Day #9: Today, for the first time on this trip, there was no big water to cross. The ICW is a fairly narrow canal as it winds through Myrtle Beach, SC. Then, on the approach to Georgetown, SC, it's a good sized river. Finally it becomes one canal among many that crisscross the tidal grasslands north of Charleston, SC. The tidal range, which is 2' in Maryland has grown to 6' here in South Carolina. When large tidal swings are coupled with narrow waterways, big currents can result. The effect on Nellie is pretty dramatic. Without current she cruises at 7 kts. With today's currents we saw ground speeds anywhere from 4 kts to 9.5 kts. To put all this in perspective, it takes almost 2.5 times longer, and costs 2.5 times more in fuel, to get somewhere at 4 vs. 9.5 kts. Getting there faster and cheaper, that's why the crew is always happy to be carried along by a favorable current. (Truth be known, it might not be so much the expedited arrival as an earlier happy hour that thrills the crew.) Since cruising on the ICW is dictated more by daylight hours than tides, it's always a joy when the two line up. Today's photograph was taken when Nellie, aka Speed Racer, hit 9.5 kts.
At anchor in the South Santee River, 37 miles NE of Charleston, SC. 68nm today and 496nm thus far.
