wahoo river anchorage, wahoo island, GA.

we left savannah bend marina at about 7:30 a.m.  by that time, the fog had lifted.  there was frost on the dock in the early morning, too - this is SOUTH?  good grief!  however, it warmed up nicely.  we left at slack tide and went very slowly as we did not want to get to the trouble spot at hell's gate (between the vernon and ogeechee rivers) too soon.  although we are used to studying tides and currents up in the chesapeake to save on time and fuel, it is doubly important here in the SC/GA area.  the tide shifts are quite marked, up to 7 feet!  one moment you are crossing the ramp from the floating dock to dry land at a nearly horizontal level and the next time you look, it is like a double black diamond ski slope! 

georgia's waterway is beautiful.  it isn't as well maintained as the other states though but if you love the salt marshes the way tom and i do, you will appreciate its untouched beauty.  the rivers slowly meander along - lots of curves - not like the other parts of the ICW "ditch."  hell's gate was no problem at rising tide and as we were traversing the ogeechee river about noon, the wind died and the current was slack and i took this pic below - absolutely beautiful. - georgia's wild and desolate marshes.  the worst place on the ICW to break down, i'm sure!  i mention this because a member of our fleet was having some engine problems so tom was talking him through stuff over the vhf radio, talking on the phone with contacts from his little black book of experts, texting with mark and wally about the situation, etc. etc. until i finally kicked him off the helm seat.  i was already irate about hell's gate because i told him to get us through first before touching that damned radio but no....  he felt compelled to be informative.  everyone was so far behind us that  they could have waited for that information until AFTER we were through the skinny water.  it isn't like i can't read charts or drive this boat.  sometimes he just doesn't know when to stop juggling and let someone else take one of his many hats. 

we finally reached our anchorage on the wahoo river next to wahoo island where there was a reported dinghy shore access that was described as "rough."  quite frankly, there wasn't much to it - a postage-stamp-sized beach.  we dropped the dinghy and took consuelo ashore, walked around a bit and found, to our dismay, black mud on our shoes and on consuelo's feet!  and the tide was falling which meant there would be MORE mud - ugh!  we dinghied around looking for alternatives - there seemed to be none - and then we saw this lamp post.  as far as we know, wahoo island is uninhabited.  such an odd sight, that lamp post .  i joked about what if it turned on at night and, well, the thing is, it did!  it was the oddest thing - this lighted lamp post, in the middle of nowhere!  talk about wild....  even better, as the water went down, the light exposed a little sand spit that had been underwater and there was our doggie toilet at low tide!  i had already cleaned off our shoes, consuelo and the dinghy once so i wasn't thrilled about having to do it again.  that lamp post was like a miracle - just incredible! 

the narnian lamp post

and what a treat it was to be anchored once again.   complete silence out except for the interesting screechings coming from the marsh, and anchor lights blending in the dark with the stars up in the black night sky, and with the lamp post!   hahaha...