Hells gate and the land of milk and honey, or rather Shrimp and Grits🦐

April 21st  Easter Sunday 🐥🐇

We left Jekyll Island on Easter Sunday to Kilkenny.  It is a stop on the way to Savanna Georgia.  There isn’t a lot of other choices  to stay along this route.  It is too far to go all the way to Savanna and most people stop here overnight.  We left early with the tides in our favor to get thru some tricky spots.  Jekyll creek is one of them.  They are currently dredging this area.  We got through no problem.  We didn’t see anything scary.  We will be traveling some of the shallowest parts of the ICW in the next states.  We have done our homework and are watching tide tables and navigation paths.  Ok breathe.  Ya’ll KNOW I am a nervous wreak!!  (And I have to start talking like a southerner).   We left early this morning with a high tide but the day was cold and windy.  The storm had just passed but it hadn’t warmed up yet.

Today is Easter Sunday.  I shouldn’t have looked at facebook this day.  As I watched all my friends and family pictures,  all the gatherings,  all the Easter baskets and feast,  I started getting into a funk.  We made it to the marina for our overnight.  I was ready to tie up and chill.  The day was windy and cold and I was feeling such mixed emotions and irritation.  I was super happy we navigated those shallow cuts with no issue.  I was feeling sad to be missing my kids and family today.  My mother in law had been in the hospital and I was feeling sad for her suffering.  I have always been there to care for her.  I worried about her.  I have been in constant contact but that didn’t help my helpless feeling.   Today I was very lonely.  To make my mood worse,  we pulled up to this rickety old dock.  We had to take a spot without power.  That was no biggie.  Andy went to check us in and pay for this pleasure.  When he returned he announced that the restaurant (which I heard was good and was looking forward to) was closed.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!!!  OK BREATHE!!!  So I mustered up some dinner,  Again, no biggie.  I poured a glass of wine and decided to go find some fellow loopers who were docked ahead of us.  I recognized several boats.  As I walked over I was swarmed by bugs.  I don’t like flying objects around my face.  I was swatting at my head and looking for an invitation into a boat for refuge and conversation on this lonely Easter Sunday.  NO ONE appeared to be home,  or rather maybe they were all held up in their boats avoiding the bugs.  I wondered back to my boat,  put my jammies on and climbed into bed with my iPad and loaded some YouTube.  I cried a little.  The reality now is that the boat is our home.  We are moving a lot.  Some places will be fantastic,  some,  not so much.  It was just a stop over thank god.  I know tomorrow will be better.  I am learning to let these feelings come up,  feel them, and then LET THAT SHIT GO!!!!  Boy am I so blessed to be doing this.  And, yes the mood lifted and we set off for Savanna as early as we could.

Andy’s take on the day:

He can care less about Easter Sunday and he thought the marina was quite pretty.  He didn’t even think twice about it being a holiday until I reminded him.  He was like  “who cares?”  He ate the yummy dinner I made and was happy.  He went to take a walk and,  Of course,  found a bunch of men had gathered and he had hours of conversation.  He didn’t notice 1 bug.   Wow, did we have a different experience here.

This is the picture of this wonderful (not) place.

April 22nd-24th

Savanna Georgia

I was so happy to wake up early and get moving because the next town was Savanna Georgia.  The land of Milk and Honey.  No, actually Shrimp and Grits,  and Pralines and Mint Julps!  Sign me up!!

The next section we needed to get through on the way to Savanna is called  Hells Gate.  Who the hell named these spots??  A bunch of dudes I’m sure to scare the crap out of the girls who agree to do these passages.   Well,  It isn’t funny,  and I think us girls need to rename them.  How about  “Pour your wine NOW and try not to Whine pass,”  Or “Sit down and shut up cut.”   They are really narrow and shallow cuts that are dredged to connect the ICW for boaters to get through.

We got through without a problem and I didn’t even freak.  I probably  wouldn’t have even noticed unless the navigation didn’t have the name of the canal  in big bold letters.

It is very counter intuitive to drive our boat so close to the land.   When we saw the red bouys 10-20 ft off the grassy shore,  I  questioned weather or not the bouy had drifted.  How can that be true.  OMG,  it is nerve wracking to be so close to the land.  We watch the depth,  rather my eyes never come off the screen.  So far so good, as we follow the charts and bouys and so far we have had no issue.  Thank you sweet Jesus!

 

We had a great motoring day today,  unlike the day before.  The wind was behind us and it was warm.  We saw shallow but passable depths,  even in the tricky sections.  I am building my confidence and not as worried.  It was a glorious way to pull into Savanna.  We docked at Thunderbolt Marina.  I was looking forward to fellow loopers pulling in throughout the day.  This is one of the famous spots.  I saw loopers pass us by,  I saw other boats.   No loopers joined us at this marina.   I’m starting to wonder where they all are.  We took an Uber into town and had a fantastic dinner at Cotton and Rye.  Made up for last night.

Georgia had some big plantations homes on the river.  Here are just a few I saw.  I could have taken 100 pictures of these homes.  Large yards with old trees and big porches. Absolutely gorgeous homes!

I loved the incredible wildlife.  SOOOO many birds,  nests,  babies peaking their little heads out of the nests.  The mama birds flying above the boat as if showing off,  or fending off their territory.  We frequently spot dolphins.  Usually just a few in small groups.  Sometimes they play,  sometimes they just swim on by.   I love the nature here.    I was watching for gators but didn’t see any.   I am sure they saw us.

We only stayed a few nights here in Savanna because we had just been to this amazing city last May.  We stayed in the Hamilton-Turner house,  a famous old Mansion turned Bed and Breakfast.  We saw the town then and didn’t feel the need to revisit everything.  We ate at places we missed the first time (except the Pink house, darn the long pants thing!).  It was again fun to approach the city by boat.  This is really a fun way to experience these places.