Day 82. March 9, 2017 Thurs

Day 82. 3/9/17. Thur. At home port Lightkeepers Marina
Little River, SC

Home at last. We arrived at our slip about noon. We had a calm night at anchor and left early. The day was warm and sunny. We went through a sketchy section called the Rock Pile at low tide. It really is where the channel was blasted out of the rock. It is safer at low tide because you can see it. When the water is high you know it is lurking under there somewhere but not exactly where.
We traveled 1624 nautical miles going from Home to the Florida Keys to the Bahamas and back.
This was our third winter of cruising and may be our last. We are getting up there in years.

Day 81. March 8, 2017 Wed.

Day 81  3/8/17. Anchored icw near Surfside, SC

Overcast early then sunny in afternoon. We had sail out to assist crossing Winyah Bay and on into the waterway. The wind direction was fairly consistent but speed would go from 4 to 20 kts in a matter of seconds. Hard to have the right amount of sail out. This was our last full day of this cruising season. We should be in Little River by early afternoon tomorrow. Supposed to be a cold night, in the 40s. Calling for possible snow Sunday in Little River. Maybe we came home too soon. Children come first. 

Out if bread, milk, cereal, sweet stuff for Lee, almost out of coke for me. It is time to go home or a grocery store one. 

Live like every day is your last. 

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Day 80. March 7, 2017. Tuesday

Day 80. 3/7/17. Anchored between McClellanville and Georgetown, SC

We left our anchorage around 9:15. It was warm and sunny. Got warm under the canvas and we unzipped some panels. We had plenty of skinny water but hit the really skinny part at almost high tide as we planned. We saw 5.9ft at the lowest which was good. The low tide depth would have had us aground. A sailboat out of Oriental, NC anchored where we were last night . They drew 5.6ft and radioed ahead to ask us what was the lowest water we saw. They were behind us enough to catch absolute high tide. Glad we only have 4' draft. Would have been nervous even at high tide if I was in the other sailboat. Three inches of water under you is not much.  Pretty easy day except for the skinny part.

Live like every day is your last. 

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Day 79. March 6, 2017. Monday

Day 79. 3/6/17. Anchored N. of Mt Pleasant, SC

Today was overcast all day. It was cool. We had some strong current against us a lot of the day and did not get as far as we had hoped. We will get a late start tomorrow in order to arrive at a shallow area when it is not dead low tide. We were up before the sun rose today. You can see the predawn picture on Lee's Facebk page. We think now that we may get home Thurs. It's been fun but glad to have it over. There truly is "no place like home". I will be happy to see my dishwasher, I have gotten 'dish pan hands'.

Days 77 & 78. March 4 & 5. Saturday & Sunday

Day 77. 3/4/17. Anchored off Hilton Head, SC

Typical day, stopped at Isle of Hope Marina and got enough cokes to make it home. Needed bread & milk but the marina store only had beer, pop and some naps & candy, plus tee shirts with their logo. Was a chilly night but day time under the full canvas was ok.

Day 78. 3/5/17. Anchored N of Edisto Beach. S of Charleston.

We left before 7am and motored all day. One on demand bridge made us wait 10 minutes. Not fun. We did not like the first anchorage we looked at, much shallower than charted, so we kept going. We did not anchor until 5pm. Long day. Still looking like Fri will be out home coming day.

Day 76. March 3, 2017. Friday

Dat 76. 3/3/17.    Anchored South of Savannah GA

We started early and went late. We anchored about 10 after 5. We had another day with high wind and current against us most of the day. Sapelo Sound took several hours and was quite choppy. We went through Hells Gate, a narrow shallow cut, at almost low tide. Despite the chilly night, low 40s, day highs in 60s the  cockpit warmed up comfortably. We kept it closed and took advantage of the passive solar heating effect. 

It should be another cold night and tomorrows high in the 50s. We shall see if it warms up in the cockpit again tomorrow. Love my canvas enclosure-- thank you Sunset Canvas & Jack. 

Should be home this time next week. Then off to help our son move to Denver, CO. 

Live like every day is your last. 

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Day 75. March 2, 2017. Thurs

Day 75. 3/2/17. Thurs. anchored near Darien GA

We woke up at dawn to rain. I pulled up the anchor and off we went. Went by Jekyll Island close to high tide which was our plan. Skinny water can be an issue there. We had the current against us most of the day so it was slow going. Finally in the afternoon after passing St Simon Inlet we got some current going our way. The sky cleared up and we got a little sunshine. We covered 37 miles in over 8 hrs. Tonight is supposed to be 43 degrees for a low. Brrr we are spoiled.

Day 74. March 1, 2017. Wednesday

Day 74 3/1/17. Anchored at North Cumberland Is. , GA

Today was pretty average. We passed though a place where we had run aground on the way down. They moved the day boards so you stayed in deeper water now. We had warm temps and sunshine but not much wind until late in the afternoon. When we dropped anchor it was up to 14 and gusting to 18kts.
We had no see 'ums off and on all day. A lot were where we anchored so I went below and closed them all out that I could. Tide here is 9 ft. Really have to consider that when picking your spot to drop your hook. Tomorrow we go past Jekyll Island and we have timed that to hit at rising tide near high tide, skinny water.