Yesterday (Friday) was another highly successful day of sailing down the ICW, from Graham Creek to Dewees Creek. In fact, we didn’t need a tow from Infinity at all!
It was warmer than the day before, and although the wind started out light, it picked up enough to give us a steady downwind push to allow us to sail for a quick 15 nautical miles. Once again, almost every boater was very kind by giving us a slow pass, and a few people complimented us on going for it and wished us luck.
We are very fortunate in several ways, only a few of which are: the geographic location where the engine problem occurred; our familiarity with the ICW along with what we’ve learned over the past five years of cruising on it; and the forecast.
If this had happened on the Waccamaw River, for example, there would have been too many trees to give us enough wind, regardless of how hard it was blowing. Or it could have happened on the Alligator River where we were VERY far from any repair facilities.
Had this been our first year, we wouldn’t have known what areas had the potential for sailing, and what didn’t. Instead, we knew exactly what the next 40 miles or so would bring. A mostly straight waterway with a few areas with trees (but occasional gaps in those trees to allow for puffs of wind to come through), and then a very long stretch with nothing but marsh where the wind could blow uninterrupted. We also knew to leave at almost high tide to give us more wiggle room to use the entire width of the river without worrying about running aground. Perhaps most importantly, we had the confidence to know we could do this.
Finally, the weather. The location and what we’ve learned wouldn’t have helped us at all if the wind had been on the nose, or calm like it had been the few days before it happened. Instead a timely front pushed through with accompanying northerly wind that blew strong enough to move us downwind. That was 100% luck.
So put all of the above together, and the result is that we didn’t have to rely on Infinity to tow us the whole way, although he repeatedly said he’d be happy to. But it was great knowing he was behind us as our “support boat” if needed!
We also didn’t have to pay for an obscenely expensive tow from Georgetown. We were able to take advantage of our knowledge and the weather to get close enough to Charleston where it’s a slightly-less-than obscenely expensive tow. Wait! Don’t we have unlimited towing? Why yes. Yes, we do. But we have learned that unlimited is not defined the way it used to be. But that’s a subject for another post.
Instead, we enjoyed a truly unique experience of peacefully sailing between Georgetown and almost Charleston over the past few days. We heard birds singing, pelicans splashing, and dolphins puffing through their blowholes. All things that are usually drowned out by the engine. And we really felt like we accomplished something too.
So my goal is to hang onto those good feelings as we anxiously await the mechanic’s diagnosis. He’ll be at the marina on Monday. Hopefully we’ll know what’s going on shortly after his arrival. Fingers crossed.
Adventures on the Club 