St. Catherine's Island to Thunderbolt

 TRAVEL DAY 22 - St. Catherine's Island to Thunderbolt

March 24, 2023

5.1 Hours/39.7 Miles

    We pulled anchor at 8:30 am with a destination just outside of Savannah. Yesterdays long travel day put us a little closer to today's target destination. 

Newport River 

    We turned 90 degrees to port on the Ogeechee River through Hell Gate to Green Island Sound to the Vernon River. When you see "Hell Gate" on the chart you know you are going through an area that requires both hands on the wheel.  We traversed more marshes and as the waterway narrowed the shore line had more pines and oaks. It is amazing how much the landscape changes within just a few miles. 

Pines and Oaks

    Seeing the US from the water is absolutely incredible. Every stretch we do lined with homes reminds us we are traveling through the "backyard" of America. It is a totally different perspective and we cherish every minute at 7 mph. 

Most sailboats we saw were not under sail

    As we neared Savannah we passed Isle of Hope. We had originally planned to stay there and as we viewed it from our port side we wondered if we might have missed a very quaint Georgia area. 
    
Isle of Hope

    The marshes and mud produce plenty of "no seeums" and we were glad we had taken our Thermocell. I hung it from the upper wheel and it kept the biting critters at bay.
    
Thermocell sanity saver

    We rounded the corner on the Wilmington River and located what we thought was our landing point. After a few conversations on the VHF with the dockmaster at Thunderbolt and his perplexed responses, we realized it was not Thunderbolt Marina but the Savannah Yacht Club. I guess I should have had a clue as I peered into the distance and viewed the 8' tall letters on the 3 story building just off the bow that spelled THUNDERBOLT MARINE. 
    
Not sure how I missed this...
    
...or this

    
Short walk for lunch at Tubby's

    As I walked down the floating dock I noticed thousands of little squid-like creatures swarming at the bulkhead. "What are those things?" Just then, like something from a Seinfeld episode a fellow boater said "Ask this guy, he's a Marine Biologist" Are you kidding me? What are the odds? "Those are Alitta Succ...." "No, not Latin, a name I can remember" "Ragworm or Clamworms" he replied with a grin.
    

Allita Succinea - AKA Ragworm/Clamworm

    Several Loopers we came across on our route were leaving the marina, some staying longer and a few more arrived. One couple on Irish Hurricane (we meet in Clewiston, FL) offered us their car! That's awesome. The next day we took the opportunity to play Pickleball and re-provision at Publix.
    
Savannah Pickleball

    I am still amazed at the tides. The gangway at the marina goes from a slight angle at high tide to 45 degrees at low.
    
Huge tide swings

St. Catherine's Island to Thunderbolt, GA



    

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