Low Water!
Now that we were in water with constantly shifting sand dunes it was imperative that we time our passing of the known obstructions with some tide as a buffer, or risk hitting bottom and possibly bending a propeller. This is not as easy as it sounds because the currents in the bay and rivers affect your speed and therefore the time at which you will arrive anywhere. So, you check the tide charts for the many shoaling areas and the active captain reports on who has recently passed each area and what problems they encountered. Most importantly, what other reviewers suggestions for avoiding the shallow areas.
One of the boaters reported that the area around Slann Island was the least well marked ICW from Biloxi, Mississippi to Norfolk. Indeed, the markers were far apart and seemed to be placed on the shallow water so that you couldn't stay close to them. At one point there is a very wide sharp S curve that almost bends back on itself and I didn't see the next marker. When I saw the depth dropping on the depth finder I stopped, realized my mistake and spotted a tug pushing a barge in the channel behind me! We waited for the tug to pass than eased back into the channel fortunately not going aground."
We pushed the throttles up to try and maintain a 10 knot speed and headed into the last major shoal about 30 minutes before low tide. Beth kept her eyes glued to the depth finder while I focused on staying in the middle of the last markers. She reported, " 5 feet, 4 feet, 3.5 feet, 3 feet and with an increasing crescendo in her voice.... 2.9 feet! There is an offset in my depth finder but 2.9 feet is usually where the props touch bottom. We both cringed waiting to hear the props dig in.......but nothing! "2.9...2.9...3....3.1.....4.....We passed the shallows!
The next major hurtle was going to be getting into the dock at Ladies Island. The wind had increased to 20 knots with gusts to 25 knots and we would be arriving at dead low tide. We rounded the last marker to head into the channel and we were very relieved to see that even at low tide we had 6 feet of water below us. One of the marina managers was waiting on the dock to help us land. Approaching slowly I had to ease past a large motor yacht, but the wind was pushing me toward the yacht and the immediate dock ahead of the yacht. The manager was pointing for me to push out and Beth was waving for me to move out, but I couldn't because that would have brought the stern of the boat in toward the other motor yacht....I held my breath and kept on my course passing the other yacht within inches .....and landing the bow of the boat up against the forward dock. Fortunately the dock was edged with rubber and left only a small mark on the bow, but we were in. On further discussion with Beth (Ahem!) it might have been wiser to head further up and further out from the other boats and let the wind place me on the dock. The problem is Doc's Holiday has no side thrusters and therefore I have no control at slow speed if the wind is blowing on the side of the boat. his allows the wind to push me at whatever speed into the dock. My only recourse is to get as close to the dock as possible before I cut the power. Like all of life, sometimes there are just no good solutions and one has to do the best they can.
Sunset at Lady's Island
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