Boating with Sunset Delight: 2020: Church Creek to Jenkins Creek SC Anchorage

30 October 2020

Depart: Church Creek Anchorage 10:45

Arrive: 3:00

Distance: 33.9 nm

Conditions: Sunny, Cool, 60s (beautiful weather unless standing on bow with cold wind in face while anchoring)

Clark has found a place where he believes he can get the anchor shank straightened, so we are killing time over the weekend until the shop opens in Beaufort on Monday. Meanwhile ...

We had a windy night last night. The anchorage did not afford as much protection as we hoped for. If not for worry about the anchor holding in its current warped state, I probably would have slept soundly even with the bouncing of the boat during the night. We moved to a new anchorage tonight with hopes of a better night's rest.

Before leaving Church Creek this morning, Clark pointed out to me that the poles on the water near us were rocking in the wind. He believes that they came up due to ice last winter. Given the sway in the wind, not much of the two swaying poles appears to be underground.

2 taller poles in front rock in the wind -
probably not long before they topple over

I piloted the boat for longer than usual today, but when we got to a passage where we had a Bob423 track to follow that directed us to navigate way outside the channel, I handed the boat over to Clark. While I was piloting, Clark caught up on email. One posting he read was interesting. It said that the Norfolk Southern #7 RR bridge was damaged by a barge, track was displaced, and it is unknown how soon repairs will be completed. That's another bullet dodged for us. Clark said it is one heck of a diversion to go around that blockade. On a happier note, we also heard that the Alligator River Bridge is repaired and in good shape with no closings expected any time soon.

While I piloted the boat, we passed a work / dredging site. Clark grabbed some pictures.

With minor exceptions, today's 30+ nautical miles of scenery was much the same as the past few days.

Crab Pot High and Dry at low tide
I just hope there is nothing in the cage

Shrubs and Mud Flats

Amber waves of Marsh Grass and Mud Flats!

Items of excitement today ...

We were chased for miles by a tenacious flock of seagulls. A scene like this reminds me of Hitchcock's "The Birds". That movie was on television recently. I passed as I still have scary memories of it from my childhood and have no need to watch it again!

We passed by Ashe Island through very skinny water at near low tide. Nail biter! Though the worst we saw was about 1.5 feet of water under the keel. We've seen worse than that in our creek at home.

Once again, we seriously diverted from the ICW path south (i.e. made several "wrong" turns) to end up at Jenkin's Creek anchorage for the night. Yet another place we have never visited before.

As we traveled our off-the-mainstream path to the anchorage (Parrot Creek to Morgan River), we were "attacked" by a number of dolphins who wanted to play in our bow wave. I saw them up ahead and when I went to look for them a short time later they had completely vanished. Last time that happened, I found them at the bow of the boat when, sadly, I did not have my camera with me. Today I grabbed the camera and headed to the bow, and Voila! There they were having a wonderful time.

It's scary to watch them. I don't understand how they avoid being hit by the boat!