Character of the ICW

The weather forecast today was 100% chance of rain, with strong winds to 30 mph, and possible severe thunderstorms. Later in the day they added a tornado watch. The anchorage at Georgetown isn’t rated very well for holding, and isn’t very big if the wind shifts around very much or if boats anchor too close. We were reluctant to weather a big storm there, and the wind direction would allow us to motor-sail the ICW so we decided to leave first thing this morning. It turns out the anchor was set very well so riding out a storm probably would have been OK. At any rate we left early, got a nice assist from the following winds, and never had any bad weather. We are now anchored in the Waccamaw River which I think is probably my favorite anchorage of the whole trip. This is where we anchored with Matt in November where he wanted us to leave a night light on because he thought it was kind of creepy. In November all the leaves were off the trees. Now there are leaves on the trees, turtles sunning themselves on logs, and a couple of nesting ospreys who are feeding in the nearby trees. Tomorrow we should be at the South Carolina border, or possibly in North Carolina.

Tonight we had salad, fresh strawberries, smoked oysters, kippered herring, smoked salmon, cheese and crackers, and applesauce.

In very general terms the ICW is different from state to state. Southern Florida has the condos and metro areas that go on for miles. Generally shallow water and fairly straight, almost canal-like stretches with houses along the way. The tides in Florida are only a couple of feet. The ICW in Georgia meanders back and forth in a more remote or marsh/swamp setting. With a tidal range of up to 10 feet it can have some of the shallowest water of the whole ditch. South Carolina has several large cities and towns along the way, and portions of the waterway seem to be relatively straight canal-like sections bordered by homes and docks. Now as we approach North Carolina the tides are getting less extreme, and the waterway is again winding its way through a more natural, apparently uninhabited wilderness. Until we stopped today we saw only four boats moving on the ICW. If you didn’t look at a road map you could believe you were the only people for miles. Today turtles on logs have replaced the sea turtles we’ve been seeing in the ocean and near the passes coming in from the sea. We’ve passed dozens of osprey nests built on the navigation marks in the waterway. A couple of days ago we saw several eagles.

There is so much tannin (a brown, tea-like stain) in the water that boats get a “mustache” above the waterline at the bow. Three months of crystal clear water in the Bahamas had almost erased Passage’s mustache. Now it is back, getting darker by the day.