Over these days we traveled from Lady’s Island Marina to Safe Harbor Beaufort Marina (4th), then Herb River anchorage (Savannah) (5th) and finally Duplin River anchorage (65 miles south and just off Doboy Sound anchorage (6th and 7th).
Started the morning of the 4th with apple fritters and coffee—Carey’s spoils from Publix the day before. Once satisfied, we cast off on a short 30‑minute run to Safe Harbor Beaufort, the town‑owned marina right in downtown. By noon we were securely moored and ready for lunch.
304 acres of Beaufort are designated a National Historic Site and well worth walking around, as much of the original town has been saved and is maintained beautifully. We both needed a walk, and this was the place to do it. Many of the old buildings host shops, great eateries, and our favorite, the ice cream and fudge store.
Up Friday the 5th, I had a hiccup: trouble loading my next ICW track from Bob423, whose tracks are invaluable for safe navigation. After some persistence, the file finally uploaded, and we set off into a day that was more challenging than cheerful as the weather was dreary—overcast skies, steady rain, and fog that cut visibility down to half a mile over some notorious shoaled areas. Windshield wipers worked nonstop as we pressed on. By 3 PM, we dropped anchor in Herb River, just south of Thunderbolt, Georgia, a short ride from Savannah. At Herb River, one treat was watching a large 200+ foot vessel move from Thunderbolt Marina toward an ocean inlet. It had a red-lighted escort vessel keeping the path clear as it moved slowly for the inlet. See the picture below.
Continuing south, the day’s positive points were low winds and flat waters as we crossed Port Royal Sound, an Atlantic inlet.
Pictures below of Carey at Luther’s restaurant and a view outside Luther’s windows in Beaufort and the dreary fog and rain while underway from Savannah.
Morning of the 6th, from Herb River anchorage, we headed for Sunbury Crab House and Marina. We love the place, but overcast, rain, and fog made us change our minds. (BTW, George Cajigal and Polly Parks found this great stop about 10 years ago! Just south of Savannah and close to 95 in Richmond Hill.) Feeling comfortable on the boat; toasty and enjoying the travel down the ICW … why dock and tie up in the rain. We decided by-passing the tie up and expensive dinner at Sunbury and moved on to anchor at Duplin River, just inside Doboy Sound, a short hop from the Atlantic. Once there, we were joined by another trawler, a sailboat, and a catamaran. (Catamarans and trawlers seem to be the go-to boats these days, and very few sport fishing boats, at least on the waterway. Also, few Canadian cruisers this trip. Usually, about a third of the cruisers to the Bahamas have been Canadians.) We’ll stay another day, as more fog and rain are forecast for the area — a fourth day of dreary mess!