We all walked back to the Carriage House where two of us savored our last long shower for a while.
We drove to the Hinkley Yard and loaded on ice and prepared to our departure for Hilton Head, thirty miles northward in the ICW.
Leaving the dock was a little exciting as there was 1.5 knot current and a 15 knot breeze pushing us as we maneuvered down the side of a gleaming Hinkley 48. We had to stay close to the multi-million-dollar boat because there was shallow water on our other side. I asked Linda to leave the fenders out -- just in case.
Just before 11:00 a.m. We spun the boat up the river toward the Savannah River. The tide was rising which gave me some comfort as we plowed through the skinny waters. At low tide there would be 6 or 8 feet less water in every spot. We crossed a few spots where I don't think we could have made it at low tide.
It was a very windy trip made worse because we were traveling into the wind most of the time. My anemometer was reading 25 to 30 knots most of the way. This caused my first mate and the CMO to seek shelter in the cabin because a few green waves splashed over the windshield.
We passed a huge dredge in the Savannah River, making way for the freighters from the Panama Canal. I couldn't help but think about the economic impact that will bring all the way to Chattanooga (by truck and by rail).
After a choppy fetch up the Calibougi Sound we arrived at the entrance to Windmill Harbour Marina. We called the Harbourmaster for instructions on entering the lock. That's right, I said lock. The Marina is protected from the tidal swings by a tiny version of the locks we use on the Tennessee River all the time. This one measures 17 x 75 feet. Our "drop" was a whopping one inch since we were arriving just after high tide.
Looking back through the Windmill Harbour Lock (outer gate open)
The spectacular Marina opened up in front of us and we glided to our assigned slip. Our bow faced the South Carolina Yacht Club and our stern was 100 feet from the swimming pool and shower facilities. It's going to be pretty hard to top this -- and this is our first stop!
Our Chattanooga friends Mike and Stormy were here for the big Golf Tournament and they drove down for a cocktail on the boat. We loaded into their car for a dinner at a nearby restaurant. We had a great time discussing hometown business and politics as those things start to slip further and further from our daily thoughts.
Linda walks the CMO around the Harbour
Invictus welcomed several visitors who stopped by for a tour
Yeah, sounds like you're off to a good start!
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