Wednesday, 18 November
We knew that today would be our longest day so far on the trip with plans to cover over 55 miles. We allowed for the possibility of this day taking 10 hours, but with a favorable strong current and by unwittingly timing our travels with high tides we were able to make the trip in 8 hours leaving Georgetown, South Carolina at 0630 and arriving in Isle of Palms at 1430.
We always enjoy seeing the different birds along the way, and this day was no different. Here are some of our fine feathered friends of the day.
We were naively hoping for a day as stress-free as the prior one had been, but, as we transited the Waterway the ActiveCaptain app on the iPad kept warning of us shoaling areas. And for these Bob slowed down the boat and tried to find the deeper water.
There were multiple times where the depth indicator showed a depth of 7 feet. Since the tides run 4 feet in this area we really wondered what the depths would have been if we were transiting on a falling or low tide.
We did see a dredge on the water (although not operating at the time) and another being towed by a tugboat with four additional tugs guiding it. This thing was long!
This first photo is as it approached us, and the next one is from the rear of the whole contraption with multiple barges and pipes/hoses extending out the back. It seemed to be at least a quarter of a mile/.4 km long. It was an amazing sight. 
With these dredge sightings there is hope that on a future trip up or down the Waterway there may be fewer shoaling areas to concern us….here’s hoping.
The scenery changed along the way and gone were the cypress trees and the marshes made their appearance.
Thankfully the strong currents don’t apparently turn the corner to make their way to Isle of Palms Marina and when we arrived we slipped easily into our assigned slip with no incident or dramas.
Our original plan was to make our way to Charleston, South Carolina the next day, but in looking at the weather forecast we discovered that tomorrow is forecast for thunderstorms and 100% chance of rain. We decided to spend an extra night here and not have to deal with Charleston currents and boat traffic in less than desirable conditions. And because we had done most of our boat chores in Georgetown, this means we would have a day of total leisure if we wanted.
We ran into some friends from our home marina in Rock Hall, Maryland and it was great to reconnect. They are taking a more direct and quick journey, planning to arrive in Florida in 3 days while we will continue to make our way slowly and enjoy discovering the sights and towns along the way.
Bob spent the next morning realizing that we may need to modify our initial travel plans as he mapped out the necessary timings for bridge openings as well as tides and currents for most efficient passage making. The result? We will be adding a few more days to our transit through South Carolina. Nothing wrong with that – we both are enjoying our time here.