Charleston to St. Mary's

We left Cooper River Marina at 9am, with Glen waving to us from the dock as we departed. We headed to City Marina, on the Ashley River (other side of the Charleston Peninsula) to fuel. After a brief stay we left at noon for travels south. Cold windy day, larger following seas, cold wind off the stern. Long night with large seas on the quarter, with little wind to balance. Hoods, scarves and gloves where the apparrel of the trip. Ginny was the savior with her hand and foot warmer packets!

During the night we noticed that the engine was surging, hmmmm...hmm..hmmmm..hmm.. We thought it was the seas and didn't pay much attention until the tachometer started to fluctuate....

Arrived entrance to St. Mary's at 12:20pm, with rollers on the stern and a 2-3 kt current coming out of the inlet. The inlet is boarded by two jagged rock jetties, which lie just under the surface at high tide, waves breaking over them. The seas build from 2-4 on the stern to 3-6 ft in a steep chop. The more we rolled, the worse engine surged. 100 ft from the southern jetty (awash), the engine begins to surge dramatically. Fearing a dead engine and a leeward jetty, and not wind to sail by, the Captain abruptly called for a 180 degree turn to head back out to sea. During the turn the engine finally died as we were spit back our into the ocean by the ebbing current. Nearing the buoy marking the jetty, Roger calls that we must try to pass down current of it, since the 2-3kt current will quickly sweep us into it. A quick change of the wheel, and the mightily Wind-Lass labored under stay sail alone to make the turn to avoid the buoy. All of this with the both planting itself in the face of each oncoming wave. After clearing back out to sea, David went below to to discover the fuel filters have become incredibly clogged. In wallowing seas, he changed the tank filter and also dug into the aft pantry to locate a new engine fuel filter. After replacing both, covered in diesel, fingers bleeding and ready to rid himself of the days meals, he came back on deck and the motor was successfully started and the second attempt was made into the harbor, with success!

To the south was Fernandina Beach, which is supposed to be very poplar, however all that could be seen was an ugly, large factory. We decided to head up river to St. Mary's, a small charming village on the Ga FL boarder. It is located on The St. Mary's river, 2 mi from the entrance after a very tight snake turn with several shallow banks. We anchored out in front of the town in very light winds and rested. The next morning we went to the marina to fuel up and was greeted by someone apparently out of a by gone era. He looked and spoke like he just got of a Bubba Gump Shrimp boat, but had the gray and tell tale wrinkles of a man born in the early part of last century. It took us a long time to discover that the "unicorns" on the fuel dock were actually "orange cones". The rates are cheap, but beware of the bugs!