For the Birds

December 10, 2015 

Coordinates 33 06569N 79 46369W

4 hrs, 24.9 nm, 6.2 kts

McClellanville, SC

Five Fathom Creek

ICW mile 430 

Arrived 3:10 pm

December 11, 2015

Coordinates 32 76508N 79 98126W

7 hrs, 37.6 nm, 5.4 kts

Charleston, NC

Wappoo Creek

ICW mile 472

Arrived 3:40 pm

The birds are one of the best parts of the ICW.  I will never tire of seeing them.  I have a bird book and look up the ones that I see, but it was hard to identify them, sometimes I give up and just enjoy them.  One of the things that I know is there are more variety  gulls than I ever imagined and I had no idea that there were cormorants this far down the coast.  I am fascinated with the Pelicans because they soar, they are huge and more attractive than I expected.  We also saw more dolphins.  We agreed that we would never tire of seeing dolphins, just like we never tire of seeing loons on Salmon Lake.

I want to apologize to you South Carolinians for listing Georgetown as Georgetown, NC when it is in South Carolina.  We loved being there and will return should we pass by there again. We tried to leave Georgetown but delayed it because of the fog.  We were not the only ones to delay, some of our friends we had met along the way were also held up.

On our way down the ICW there wasn’t any traffic. We anchored in the middle of nowhere SC.  I will send pictures that will show just that. We were the only boat anchored in what seemed like the middle of grass.  In the evening we saw about twenty shrimp boats come in and about 8 go back out to sea the next morning.  One of the articles that we read about this anchorage described it as eerie because  of all the high grass it seemed that the shrimp boats were moving through grass instead of water, it was fascinating to say the least.  All was not lost though, we put up our Christmas lights.

Our travels on the 11th were challenging.  Rob receives the Waterway Guide Cruisers Update and it arrived today the 12th via email, one day after we had already traveled through the challenges. Here is what the guide had to say.

"Dredging of the ICW Channel started yesterday, Dec. 3, 2015 near Sullivan's Island and the intersection of Breach Inlet (Isle of Palms).  The dredging is expected to be completed mid-January. 

Please exercise extreme caution and arrange for passage, as the dredging equipment may occupy most or all of the navigable channel, and sections that have not yet been dredged may have on 2 to 3 foot depths at MLW, (average low tide)." We draw 4.3".

Rob had to radio the captain of the dredging barge, who very clearly stated which side we were to go around the barge, to keep within 5’ of the barge and not to get more than 10’ away or “you will go aground”.

Here is what happens if you are an uninformed boater on the ICW.

Waiting for high tide to move

Dredging the ICW channel without them there wouldn't be a trip south for us

Shrimp boats return from sea

Our Coast Guard at Christmas duty

Christmas will not be stopped

We are thinking about bringing our dinghy out tonight, about one mile away to watch the parade of boats all decked out for Christmas.

All my best to you during this holiday season

Tricia