Meandering Joy: Thunderbolt to Sapelo Island

Leaving the Herb River with a rising tide before 8:00 a.m. we headed toward the Isle of Hope. I knew I was going to like Isle of Hope just because of its name. Old homes lined the river with Spanish Moss draped from the live oaks. It is adjacent to Wormsloe Plantation and is just minutes away from Savannah's downtown Historic District. For southbound boaters, it is the last marina and fuel stop on the Intracoastal Waterway for 93 miles. This is a place to stop when we head north in the spring, but for now, we have to bypass a stop. We are trying to get through Hell Gate which is notorious for shallow depth and shoaling. It is bad to start off the day at Isle of Hope and have to go through an area called Hell Gate. What will this day hold?

From Isle of Hope we passed through Skidaway Narrows and the entrance to Moon River. This is supposedly the river that Andy Williams crooned about in an old song. I had to look up the lyrics to this song written by John Mercer who lived in Savannah, Georgia, composed by Henry Mancini and made famous by singer Andy Williams.

Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way

Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me

(Moon river, wider than a mile)
(I'm crossin' you in style some day)
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way

Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after that same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, moon river, and me

At SM 601.5 we entered Hell Gate. Mr. Adventure had timed our passage perfectly at a rising tide, very close to high. The lowest water we passed over was 9 feet. We think that maybe this area has received so much publicity that the local authorities have dredged this area recently--we were happy to encounter no difficulty. From Hell Gate we entered the Ogeechee River, then the Florida Passage, Bear River, St. Catherines Sound , North Newport River, Johnson Creek, into the Sapelo Sound. After the Sapelo Sound, we entered Front River, Creighton Narrows, Old Teakettle Creek. We headed north on the Duplin River to anchor for the night just outside of the Marsh Landing Ferry on Sapelo Island.