Lines are cast!!!

Now that we have a hotspot we can resume posting on our blog!!    We have cast the lines and are heading south on Luckydog!  The cruising dream was instilled in Marcus at an early age by his dad Will Simmons.  He bought a little wooden boat, fixed it up and took the family sailing.   Marcus fell in love with the idea that you could get in a sailboat and go anywhere you wanted!   He also liked the fact that it takes a little technical skill like riding a bicycle or flying a glider.  To him, sailing is fun!  We departed Bohicket Marina on Thursday, February 25th around 5PM and anchored in beautiful Steamboat Creek for the evening.   Friday morning we pulled up anchor and continued our journey,  passing the quaint waterfront community of Beaufort, South Carolina and anchored in a small creek across the waterway from the Parris Island Marine Base.   We enjoyed an amazing sunset and could actually hear "Colors" being played as the flags were being lowered on the base.  Thank you so much to the men and women who have served and continue to serve in our Armed Forces!  Saturday morning we enjoyed another fabulous sunrise as we continued our journey, passing Hilton Head and Savannah.   We never realized the beauty of coastal Georgia until now!   We stopped for fuel and ice Saturday afternoon and Seaby and Skipper were quite happy to stretch their legs and sniff some new scents!  They  have adapted quite well to life on a sailboat!  Saturday evening we slipped into a lovely anchorage in Redbird Creek, south of Savannah.  The shorebirds welcomed us with their calls and the dolphin swam by to check us out!   The timing was perfect as we enjoyed watching an amazing full moon rise above the marsh!   We woke up this morning to a blanket of fog that had settled around us allowing us to enjoy a leisurely breakfast while waiting for it to lift.   The skies cleared quickly and we continued heading south through the winding rivers of coastal Georgia.   There are some areas that the ICW  turns into a "ditch" with challenging shoals and narrow paths.  One of these areas is appropriately called "Hell's Gate"!  We are now anchored in a sweet little spot on the North River anticipating another spectacular sunset!  The tides should be favorable in the morning as we have to maneuver down a section called "Muddy Creek", surrounded by shoals and  narrow passages.   Now it's time to sit back, relax and breathe!