Herb Creek Georgia

Our next big challenge is to pass through Hell Gate. This is one of two Hell Gates we have to navigate through on the Loop. The second one is in New York City. We are hanging out at Kilkenny Creek Marina until 11:30 in order to make it to Hell Gate at high (incoming) tide. We will be so glad to get through this shallow cut.

Everyone at the marina dock is waiting with us. We met a couple who purchased a Defever trawler in Vero Beach. They are taking it back to Maryland using a delivery captain to show them the ropes. The new owner practices docking while we all watched. His delivery captain comments, "Humility is a grand teacher!" We all laughed but know this to be so true!

Learning the ropes of cruising

Steve and Debbie on Delphinea will traverse through Hell Gate with us. It is comforting to have a buddy boat at our side. Even if we something goes wrong, we'll have someone to rescue us. Mystic left Kilkenny Creek Marina in the lead, arriving at Hell Gate at 1.5 hours before high tide as planned. We approached this short shallow spot slowly, with Delphinea following close behind us. We slid through, holding our breath, but had no problems at all. A thunderstorm was coming up behind us which added to the drama of the moment but it all turned out to be a bit anticlimactic. Relieved, we continue on to our anchorage at Herb Creek. Delphinea continued on to Thunderbolt Marina for the night.

Nav Alert Info for Hell Gate

Waterway Guide Caution at Hell Gate

Delphinea passing us after Hell Gate

Herb Creek sits just south of Thunderbolt Marina. It's more like a river, wide and deep. The tide is huge. We are anchored in about 15 feet of water. Dolphins are feeding around us. They drive their dinner toward the shoreline in pairs, trapping their targets in shallow water. It's fascinating to watch, but almost impossible to capture in a photograph.

Dolphin thrashing in the shallows

This is a very popular boating area which also appears to be a wealthy community. We see many young adults tearing around in daddy's fancy boat. It's Sunday but they pass by our anchorage until midnight, blaring their naughty Rap music and singing at the top of their lungs! Once curfew hits, our cove is quiet.

Fancy Yacht Club

Docks at low tide on Herb Creek

Herb Creek Sunset

We were awakened by a crabber checking his pots. We had to wait for low tide to turn before we could leave this beautiful anchorage. We will leave Georgia and head for Beaufort, South Carolina. We stopped in Beaufort last August aboard sailboat Veritas with Looper friends Susan and David. We took Veritas off shore from Beaufort (B u fort), South Carolina to Beaufort (Bo fort), North Carolina. This trip, we will be cruising up the ICW over this section of our Loop.

Crabber heading home on Herb Creek

Hauling Crab Pots