Venturing into the Santee Delta, I would neither be on Kingfisher or solo. I would again borrow a canoe, a Nova 17. from my friend Chris Crolley. After several years discussion, joining me on the trip was Ian Sanchez, a man of many talents
A cool winter morning helped me leave the highways of the Carolinas for the waterways of Cape Romain and the destination of Bull Island. Winds were northeast, and boded a stronger flow later. It was smooth heading out Andersonville Creek: relatively still waters accompanied by the drone of barrier island surf sounding over the marshes.
Possibilities of a winter sail Read More »
Sunday morning was a time to Fall Back. I used the opportunity of the hour of extra-time to launch Kingfisher for a sail out to the Northeast Point of Bull Island. I was prepared to get wet
There was an element to the morning after sunrise that was special – the fog obscuring Bull Island in the distance, a slight coolness, and the anticipation of a walk covering the entire beach from south to north end. After the group of twenty embarked on Caretta
Something about the Day Read More »
I left the preoccupations of home improvement, and the routine of dinner preparations behind, arriving at our landing to an uncommon August atmosphere. In fact it did not resemble August at all, despite heat and a familiar wind from the southwest. Humidity felt like it was on vacation
East wind forecast at 15-20 knots, and gusts to 25. Two hours after high tide. I can’t quite recall my last capsize – was it off of White Banks in 2007, or on the large Bird Bank shoal in Bulls Bay the same year? So five or six years – it was time
Nice Day for a Capsize Read More »
Outgoing tide and a beckoning south wind at 7:30 AM conspired to get me on the water. All the little details of rigging and sailing were just that – little, insignificant, compared to the outward movement through the creek. These were stirring conditions
What do Horsehead Creek and Cataloochee Creek share? The same as Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge (CRNWR) and Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) – both are areas with an international designation as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, indicating natural and cultural resources of global significance. I found myself in both places
It was a glorious morning when we embarked on our journey over to Bull Island for an all day hike, and a path I had not previously taken. Our hiking group of thirteen would disembark on the south end of Bull Island after our ferry journey south on the Intracoastal Waterway
Down the Island 2013 Read More »
Kingfisher had a major addition, or replacement, on this day – a new daggerboard. True, I felt nostalgia for the old board of fine mahogany, extensively weathered, cupped, gouged, oyster-impaled, repaired, sanded, and varnished over and over. The new board
It was a somber atmosphere Saturday morning when I cast off before 9: gray skies and brown marsh, in stark contrast to the blue skies and golden marshes of my last sail, seemingly a long time ago. Water covered
The view at the deserted landing was spectacular: a low sun was blazing and reflecting off the moving water. It was blowing already from the northeast – small craft advisory, and Kingfisher is on the small end of qualifying in that category. Weather reports had quite a wide range, from 10-15 knots to 20-25 knots.
Sparkling Surprises Read More »
