Beaufort and Hilton Head SC

H

We spent the afternoon in Beaufort SC. Don't get confused this is not Beaufort NC, very easily distinguished because of the way they are pronounce. In NC they say Bowfurt, in SC it is pronounce Bewfurt, now you know!!  Well, Bewfurt is lovely with Spanish Moss hanging from the tree everywhere. The bigger houses along the river have been restored with the help of funds from the National Hisotic Trust.  

Apparently after the movie Gone with the Wind came out, a lot of columns were added to homes to imitate the fictional Tara. I was at a book store and picked up a second hand copy of Margaret Mitchell's masterpiece and am currently immersed in it. 

We headed down to Hilton Head yesterday.  It has been developed since the 1930's when a bridge was built to the mainland.  The huge homes along the river are new and the architecture is fun to critique. We motored about 2m up the river to anchor so we could go into town and found quite a few derelict boats in the area. 

How sad.  There was another which was listed over in the weeds.  When we asked about it we were told that the owner did not pay his Marina bills so they towed it into swamp, threw out the anchor and left it.  A few days later it was floating free on a very high tide, so they towed it to a different spot, at low tide it was completely out of the water, it will some tow job to get it fom it's resting place. Hilton Head is know for it's golf courses, there are 20 in the area and a PGA event takes place here.  It is a big island and very spread out so we did not get a chance to see much.  I was on a mission to get some new cockpit cushions and we took a cab to Walmart to see if they had any. They didn't but the parking lot was a surprise. 

Imagine, that is a Walmart parking lot!!!  There are strict ordinances on the island about signage and maintenance of the rural feel of the area, they have done a great job. 

Sailing Info.

We are using "The Intracoastal Waterway, Norfolk to Miami, A Cockpit Cruising Handbook" by Jan and Bill Moeller. It is a small guide with few pictures and has references to bridges, anchorages and marinas by the mile number along the waterway. We just purchased the Waterway Guide, Atlantic ICW, Intracostal Waterway, Norfolk VA to Jacksonville Fl, published by Waterway Guide Media.  It is a great guide, with introductions to cities along the way, plus it is updated yearly about conditions on the waterway.  It is sponsored by Marinas, etc. but also mentions anchorages and their pluses and minuses. 

South Edisto River, SC   32*33.2 N X 80*25.3 W

Anchored in 4m with very good holding.

Protection to the NE but very open from the E

No services. Good place to stop to wait for high tide for next cuts. 

Beaufort, SC   32*25.7 N X 80*40.5 W

We rented a mooring at the Downtown City Marina. 

Great deal, $20/day, free courtesy car for 1 hour, very strict, showers, laundry.

Groceries and a KMart by car and downtown within close walking distance.

A lovely town with lots of wonderful history, well worth a stop.

Hilton Head Island - Broad Creek SC  32*10.7 N X 80*46.6 W

Anchored in the river in 5m, anchored dragged first time, reset and let out more chain. 

Palmetto Marina let us live our dinghy there for free. 

Had to take taxis for any services, except fuel. 

Not a stop I would recommend, unless you rent a car or bicycle. 

Be mindful of the tide when you anchor. 

Savannah, GA  32*05.0 N X 81*05.5 W

Stayed at the Hyatt Regency Dock on the Savannah River. 

$3/ft, includes electricity and use of hotel facilities, workout room with showers and pool, ice machine. 

Worth the stay, great access to historic downtown Savannah. Great stop 

Five Fathom Creek, GA  32*05.1N X 81*02.2 W

Located about 1 1/2 m downriver from Savannah, anchored in 7m, very good holding. 

Just off the Savannah River, big tankers go by. 

No services, just across from Fort Jackson which looks like a interesting spot to visit. 

Not much protection. We did not want to go through another cut in ICW to more protected spot because we had no knowledge of cuts.