11/10/14
Bass Creek off of Parrots Creek SC
Position: 32 28.859N, 80 32.448W
Posted by Bill

We made the push to Beaufort SC today. It looked doable based on the mileage but it was going to be a long day, so we left the dock at 0640 in the morning. We wanted to catch the tide at slack but we also needed to time going through Elliots Cut just west of Charleston. The tidal current runs so strong there that you need to ride the current or face a pain in the ass passage, so we left before slack tide. Our dock neighbors helped us off the dock which was a MAJOR help…thanks folks, and we left unscathed. I didn’t sleep much the night before worrying about it.

Then I realized I pulled a major oops. We got into Elliots Cut and came up to the Whapoo River Bridge, thinking it opened on the hour and half hour. Turned out it was closed from 6-9 so we had to motor around for 2 hours…real bummer and I felt like a complete idiot. It put us 2 hours behind and also put us at some major shoaled areas close to low tide…not what I was planning to do. We made it through the shoaled spots fine but didn’t have enough time to get to Beaufort by dark, so we anchored in Bass Creek. No one else was around and it was a good anchorage. Tricia cooked a fabulous meal and we got some good sleep.

We got to see a sunset on one side and a rainbow on another:

Whapoo River Bridge:

We got to meet some new people at the Charleston Maritime Center Marina, including Hayden and Radeen Cochran. They maintain a couple of web sites for Island Packet boats that are a major help for IP boat owners. It was good to meet them and thank them for their contributions. We have used the shit out of those web sites and they have really helped us dealing with our boat. I wish we could have spent more time with them. They were really nice people and I wanted to get to know them better. Also they have cruised the ICW and Bahamas many times and we could learn much from them. Everyone we have met that is cruising has been very friendly and willing to lend experience or a helpful hand. It is very refreshing. Our friends and family along the way have also been the same. I can’t describe how beneficial it has been! We are starting to get into the “groove” of living aboard and cruising. It is really fun.