A new adventure...the ICW through Georgia

We have avoided this option for many transits of the area due to narrow channels, shallows that require precise tide planning (especially with our 6'3"+ draft), shifting and silting inlets, and anchoring laws that many other cruisers complained about, but...we decided to keep moving north via the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway through Georgia! Winds out of the northeast (the direction we want to head) just weren't letting up and the timing of high tide was mid-afternoon (so we didn't have to dawn patrol or go through those spots at sunset) so we decided to go for it.

We planned very conservatively and didn't tap the bottom once! We also didn't have any issues with the anchoring restrictions. I think this might be because we weren't trying to get close to docks or shore to relieve pets and we are comfortable trying anchorages that aren't "marked" in any of the popular apps, but it worked well for us. We anchored at Wally's Leg and the south end of Walburg Creek without issue for our two nights in Georgia. And we saw a “site”—the wreck of the Golden Ray!

1st Mate at the helm

The wreck of the Golden Ray, slowly getting removed.

The only real issue? THE HORSEFLIES! Oh my word, there are so many of them! Thankfully they rarely tried to bite but just the shear volume of them was insane. One day Frank got so sick of them flying around his head that we stripped the ENTIRE bimini off! Extreme? Maybe, but it was effective! This persisted as we made our way into South Carolina...

Trent wages war with our weapon of choice, the Bug-A-Salt. When all else fails, rip the bimini down!

After a brief stop in Beaufort, SC for lunch at Herban (our favorite!), laundry, groceries, fuel, water, and pump-out, we opted to continue along on our "new places" journey up the ICW. We anchored at some beautiful spots off Bluff Point on the Edisto River and at Five Fathom Creek. We did some long days to take advantage of the high tide, even going through Charleston and the nearby waters on a weekend which was totally crazy with runabouts, but it was so worth it. 

The ICW anchorages have been lovely!

Weather is looking better and we should be making a hop offshore soon!