Saturday, November 12th

We are awake before dawn to prep Cutter Loose for an early morning  departure.  The temperature is in the thirties and a frosty glaze covers the deck.  Our objective today is to reach an anchorage in or near the City of Charleston.  But our departure is delayed by thick fog that rivals that which we experienced in Maine.  The morning sun is our ally.  Within an hour, the fog and ice have burned off  and Cutter Loose is headed south through Winyah Bay and into the Esterville - Minim Creek Canal.

Most of today's journey along the ICW follows narrow man-made cuts and small rivers and creeks that carve a path through swamps and marshes.  This is the South Carolina low country.  Fishermen dart in and out of the ICW as they race from one creek to another in search of the catch of the day.  This wetland wilderness is so vast and remote, it is difficult to comprehend how anglers manage to return to their point of origin.  Other than the ICW markers, there is no buoyage or directional signage of any kind on the smaller creeks and rivers.  Many of these narrow passageways are extremely shallow, becoming dry at low tide.

Speaking of shallow, we manage to find a few thin spots at low tide aboard Cutter Loose today.  The control depth of the waterway is 12 feet, which implies that the full width of the channel has been dredged to a minimum depth.  But this is not the case.  The waterway is tidal and is therefore subject to constant shoaling.  Using paper charts, a digital chartplotter, an IPad with Navionics cartogaphy, cruising guides and instinct, it is usually possible to predict the location of shoal areas.  But this is not always the case, as evidenced by two soft groundings today.  We manage to wrestle Cutter Loose off of these mud shallows under our own power.

[caption id="attachment_1891" align="alignleft" width="150" caption="American Oystercatcher"][/caption]

At 3:45 PM, Cutter Loose is anchored in Whiteside Creek, a tiny nook of a tributary alongside the ICW.  A family of American Oystercatchers is busy working the shallows along the edge of the creek. 

South Carolina is under the influence of high pressure.  Sunset produces orange and red streaks on the horizon.  Not to be outdone, an orange full moon emerges simultaneously from the opposite horizon.  The marsh grasses on the banks of Whiteside Creek are so tall here that but for the height of her mast, Cutter Loose would be completely concealed.  We are at one with nature.

[caption id="attachment_1892" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Sunset on Whiteside Creek"][/caption]

Our journey covers 47 nautical miles today, about 17 miles and one bridge opening shy of Charleston.  The delights of the City beckon.  We will make short work of this final segment in the morning.