Waking up in Charleston after a successful ocean passage was such a great feeling. We celebrated by eating and walking our way through Charleston over the next three days. Highlights included a 5-mile walk to White Duck Taco Shop by way of a cool suspension bridge; free PBRs at a pub downtown – some stranger bought the entire bar a round and we just happened to be in the right place at the right time; kicking off the holiday season with a Parks and Rec-esq tree lighting downtown; many dolphin sightings, including dolphins surrounding us in a foggy anchorage; and meeting some new sailing friends while watching the U of M v. OSU game downtown.
After a few days, it was time to give our walking shoes and budget a rest, so we started south again. We had a pretty uneventful two days traveling on the ICW, arriving at Hilton Head Island on Monday, December 3. It felt like we had finally arrived somewhere people seek out on vacation! The marina let us rent some ebikes which made exploring this massive island easier. I never knew that riding an ebike down the beach while looking for dolphins was a dream of mine, but it should have been because I had the best time doing it. We knocked out a few more projects and met some great new friends before packing up again.
Our next stop was Savannah, another new place for us and Alaya. We lucked out and got a spot on a free wall downtown. We were right in the middle of all the action, which that weekend included a Christmas concert right out our window, a Christmas parade along the riverfront and massive ocean ships coming in and out of port at all hours of the day. Savannah was another beautiful place full of really interesting architecture. We really enjoyed getting in the Christmas spirit while wearing shorts and sunglasses!
With two great Southern cities in the books, we continued our journey south as the temperatures dropped and wind speed picked up. We spent a few nights anchored near St. Simons Island biding our time for a big windstorm coming in that weekend. The forecast called for gusts up to 50 kts and 3” of rain, so we decided to head into a marina for the storm. The closest and best protected marina ended up being Brunswick Landing Marina, a famous spot for cruisers. We baked Christmas cookies, watched movies and worked on boat projects to pass the time. The storm was nasty but we were safe and cozy.
Once the major storm had passed, we decided to keep moving even though it was still fairly windy. There was way too much wind on the outside route, so we continued on the ICW. We island hopped over the next two days, first to Jekyll Island with its beautiful Christmas light display in the historic district, then to Cumberland Island, a massive nature preserve.
We literally ran into some excitement on our trip to Cumberland Island. The Georgia coast has multiple sounds aka inlets to the ocean that you have to cross to get to Florida. While the ICW route is generally protected from ocean swell and winds, an ICW-traveler still has to navigate through these exposed sounds with often sporty conditions. We had to cross St. Andrews Sound, the most exposed and shallow sound on our way to Cumberland Island. It was a windy day but not unmanageable. Alaya was motorsailing herself through the waves without much issue. We were following the recommended track, traveling around a long shoal and about to turn back towards land, when we heard a very loud bang and Alaya started shaking badly! Our first thought was that we had run aground but our depth sounder still showed 16 feet of water below us. Lucas put Pierre into neutral. I looked behind us and saw a mangled crab pot buoy. Sh**…
Quick aside on crab pots – For those lucky enough not to know, the waters of the East Coast are riddled with crab pots and they are bad news for sailors. The actual crab trap aka pot sits on the sea bed but there is a long line attached to a floating buoy so the crabber can retrieve their trap after they have soaked for a certain amount of time. That line and buoy, if struck, can get wrapped around a boat’s propeller leaving it immobilized. If that happens, someone has to dive on the propeller to cut the line loose. We have been dodging crab pots since the day we left the Erie Canal and always try to keep a close watch. Sometimes the buoys are really hard to see and today was one of those days.
Back to our drama in the St. Andrews Sound – …Sh**. Luckily, we were already through the roughest part of the sound and we had a sail up. So, as we talked through our options (with my adrenaline pumping), Alaya calmly kept us sailing towards our destination. After a few minutes, Lucas thought he could hear the propeller free spinning, so he turned Pierre completely off to listen closer. Sure enough, the propeller sounded like it was spinning! With fingers crossed, Lucas fired Pierre up again, put him into gear and everything sounded normal – no more shaking! Whatever part of the crab pot that we hit must have worked itself off the propellor. With our adrenaline still pumping, we motored the rest of the way to our anchorage without incident. Phew!
We finally crossed the Georgia-Florida line the next day, docking for the night on a great free wall just north of Jacksonville. Our first morning in Florida dawned chilly but sunny and warmed up into a beautiful day. We had a pleasant and blissfully uneventful motor down to St. Augustine, even managing to take our first underway-hot showers thanks to our now functioning engine coolant loop that heats the water heater. We laid anchor just outside the famous Bridge of Lions in downtown St. Augustine on Thursday, December 21.
Our goal was to make it to St. Augustine for Christmas and we made it with a few days to spare!
Emily I am so glad your mom shared the URL for your blog. I knew you were sailing but had no idea the extent of your journey. I’m addicted to your blog and am vicariously enjoying your amazing trip. Your writing is so enjoyable. I think there’s a book in your future.
Always wanted to travel the Erie Canal..thanks for the trip. Remember learning this song in music at South Elementary….. https://youtu.be/CuWuJWKIYiw?si=AEnIkXW2uhfyI110. Ever hear it? I have heard that you can take a day trip on the canal and so excited to hear there are bike trails along it. Will have to explore those options,
You stops have also brought back some great memories…We loved time spent near Annapolis many years ago…friends had a home on the Severn River and we spent some days on the Outer Banks a few years ago. Honeymooned on Hilton Head and have made some fun stops in Savannah and Charleston on way back from Florida over the years. And I get just as exited about the dolphins! My day is made when they swim beside my kayak!
We plan to spend some time on Jekyll and Cumberland on our way back from Florida end of March…any tips for sightseeing?
Enjoy your visit with your parents and keep up the great travelogue! I’ll be anticipating your next post.
Wishing you fair winds and friendly seas.
Kathy Trudell (Your North Creek Media Specialist)
Congratulations Emily and Lucas on your voyage and welcome south. I am enjoying your accounts of your trip. I wish you fair winds.
Russ Drummond
Uncle Ron and I read your next blog. Hurray for you and your sense of adventure and wonderment. Uncle
Ron wants to know what your plans are for Easter? Also, where is your ultimate destination? So glad you were able to spend time with family while on the high seas. Uncle Ron and I wish we were with you. Please keep posting blogs as we look forward to them. He says, “Smooth Sailing” and I say God’s speed. Love and hugs, Uncle Ron and Cynthia