Still Waters

     This Wednesday it will be one month since we started our adventure on the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW) . Time has passed very quickly and lessons have also been learned very quickly.  There was a time when we were on "friendly" waters.  We would leave the sanctuary of our marina and cruise to one of our favorite gunkholes.  When we would get there we would know where to anchor, how much rode to lay out and then set the hook and forget about the anchor until it was time to go back to the marina.  Today, it is a very different scenario.  When selecting an anchorage for the night there are three main factors to consider - tide, current and wind.  Dealing with tides of 6-8 feet will present a challenge when calculating your anchor rode.  On the Cheasapeake  Bay we only dealt with tides that average 1-2 feet.    The next challenge to overcome was currents.  The currents are brought on by rising and falling tides, they can be very swift.  Bear in mind that when you go to bed there may be a incoming tide, however sometime through the night the tide will reverse.  And when the tide reverses, the boat will swing 180 degress if you are using just one anchor.  Tonight was our first opportunity to try a 2 anchor system - our bow anchor and 1 anchor off the stern.  Our present location on Turner Creek in Georgia is too narrow to allow for the boat to swing into the opposite direction.  And lastly is the wind.  On at least three occasions  a  stout wind on the stern has pushed the boat forward past the anchor while the tide was coming in on the bow on the boat.   Although the boat was bow to the current ,the wind pushed the boat forward.  The incoming tide prevented the boat from swinging around because of the wind blowing on the stern.  You had to experience it to believe it.  I lost many hours of sleep because I was on anchor watch in the pilothouse or because of the chain sliding over the bow.  At another time I will discuss the challenges of cruising the waterways of the ICW.  Oh, to be home again on still waters.