Boating with Sunset Delight: 2020: Georgia

3 November 2020

Depart: Port Royal Landing & Marina SC 8:10

Arrive: Sapelo Inlet, High Point anchorage GA 5:10

Distance: 72.4 nm

Conditions: 41 degrees going up to 65; calm seas; sunny day

Fortunately, we did not have high winds by the marina, and we slept soundly through the night. We set our sights on an ocean voyage for today targeting St. Catherine's Inlet / Walberg Creek anchorage and pulled in our lines just after 8:00.

Views we passed on our way to the ocean via Port Royal Sound Inlet ...

Looking back at the dock at Port Royal Landing

Cruise Ships on Port Royal Reach

Parris Island -Marines!

The water on the ocean was unbelievably calm. Surprisingly, we had the ocean mostly to ourselves.

Sun sparkling on the calm Atlantic Ocean

Usually we see Dolphins by the boat - today ...
Jelly Fish

Eventually we did see some other vessels on the ocean - big ones!

"OOCL Korea" Container Ship

"Alexander Bay" Container Ship

We reached St. Catherine's Inlet around 2:30. Since we had time and an amazingly calm ocean, we decided to keep going a little further. Clark selected Sapelo Inlet - an inlet we have never explored before.

Clark had set a waypoint for the RW marker for the channel into Sapelo Inlet, but when we arrived at that point, we found no marker. We turned where the marker should have been and carefully followed the reds and greens inland.

As we entered Sapelo Inlet, we passed Blackbeard's Island. Our anchorage for the night was just a little further beyond.

Blackbeard's Island, GA -
hangout of Edward Teach circa 1760!

It took Clark several passes around the area at the High Point scoping out the anchorage until he was satisfied he knew where the shallow and deeper waters lay. The chart and the actual waters did not agree and were more shallow than shown on the chart. Once he figured it out, he dropped anchor.

Sunset at High Point Anchorage, Sapelo Inlet, GA

4 November 2020

Depart: High Point Anchorage, Sapelo Inlet, GA 8:35

Arrive: St. Simon's Island Inlet, Lanier Island Anchorage, GA 2:45

Distance: 47 nm

Conditions: Sunny; 45 degrees => 70; Moderate Choppy Seas (3 foot); 15+ knot winds

As I sat finishing my breakfast, Clark came over to discuss travel plans for the day. I thought we had it worked out as targeting St. Mary's Inlet and Cumberland Island anchorage for today, but Clark had reconsidered our options. With Tropical Storm / Hurricane Eta on the loose and potentially heading for Florida, he said we had three choices -- stay put for another night, go south to St. Mary's, or go south to St. Simon's Inlet.

Decisions! Decisions! Decisions! At present the hurricane spaghetti models show the tracks going any which way with Jacksonville as a potential target. We decided to take advantage of relatively calm ocean waters and head south opting for the closer St. Simon's in lieu of the further St. Mary's inlet.

I hoped for waters like yesterday on the ocean, but that did not happen. We ended up "clawing" our way over 3-foot waves to get out of the inlet before we could turn and head towards our next stop. After we turned, the waves became more comfortable acting more like swells.

At the point where we turned, we came upon a trawler moving at 2.6 knots with its outriggers and nets out.

Fishing Trawler

For most of the day's travel, we saw nothing but ocean water. We passed through a section labeled on the chart as "Northern Right Whale Critical Habitat". We hoped we might see a whale but alas no!

After 5 hours on the ocean, we finally saw some other boats on the water.

Sailboat with burgundy Sails

Another Trawler at Work

We did have one other boat pass us at a bit of a clip. Clark called them on the VHF to chat - our friend's Tom and Mary on "Viator". We knew they would be traveling today to St. Simon's Inlet as well. They were behind us and then past us as they traveled at more than twice our speed. Instead of dropping an anchor, they planned on staying at a marina, so this was our only glimpse of them today.

"Viator"

Clark spoke to Tom as "Viator" made its way into the inlet. Tom warned us of the "Beam Seas". Fortunately, we have stabilizers. Sadly "Viator" does not. Even with stabilizers, we were tossed about a bit and a few things slid onto the floor that weren't supposed to be there. It took a full hour for us to come in the inlet. As we got closer and closer to shore, the waves lessened, so it was not too too bad.

As we passed the green marker, it clanged away with the waves. Clark went to get a video. The first one did not turn out quite right so he made a second attempt to get it right.

Whoops a daisy. Second try for the green marker.

One of our first views of the area was the St. Simon's Inlet lighthouse followed by the shipwreck of the "Golden Ray". Last time we passed through this area, all the news articles indicated that the wreck would be cleaned up before hurricane season. Wellllll, that did not happen. They ran into difficulties and it is still a work in progress.