It had been windy for the past
few days but forecasts from various sources do not seem to agree
completely. Apparently there is a low
pressure system to the south (with counterclockwise winds) and a high pressure
system to the north (with clockwise winds) which are teaming up to provide
winds in excess of 25 mph to well over 30 mph.
Gale warnings have been issued to the north of us. Our plan is to go at least as far as the
north end of Cumberland island and see what it looks like. I had a good conversation with Chuck last
night about the inside passage around Saint Andrews Sound (and Jekyll Sound)
and we hoped that we could make it across.
April 16, 2016
The wind was less during the
night but picked up just as we departed at 6:45. As seems to be the norm on
this trip, the current was against us most of the way so it was slow going and
quite choppy in the Saint Marys River and Cumberland Sound, clawing our way up
against the wind and current. When we
got to toward the north end of Cumberland Island and the Cumberland River began
to widen toward Saint Andrews Sound, the current was now with us but against
the wind which was picking up to the upper 20’s. For almost an hour, we experienced the
roughest water that we ever have in Dubhe.
The conditions created a very steep, short sea of maybe 4-5+ feet
(trough to peak). I don’t normally like
to estimate wave height because it is almost always overestimated. But the height was not the problem; the waves
were nearly vertical, and the peak to peak period did not agree with Dubhe’s
30’ length. Dubhe would rise up and
drop, pounding on every 3rd or 4th wave which also
greatly slowed our speed. Spray was sometimes solid water that even drenched
the flybridge and the cabin door that faces the stern. Turning around was not an option…I could not
imagine Dubhe’s beam or quarter to these waves.
I considered turning into Shellbine Creek, but Floyds Creek, the
entrance to the inside passage, was only a mile and a half further. At last we made it, and of course Floyds
Creek was flat, although the wind was still blowing. I had thought that I would anchor up and rest
or possibly spend the night here, but we decided to press on. With Chucks notes, we made our way through to
Umbrella Sound just before Jekyll Sound, bumping bottom only once. We thought about anchoring in Umbrella Creek but
then decided to try Jekyll Sound which has a little more protection and
different orientation than Saint Andrews.
It was quite bumpy but again, we made it through. After transiting behind Jekyll Island, we
were again faced with the decision to cross Saint Simons Sound. The wind was about the same but now the
current would be in the same direction as the wind so we went. It was bumpy as well but the waves were not
as high and not too steep. At about 5:00
we anchored in the Frederica River behind Saint Simons Island. A great ending to a basically horrible
day. Dubhe had a nice layer of salt
everywhere, but the decks were washed clean.
Earlier in the day, a sailboat (Kyros)
followed us through a tricky portion of the waterway and I called depths to
them as we passed through. They were
still behind us when we experienced the worst weather. I called and asked them (a couple) if they
were planning to cross Saint Andrews Sound or did they know about the inside
Passage. They didn’t know about the
alternate route but asked if they could follow us which they did. When we were almost through, they anchored in
Umbrella Creek. Although we talked on
the radio a lot, I never got their names or where they were from.
Sorry no pictures. We were too busy and pictures would never look the same anyway.
April 17, 2016
We departed about 8:00 with wind
predicted to increase during the day and the current against us. We struggled up the Mckay River, through
Altamaha Sound, Doboy, and Sapelo Sounds without too much difficulty. Our plan was to anchor in the North Newport
River behind Saint Catherines Island but the water was much too deep (30 feet)
and exposed, so we tried Walburg Creek but the current and wind were not to my
liking or conducive for a restful night.
After two long days, I was very frustrated and angry. As I made my way out to backtrack south for
an anchorage, we passed a nice quiet creek in the right orientation but it was
not shown as an “anchorage” on our guides.
We entered Necessary Creek and found the perfect anchorage. The lesson here is to look on the charts for anchorages
yourself and don’t just rely on the cruising guides. On our first cruise 32 years ago, we had no
guides and did very well.
Necessary Creek |
April 18, 2016
Finally, it looks like the wind
is relenting. We left necessary Creek just
after sunrise and had a very nice ride to Savannah where we took an alternate
route via Turners Creek and the Saint Augustine River instead of the Wilmington
River. When crossing the Savannah River,
there was a dredge working at Elba Island Cut, and just as Dubhe Approached, so
did a ship in the river. Not really a
problem, we just held up and let the ship pass.
About 4:30 we anchored in the Cooper River behind Daufuskie Island for
our last night on Dubhe.
Elba Island Cut and Savannah River Traffic |
Gator swimming across Fields Cut |
April 19, 2016
A beautiful ride home. It was as if we were taking a day cruise from
Beaufort. We arrived at Port Royal
Landing Marina about 12:30. I had very mixed emotions as our cruise ended. I was glad to be home, and I was looking
forward to having my truck, my bed, shower, and all our other conveniences. I will
see Lane tomorrow and will be going to North Augusta Thursday to see
Lilly. Life is good and easy. But, I had an underlying melancholy that is
hard to describe. We won’t be anchoring
in a quiet creek tonight on Dubhe. Tomorrow,
we will not be on Dubhe, riding through some deserted waterway or through some
new town. I will miss it all. Cruising is a way of life more than a
vacation or getaway. It’s not always
easy and rarely convenient, but it gets in my soul. To some not familiar with cruising or boats
this may be seen as a great adventure and achievement. We know many others who cruise much further,
cross oceans, and visit foreign lands.
We are not prepared for that. To
Nancy and me, our little cruise on our little boat was just right. We had fun, met new friends, saw new places, and
of course learned more about each other.
To me it’s just about being on Dubhe and on the water.