Sail off anchor 7:10 with double reefed main, solid east wind. Overcast, making 4.1 down Kilkenny Creek.
Looking over the marsh I see a tug and barge heading up the Bear River. 7:30 slip out onto the Bear River and a second tug and barge coming up the river. I cling to the red side to give it plenty of room. Doing 4.6.
7:50 making 4.8 with a helpful ebb tide, round up and shake out the second reef.
8:10 enterting St. Catherines Sound, 5.2. 8:25 round up and shake out the second reef, full sail. That helpful ebb tide is now as opposing tide as the ICW turn southwest up the sound. Good wind but again the ebb we make just 2.8 kts. Looking at the gps I see we are sliding across the sound directly to a little creek that seems to cut behind an island and join the North Newport River just above Johnson Creek. I use the Navionics app on my phone to zoom in and trace the creek from the sound to the river to make sure there are no shallows to block my way. There are none, and the chart shows deep water and a couple of anchorages on what is marked Walburg Creek. It will be a quicker, easier to work my way south.
8:50 making 4.3 as we sail across the tide instead of directly into it. Slip into the creek with St. Catherines Island to port and Walburg Island to starboard. Making 3.2 as we tack up the creek.
At a bend in the creek is seems we cross the head of the tide, the current is with us and easy sailing. 10:05 out of the creek onto the North Newport River. Sail onto Johnson Creek 10:15, 4.8 4.8 with a helping tide.
10:45 sailing the narrow creek with mudbanks and exposed oyster reefs either side.
11:15 light rain. Noon follow the sand spit out onto Sapelo Sound. More rain. 4.3 leaving the creek, now 3.2 against the tide. 12:20 feels like the tide has turn, crossing a shoal with a flood tide.
Wind on the nose, making 15 minute tacks up the sound with a helping tide. Rain finally stops.
2:15 leaving Sapelo Sound, entering the Front River approaching the end of the flood tide. 3:15 can feel us working against the beginning of the ebb tide, 2.0 on the winding river. 4:05 motorsailing against the ebb. Anchor down on the Crescent River 4:35.
Cleaning up after dinner I hear an engine. A small power cruiser comes up the river and anchors nearby.
31.88 NM
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