Thursday, November 5, 2015
I enjoyed the early morning, watching the fog in the distance, though the visibility never got under a half mile from where we were anchored. Over our morning caffeine, we watched a few sailboats making their southern migration, westward, against the current in the Stono River.
We began our daily discussion about where to go today, and what to eat for supper... either of which is never set in stone, and subject to change as the day progresses!
I don't mean for it to sound as though we don't plan our journey. We have certain criteria for our week.. upcoming areas we'd like to investigate, towns we'd like to stop in, planning for areas we want to travel with a certain tide, or current, and watching the weather forecast for where we want to be during special weather events, like wind, rain, or fog. I don't want to be walking around town in the pouring rain, or anchored near the ICW in the fog... things like that.
But, for me, much of the joy of traveling on the boat is the ability to turn off our planned route, like we did just a ways on the Stono River, when we decided to detour up Toogoodoo Creek to investigate. While we didn't stop here today, I decided that I will definitely come back some night to anchor here, and explore the marsh and its creeks by dinghy at some later date. I made notes to myself that there is great swing room here, plenty of data signal on Verizon, and ATT, and we even turned the television on to see if we could still pick up channels, which we could.
We continued on, crossing the North Edisto River, down Dawho River, through Watts Cut, down the South Edisto River and through Fenwick Cut, all of which are part of the ICW.
When we came out of Fenwick Cut, instead of heading up the Ashepoo River, we turned south, because, well, just because I felt like going that way. At some point, I had decided we ought to go to Dataw Island. So we crossed Helena Sound, and then west into the Morgan River Inlet. We saw a couple of shrimp boats working the area, and a few more offshore.
After we entered the Morgan River, we watched for monkeys on Morgan Island, but didn't see any. But, it always pays to look, since you never know what all you may see...
I saw a boat anchored in the channel, with a diver on the surface below his tag line, which trailed well behind the boat, struggling against the current that kept him from making any progress. We made a quick survey for bubbles in the area, and headed for him. I was headed for him long before he realized we were coming.
I threw him a line, and swung him around to the swim platform, grabbing his tank valve to he could slip out of his BC. Upon plucking said, weary, diver from the water, I learned his name was Aaron, and that he was so grateful, when he knew he needed help, to look up and see "MERCY" on the bow of the boat coming to his rescue! (I obtained mercy in my time of need!) May I always be in the right place, at the right time!
Before I dropped him back at his boat, he gave me this!
He and his dad were out diving for shark's teeth, and although this was the only one he'd found that day, he gave it to me. He didn't know that I have wanted one like this for YEARS!
We docked at Dataw Island Marina (no doubt in answer to Mocha's prayers) where she could enjoy land and woods, and places to go to the bathroom. Mercy dog is happy anywhere. The dockhand was friendly and helpful, and there are nice floating concrete docks. We saved our porkchops for tomorrow, and ate at the restaurant, whose chef I'd love to take cruising with us! (We didn't meet the chef, just ate the delicious dishes!)
The island appears beautiful, and we plan to walk around a bunch in the morning.
50.7nm today, approx ICW mile 522
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