We checked a few more destinations off our Top Ten Destinations in the Lowcountry List. 

Starting at Hilton Head Island, passing through Skull Creek, across the Port Royal Sound, up the  Beaufort River and beyond.

The map on the left shows our travel route from Hilton Head Island, SC to Downtown Marina Beaufort, SC in purple and a cruising route in yellow exploring the Coo Saw River, St. Helena Sound, and waters between Coo Saw, Dataw, and Morgan Islands.

On land we visited/toured Historic Beaufort, SC and it's surrounding coastal islands to include Ladys, St. Helena, Hunting, and Fripp.

Beaufort celebrated its Tricentennial in 2011 and is steeped in American History.  If your interested in Revolutionary/Civil War history, you must visit this region of the Lowcountry.

If your interests include Antebellum/Victorian architecture, rustic beaches, walking tours, biking or kayaking, you won't be disappointed.   

Since there is so much to see and do, I suggest you do a little research before you visit so that your not overwhelmed once you arrive.

Please visit the Beaufort, SC Visitor Bureau for more information.

We departed Windmill Harbour, Hilton Head Island, SC the weather was warm and sunny with a good breeze.  JD and Moose assumed their positions in the cockpit eagerly anticipating the days adventure. 

Its funny how nosey the two of them can be, they always sit up when they see a another boat approaching or when we are close enough to shore to see some action.  They remind me of the two old men who sat in the balcony box on the Muppet Show.

Heading north leaving the Calibogue Sound, passing under the Twin Highway Bridges we settle in for an early morning motor through the serpentine waterway of Skull Creek.  This hour or so motor is usually calm and peaceful due to the strictly enforced no wake zone.  I love greeting the day with a fresh cup of coffee, in the cockpit with Andy and our boys.

(above: Skull Creek Marina)

There is always a buzz of activity in the cockpit as we approach the Port Royal Sound, I stow away the breakfast dishes, then take the helm so that Andy can raise the sails.  After that bit of action, we can sit back and enjoy the trip across the sound. 

We were very fortunate, the wind gods were smiling down on us, we had a comfortable close reach all the way across the sound and when we made our turn into the Beaufort River we bore off and had a nice run up the river.

above from left to right:  Dogs walking the waterfront in Beaufort, SC (Lady's Island Bridge in the background), the family enjoying the swings at the waterfront, two old men in the balcony box watching me make dinner.

The Henry C. Chambers Water Front Park, Beaufort, SC is wonderful, lots of green space for the dogs to play, restaurants ranging from coffee house cafes to fine dinning, most with dog friendly patios.  There is a gated play ground for children and when we were visiting, there was an open air concert in the park the first night and a movie the next, just supply your own picnic and blanket.

On our drive from Beaufort to Hunting Island, we had the opportunity to watch the fishing/shrimping boats pass through the US 21 Harbor River Swing Bridge which spans the Harbor River connecting St. Helena and Hunting Island.  It was so cool to see the boats up close in the early morning light with the birds escorting them along their journey.  It was the perfect start to our day of sea island adventure!

We spent the entire day at Hunting Island State Park, the weather was unseasonably warm (sunny, almost 80 degrees), we visited the lighthouse, hiked the nature trails and walked the beach, stopping only to have a picnic on the beach and relax in the sun for an hour.

Three things to remember if you plan to visit:

1.  Bring bug spray, we were almost eaten alive while on the trails, before we purchased spray at the park store.

2.  Wear your shoes at all times unless your on the beach near the water, there are these horrendously painful pricker things that are all over the grass (keep your dogs on the trails and watch their feet and fur).

3.  Bring your lunch and drinks, there are a few items at the park store (bug spray, ice cream, soft drinks, trinket souvenirs, etc.).

Our last day in Beaufort was a quiet lazy Sunday, we slept in, had coffee in the cockpit and walked the dogs along the waterfront and back through the downtown shopping area.

In the afternoon we took a walking tour of the historic homes (we found it easy to walk to most of the historic sections in Beaufort from the marina).

Here are pictures of our favorites.

Our sail home was peaceful, the wind was light and as soon as we reached the entrance to Port Royal Sound, we put the spinnaker up and enjoyed our time on the water (well except for the part where Andy wanted me to practice jiving the spinnaker).  We only did that about six times before I put a stop to that madness. 

The trip was a nice get away, a good balance of sailing and sightseeing. 

The boating highlights:  The sailing day going to Beaufort, docking at the Downtown Marina Beaufort with some of the fastest currents running through the finger pier that I've ever seen, and finally relaxing in the cockpit at night watching the sunset with Andy and the boys.

The sightseeing highlight:  Definitely the beach at Hunting Island State Park, a rustic paradise hidden away on a coastal island (At most, there were twenty people other than us on the beach the day we visited).

I attended the

America's Boating Course

presented by the Hilton Head Sail & Power Squadron

A basic boating course covering: Boat Education, Boating Safety, Boating Law & Regulations, GPS Waypoint Navigation and Classic Dead Reckoning Principals

Our instructors were wonderful!  Salts of the earth kinda guys, who are dedicated to teaching boating skills to others.  They gave us individual attention providing one-on-one help if we did not understand what had been presented (I needed extra help with the knots). 

It was obvious from the start that our instructors knew (from years of experience) what they were teaching and how to teach it in a classroom environment.  Each chapter covered was supported with slides, animations, short videos and follow-up lectures so that every aspect was covered thoroughly.

Example:  The navigation chapter looked completely out of my realm of understanding until we began to plot a course together using a chart and plotting tools, I was so excited to combine my knowledge of working our chart-plotter and this manual exercise, when I got back to the boat that evening, I plotted a few courses for Andy, he was impressed.

We learned how to tie knots, each of us were given a length of rope and a cleat screwed to a piece of wood.  This was a fun hands on exercise, except it took me forever to realize that the "bowline" knot that they were trying to teach me and that I could not master was actually the "rabbit" knot that my dad had taught me when I was about nine years old.  Talk about a brain cramp...

I'm so glad I took this class after having traveled/navigated on the ICW.  Everything that was being covered from charts to docking was applicable and relative to our time spent on the water for the past six months. 

I had so many "AHAAA" moments, you could practically see the light bulbs going on over my head.

  Each chapter seemed to provide additional information to enhance what I had learned (hands-on) while sailing with Andy.  Some times the information prompted me to ask Andy about things we had not addressed on the boat and should have.

(Ahem...)

The chapter on VHF radios with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) was in-depth and thoroughly needed.

(for me that is)

I had learned to use the VHF to call the bridge tenders or marinas as we approached, but that was about it. 

This chapter covered operating procedures, channel allocation, proper use and language, and emergency procedures to include (DSC). 

I didn't even know what the little red button was for, but now our radio is interfaced with our GPS receiver, registered and we have received our Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number and this number is programmed into our radio. 

I will also make sure in the future that everyone on board knows what the little red buttons can do if needed.

We continued our exploration of the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  Starting at the South Carolina Yacht Club, Windmill Harbour, Hilton Head Island, SC, mile marker 558 traveling south approximately thirty miles to the Isle of Hope Marina, Savannah, GA, at mile marker 590. 

Navigation was easy and the route was well marked, the only sections that we were anxious about was crossing the Savannah River (traffic), and passing through the Elba Island Cut (tide and depth), fortunately all went well.  The trip start to finish took approximately seven hours, we were mesmerized by the vistas and were completely shocked at how quickly the time passed.  Every twist and turn revealed something new and exciting, we have elected this section of the ICW as our favorite so far.  If your looking for a slow meander through a waterway wonderland, this trip is it.  One of our goals on our bucket list is to travel the ICW from Florida to Maine, and now we can tick off another 30 miles south!

The Isle of Hope Marina is fantastic.  The staff are friendly and inviting, the facilities clean, the marina store well equipped and they offer courtesy cars and bikes.  What a huge bonus, we borrowed the courtesy car from five pm to eleven pm to tour Savannah and all we had to pay for was our parking.

Face Dock

Isle of Hope Marina

L - Over looking A Dock

  R - Black Caiman on the Face Dock, a beautiful channel/Marsh Island view.  The sun set just behind the long row of waterfront homes, and we had a front row seat!

There were other marinas closer in location to Savannah, but we were looking to experience a quaint southern community and the Isle of Hope was everything we could have wished for and more.  From the postcard-perfect cottages to the mansions sprinkled in between average sized homes, we were pleasantly surprised to find the neighborhoods so mixed and mingled.  We had so much fun exploring and discovering the community's hidden treasures, and by hidden I mean tucked away, nestled in-between and camouflaged by old oak trees covered with Spanish moss.  I believe if we walked the streets again, we would find additional gardens, quaint porches, and little curiosities we missed the first time.