Yellow Boat: 05/29/08 South Carolina - Beaufort to Charleston

As we leave the waters of the Savannah River, Georgia we see a dredge operation. We've encountered several on the Waterway as we head North. That's a good sign that the waters should be easier to navigate for the next boaters.

The GoodYear Blimp...you just never know where it will show up.

We are now in South Carolina waters
Fields Cut, Wright & New River, Ramshorn Creek and Cooper River.

This barge seems to have everything from trucks to lumber for some project.

We come to a familiar buoy #34, entrance to Bull Creek

This is summertime...

The weather is warmer and we have lots of visitors to the creek this time. They're all enjoying the beautiful weather. Winter we saw only commuters hunkered down in their boat trying to keep warm till they reached their destination. Today it just looks like fun.

We have our usual dolphin visitors who are also just having fun.

The next day we cross Calibogue Sound,
pass by Hilton Head
and
a group of kayakers in training

Miles and miles of walkways leading to docks & water

Port Royal Sound - Parris Island

1-800-marines

Our afternoon is spent dockside at Beaufort, SC

This is peddle / not paddle.

We are docked at the very end
headed toward Ladies Island Swing Bridge for an early morning start.
The Swing Bridge opens and Hakuna Matata makes her way to the Coosaw River

as the cars wait.

This barge is pushing a temporary bridge similar to what we encountered one night as it docked alongside.

Don't hug this marker.
It's high and dry as were several in this area.
Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff

This sandy point has shallow water with waves breaking.

Our markers zig and zag along here.
Fenwick Cut

PELICANS BEGIN TO FLY ALONG WITH US.

WE SEEM TO BE IN A FAVORITE SPOT.
THEY ARE FISHING ALL AROUND US.

THEY'RE QUITE COMICAL AS THEY BEGIN THEIR DIVE.

THEN THEY ARE STRAIGHT AS AN ARROW.
I'D NEVER SEEN THEM THIS CLOSE BEFORE.
THEY ARE ACTUALLY QUITE IMPRESSIVE AND EFFECTIVE.

OH YES, THEN THAT FAMILIAR SPLASH OR WHAT ALWAYS LOOKS LIKE A CRASH!

PELICANS AND THEIR ANTICS HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR JOURNEY FAVORITES.

This is the spot we anchored one very cold winter day to warm up in the South Edisto River.
This boat has probably anchored just to enjoy the area and possibly the pelicans.

We arrive at Tom Point Creek, off the Wadmalaw River where we spent a week in January enjoying the seclusion. This was all very dry even at high tide and Bob took a walk across what is now flooded. The empty horseshoe crab shells and other once stranded remains are now beginning to leave the creek with the outgoing tide.

The marsh is very green.

Seagulls begin landing in the marsh area.
Lots of them!

Then they move into the creek with us.

As quickly as they came they left....except for two!

Don't you just love the independent thinkers!

It's always a shock when low tide arrives. The tides here are generally 8'.

The creek almost disappears as it goes around the bend.

The day also disappears...another beautiful evening up a creek

Next day were heading up the Wadmalaw, Stono and Ashley Rivers to Charleston

Magnolia trees are in bloom

This looks like a busy working marina.

This deer swam across with the current and ended up down stream a bit and had to trudge through the low water muck. With a lot of effort he made it and scampered off to the woods.

Just where is this boat?

Another of our markers is high and dry.

We pass a cute little sailboat that's also high and dry.

With the tide down we pass this range...oops...I think it's time for repairs.

Elliott Cut is a very short section just off the Stono River but the current can really whip through there. It can be rough on a sailboat at times. Our last venture through we watched the boat ahead of us stall at the mouth of it trying to enter the Stono going south. The current was against us but not as strong as it might be since it was getting near slack. Even at that Hakuna Matata had to work very hard to get us through and we were all smiles.

We call ahead to the Wappoo Creek bascule bridge to let them know we will be making the 4:00 pm opening. The bridge closes from 4:00 till 6:30. We can see in the distance that the bridge has opened for a boat. We are told this is the 3:30 opening and it won't open again till 6:30. There is no 4:00 opening.
Bob's just a little upset that we have pushed the engine to make the 4:00 opening and we did! But it's not happening.
Our smiles have left us...but only temporarily.

Fortunately for us, there's a spot on the other side of a little island where we can anchor out of the channel till the next opening in almost 3 hours. Of course a little thunderstorm passed through while we were there waiting, and yes was a good holding bottom.

We are once again at the Mega Dock in Charleston, SC but it has a very different crowd from the December group. Lots of Mega yachts tied up now.