ebb tide and west wind so lots of tacking.  And then south on Buttermilk Sound (lower left of image) with, yes, some more tacking but less running tide (don't recall the details offhand, will have to look at my notes).

Hope to post the daily logs beginning in a few days.

 

Done!

Came in to Palatka about 1:00 pm yesterday. Gps showed 427 miles.  An alligator, lots of dolphin and some good friends along the way.  
 

long, good day

Low thirties when the anchor came up. 

Crossed the line into Florida, ended the day

with 36 nautical miles on the gps . 

 

 

chilly / updated

Update:  The small craft warning has been extended through the day and the wind persists.  Since there are no “outs” - places where I could seek shelter between here and Cumberland Island - I will stay anchored here on Jekyll Creek, relax, read and catch up on the log book. 

—————————

Chilly this morning. 

Hope to sail when 

the wind drops in 

a couple hours.

 

waiting out the wind

Waiting out the wind on Jekyll Creek.  At the marina I was in a western facing dock and would have been pounded by the wind, so moved across the creek and anchored last night. 

 

poor timing

Wonderful sailing through the marshes yesterday morning on the Mackay River.  Timed my crossing of St. Simon Sound poorly, tacking into a strong west wind while fighting a strong ebb current.  Found myself losing ground and was slowly backing towards the ocean.  Quickly surrendered and started up the outboard to power to Jekyll Island.  Lesson learned on ebb tides and west winds. 

 

a challenging day

 Spent the afternoon tacking into the strong ebb tide.  A good challenge and made a lot of miles. 

some great sailing

I had a couple of days of great sailing where the winds and tides just carried me along.  Another great day of sailing today, but with opposing wind and tides.  Wide tacking to get onto Sapelo Sound, short tacks of two minutes or less on winding creeks. A lot of playing the gusts.  Challenging, but fun.  Anchored now on the Crescent River.  Anchor light photo, above, was from my anchorage last night at St. Catherine’s Island.