We began hearing of extreme shallows at Hell Gate last year, see /?p=145174 and /?p=146335. Now Skipper Horowitz gives us further confirmation that MID TO HIGH TIDE is a requirement for passage through Hell Gate. This is trusted advice…TAKE IT!!
Transited Hell Gate southbound today, Wednesday, 11/4/15, at 0825-0840, roughly ½ hour before low tide 0902 at Florida Passage, Ogeechee River. Had a range of tide corrections from +2.09′ at 0825, +1.53′ at 0838, and +1.16′ at 0902. Tried to stay mid channel from G87, favoring red side. Ran out of water mid channel at G89-always interesting when the fathometer reads —, but no bump. Also saw a low spot exiting around 5.8′. ALTAIR draws 5′. This section is getting very bad again. Mike Horowitz M/V ALTAIR
Passed through Hell Gate at :40 mins past low tide. Sea Tow tide app. showed low tide at 1.5 ft above MLW (near full moon). 6′ was the lowest. we saw. From our chart there was a new Red 90 which we honored. We draw 4’3″ but still had white knuckles.
Everyone hears all these freak out stories and they are anxious about going thru Hell gate. To add to the fear you always arrive around low tide. I live in Savannah and go thru the gate on a regular basis, on all tides. Yes it is low but the USCG keeps the red buoy in the proper place. The above Captain said he tried to stay in mid channel favoring the red side. Well that is what they call a diametrically opposing statement. You are either in mid channel or you are favoring the red side. One or the other, you cannot do both. The channel is the same as always. Stay in the middle keep, all markers and buoys at an equal distance to the proper side and you will be fine. When in doubt stay out. If you are anxious waiting one hour can make all the difference in the world. Pick up the radio and ask that local guy who is just about to go thru for help. Ask him to take readings for you. Again like the anxious captain above said after all that he didn’t even bump.
James Newsome is a regular contributor to SSECN and other publications, both online and print. Since he is a Georgian, as am I, we can forgive his concern for the reputation of Georgia’s Waterway. However, he makes valid points in comparing Georgia’s ICW to those problem areas in South Carolina and Florida.
I have found that GA does have a few areas of concern on the ICW, but the extent of the concern far surpasses the reality of the problems. On my cruise down to St. Augustine last spring I learned that FL has more shallow areas between Fernandina and Jacksonville that all of GA’s ICW. And my good sailing friends who cruised to the Chesapeake Bay last summer brought to my attention the terrible condition of the ICW just north of Charleston.
I’ve never quite understood why GA’s ICW has such a bad reputation. We arguably have two areas of concern, which is Little Mud River and Jekyll Creek, but both are easily manageable. I personally don’t consider Hell’s Gate near Savannah to be a concern, but I know there are many folks who will disagree with me. James H. Newsome Contributing Writer – Southwinds Magazine s/v CaiLeigh Anna – Coastal Cruising With Hugh & Suze 98 Buena Vista Avenue Warrenton, GA 30828
Walburg Creek shapes the east side of Walburg Island and the Waterway lies on the west side. Good depths and great beach combing. Our young daughters always called the beach spooky because of the skeletal trees and dense forest to the east! While the creek has both a northern and southern entrance from the AICW, we prefer the northern passage, though there is still an unmarked shoal northwest of Middle Ground in St. Catherine’s Sound which must be bypassed. Our thanks to Bob McLeran for this graphic depiction of the southern entrance which exits the Waterway eastward at Mile 623.5.
Larry, Attached is a JPG file I created of the track we produced on October 24th when we exited Walburg Creek via the “southern” entrance/exit closest to the ICW. There seems to be a lot of misinformation about that particular entrance/entrance to this great anchorage and how best to get across the shallow area. Perhaps this will help cruisers decide whether to use the anchorage without having to go out into the “wilds” of St. Catherine’s Sound to get there.
Obviously, if one goes into the creek from the ICW in the late afternoon, the same tide height (roughly) would be available the following morning. Mid-tide or higher would work best for boats drawing more than five feet.
FYI, the software creating the background and the track-point intervals is Fugawi ENC (version 4.5x). Our primary navigation software is PolarNavy, but we also run Fugawi as a backup on the same laptop. Fugawi was used here to display the track because it highlights the track point (the square box) and the point’s data whereas PolarNavy doesn’t do that. Bob McLeran
Our thanks to Skipper Newsome for responding to a Nav Alert posted last year by a longtime resident of Jekyll Harbor Marina, Sonny Reeves. As Sonny would tell us, the channel through Jekyll Creek seems to shift a little with each tide and, as Skipper Newsome advises, “finding” the deep water at low tide is key to a successful passage at low tide. SSECN still recommends mid to high tide passage for this Problem Stretch. See other recent reports and further advice at /?p=148121 and /?p=144895.
Passed through this area on 10/25/15 an hour past low tide and saw no less than 7-1/2′. Assuming there is at least 1′ more water an hour into the flood, this means there was at least 6′ to 6-1/2′ of water at low tide. And there was a negative .2′ tide yesterday that I’m not taking into consideration. A dock hand at Jekyll Island marina told us prior to passing through that there is at least 6′ of water in Jekyll Creek. We confirmed this with our readings. The key to passing through here near low tide is `finding’ the water. Skippers reporting less than 6′ of water obviously aren’t in the deepest area of the channel. I draw 5’8’³ and still wouldn’t pass through here at dead low, but I feel pretty confident making the run through here an hour past low, assuming there’s not a huge negative low tide. James Newsome
The Brickhill makes a pleasant, parallel detour east of the Waterway, with a north departure at Waterway marker #40 and rejoining the Waterway at Cumberland Dividings, markers #62 and #63. Cumberland Dividings has been a Problem Stretch for several years due to constantly shifting shoals and an erroneous magenta line on many chartplotters. Capt. Thorpe advises you to follow the Green markers on the east side of the channel and ignore the Red.
I have been going through this stretch for ten years at all tide stages in a coastal passenger ship 240′ long drawing 9 feet’¦coming South staying to the left (GPS will show you actually going through the marsh) will carry 20+ feet all the way. Forget that the red markers exist! Henry Thorpe
Henry’s advice is spot on. I learned the lesson here many years ago when I misread the markers and relied on the magenta line. I had good company as two other boats, one northbound and the other southbound with me, all ran aground. Follow the navigational aids favoring the green marker and you will have no problem.
Isle of Hope Marina – A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR! – lies along the northwestern shores of the Waterway in the body of a hairpin turn northwest of Waterway marker #46A.
Follow the gentle curves of the Intracoastal Waterway to the Isle of Hope Marina, nestled in the middle of the scenic historic neighborhood of Isle of Hope and located just minutes away from Downtown Savannah, Ga. Founded in 1926, the marina is ideally positioned for relaxation and Southern hospitality.
Watch the sunrise from your boat or enjoy it while strolling along beautiful Bluff Drive, taking in the eclectic mansions and picturesque Spanish moss. And no trip to Isle of Hope Marina would be complete without walking, driving, or biking down the majestic oak-lined avenue of the Wormsloe Plantation, fantastically located less than a mile from the marina.
The Isle of Hope Marina can be found west of Marker 46A at ICW Mile 590. Enjoy your stay on 4,000 feet of concrete floating docks, including 600 feet of deep-water face docks capable of accommodating mega-yachts (up to 220 ft.). Our dockage amenities include a fuel dock with gasoline and diesel (volume discounts), metered electric (30, 50, & 100 amp; single phase), an electronic security system, pump-out, and complimentary digital TV and Wi-Fi. The bathrooms, showers, and coin operated laundry room are clean and secured after hours by key card access. Please note that the Isle of Hope Marina is the last southbound fuel stop on the ICW for 90 miles.
Take advantage of complimentary morning coffee and the Wall Street Journal, and be sure to browse the Ship Store for afternoon ice cream treats and other fun goodies. Hop in one of our two complimentary loaner cars for provisioning, shopping, and eating just a mile and a half down the road in Historic Sandfly. If you prefer more physical activity, pedal away on a complimentary bicycle or swim some laps at the community pool between Memorial and Labor Day. There’s no shortage of friendly people, pets, and scenic views on this beautiful island and our overwater pavilion is a great spot for a picnic lunch or a place to sit and get some fresh air.
Isle of Hope Marina 50 Bluff Drive Savannah, Ga 31406 912-354-8187 www.iohmarina.com ICW Skidaway River Mile 590, Marker 46A
Little Mud River is almost universally acknowledged to be the worst section of the entire AICW run from Norfolk, VA to Miami, FL. This “AICW Problem Stretch” lies some 21 statute miles north of Brunswick, Georgia. SSECN continues to recommend navigating this stretch at mid to high tide only. Our thanks to Skipper Parker for this update. For a comprehensive report from Little Mud River, go to /?p=128659
We traversed the Little Mud River this morning 08/17/15 at 2 hours before high tide. We say 7 ft. near G 193. We draw 4 ft. As others have said, don’t try it at low tide. Susan Parker
Navigated Mud River on Nov 30 boat 48 Viking,kicked up plenty mud,many seagulls following wake.50 ft Sport Fish Hi and dry aground,missed the turn,soft mud,sea tow pulled off mud flat,no damage to boat or running gear.
Skipper Rhett’s description gives one many reasons to take a delightful cruise up the Ogeechee River to this excellent marina. The marina is located on the southern bend of a hairpin curve in the Ogeechee River.
Had a very nice stay Jun 27-Jul 2. Marina staff very friendly and courteous. Fish Tales Restaurant was very nice, food good and reasonable priced. Outside sitting area is neat and great views of river. No boat ramp so they lift you in and out. My first time, and done very expertly. If you are heading in from the ICW hug well to the N side of the river until past the second island/sand bar on your port side then pick up the private buoys (hard left turn at buoy) and head about 217 true between private buoys until S side of river. Then hug S side to marina. PUMPOUT $40.00. M Rhett
Skipper Ann is seeking dry storage in Georgia. If you have suggestions, please respond to this posting. Thank you!
I am wanting to find dry storage for hurricane season anywhere along the Georgia coast. I have a 40 ft trawler and now have it under cover (not inside) on the hard. Is there anywhere that does that? Ann
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Comments from Cruisers (1)
Robert Condon- October 4, 2015 - 8:53 am
St Marys Boat Sirvices Inc. Nothing better on the coast 1084 New Point Peter Road. DIY encouraged & aided 904 219 2869. Dry storage Rocky Smith Manager Fax 912 576 2397
Anchorage with needed mechanical repairs – haven’t we all been there? Skipper Herl doesn’t give a location for his anchoring, but we always anchored, as mentioned in /?p=34999, in the 11ft water just beyond the marina, which has one of the loveliest locations on the Waterway, sitting on an ancient oak shaded bluff overlooking the marshes. The dolphins will sing you to sleep.
Kilkenny Creek, Georgia Kilkenny Creek was an overnight anchor to wait on the AM high tide (before Hells Gate). Very nice anchoring, deep water and little traffic. On the way up and on my engine check while underway I discovered an engine water pump with a leaking seal. The next morning, I discovered I had no water flow on the port engine. I did have a replacement pump on board so no problem. Right? Wrong! The pump that was supposed to be a backup, had the wrong configuration. (I could not get the hoses hooked back up.) So put the old pump back on, cleaned out all the paddle pieces from the heat exchanger and put in another impeller, leaking or not it will get us up the waterway. With the delay we parted from our friends, they continued on their way. We did get through Hell’s Gate with no problems, we were still above low tide by a couple of hours. We went through at about mid tide. No other problems. Phil and Sandy Herl
A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!, Isle of Hope Marina lies along the northwestern shores of the Waterway in the body of a hairpin turn northwest of AICW marker #46A.
Isle of Hope Marina, Savannah, Georgia Isle of Hope is a great place to stop. It’s not real close to Savannah but they do offer loaner cars. The cars are loaned out for 2 hours, if more time is needed you can call the Marina and if no one is looking to borrow the car they will let you have it longer. Since we wanted to go to Tybee Island and do so some shopping, taking more than just 2 hour, we called Enterprise rent a car, this was a Saturday morning, They said they would be there by noon. We were stood up. Tried to call them back after waiting for an hour but they close at noon on Saturday. The Tybee Island trip was shot. Monday we called Enterprise rent a car, spoke to a manager, they apologized and set up another delivery. Again we cooled our heels for 45min. The gal in the marina told us to take one of the cars and not to worry about the time. Saved our day, we got to see Savannah, do the carriage rides and all. That evening upon our return we talked to the marina and they confirmed that again Enterprise was a no show. I will no longer trust Enterprise to pick you up. Close to Isle of Hope is the Wormsloe plantation. A good relaxing, walking, sightseeing, history and nature sight. We loved it. We also enjoyed the restaurants in the area. All in all we did enjoy our stay, the crew at Isle of Hope are great, helpful in every way. Phil and Sandy Herl
Brunswick Landing Marina, a very popular facility with long term resident cruisers as well as transient cruisers sits well off the direct path of the Waterway, flanking the eastern banks of Academy Creek off Brunswick River, near the heart of downtown Brunswick, Georgia.
Brunswick Landing Marina, Georgia Brunswick Landing is another stop that is a little out of the way. ( 5-8 miles) The reason for our slight detour was fuel prices. We were not low but when the price is right I will top everything off. Brunswick Landing is literally downtown, two blocks from the marina and you are downtown. During our stay they had a wine and cheese sampling, after 5:00 the stores stayed open and you could walk through or around, listen to music and partake of the wine, cheese or other snacks. We ran into two other boats heading north and at one of the evening get together we started talking about any difficult areas coming up. One of those areas was Hells Gate. Our new friends have made the trip several times both north and south so we would follow them. We delayed our departure until they received their repair parts. The next morning a 190 ft Yacht was on the end of the dock. Her name was `Grace E’ we found out it belonged to the Green Mountain coffee owner also related to Keurig coffee makers. Now I know where our money is going, we love Keurig the boat.
Brunswick Landing Marina, a very popular facility with long term resident cruisers as well as transient cruisers sits well off the direct path of the Waterway, flanking the eastern banks of Academy Creek off Brunswick River, near the heart of downtown Brunswick, Georgia.
We had the opportunity of staying at Brunswick landing twice during the month of may 2015. The rates are excellent for the services offered, such as low dockage rates, free laundry, clean bathrooms, and loaner bikes. Sherri the dock master has an uncanny ability to remember boats and names, and treats everyone like family. The marina also hosted a mothers day supper and several wine nights for all boaters. The town offers good restaurants, a great hardware store, and friendly courteous people. On our trip home we had the opportunity of having their mechanic (Wayne), work on our boat. He was an exceptional gentleman of character and knowledge and provided reliable repairs at a fair price. Overall we had a wonderful time there and intend to use this marina again. Chris and Kate Nelson
So glad to hear Brunswick Landing Marina is still doing well. We stayed with Sherri & Cindy several times. Safe haven, well maintained and convenient to downtown shops & restaurants. Lady Hawk
The North River departs the Waterway at statute mile 651 and the Blue N Hall Marina reported by Skipper Fell is upstream from the two recommended North River anchorages. The marina is primarily a fishcamp but does have a few slips available. There are plans to expand their dock space later this year. Charts show plenty of depth up to the marina and, if you are looking for an interesting side trip, this might be a cruise for you.
There is a Marina just north of Darien a few miles off the ICW up the North River.
Brunswick Landing Marina, a very popular facility with long term resident cruisers as well as transient cruisers sits well off the direct path of the Waterway, flanking the eastern banks of Academy Creek off Brunswick River, near the heart of downtown Brunswick, Georgia.
We stayed here waiting on weather and had a great time. Sherry and not the Sherry were wonderful. Helpful, personable. Bathrooms clean, as was free laundry. Farmers market next parking lot. Wine get together several times a week. Reasonable rates and easy to get in and out. Nice little downtown. Not really a place to provision without a rental car but couldn’t ask for a nicer marina to stop at. Mary and Al Boutin
We are receiving regular reports of shallow water and groundings in Jekyll Creek, a perennial trouble spot. SSECN recommends extra care and mid to high tide only for this passage. See Navigation Alert from October. Markers 19 and 20A are on the north side of the Hwy 520 fixed bridge. For good advice on this Problem Stretch go to: /?p=145894. Jekyll Creek is home to Jekyll Harbor Marina, A SALTY SOUTHEAST CRUISERS’ NET SPONSOR!
Unluckily, I had to pass both Hell Gate and Jekyll Creek at dead low tide the last couple of days. Both were 4 feet. Jekyll was 4 feet from beacon 20A to 13. High banks of mud less than 50 feet on both sides means the channel cannot be more than 100 feet wide when full. I consider this to be a no passing zone. Hell Gate was 4 feet from just before beacon 89 for another few 100 feet. I draw 3′-9″ and just had my Fathometer rebuilt, so I now have confidence, but have not touched bottom recently for the final accuracy test. Ray Schmidt
We began hearing of extreme shallows at Hell Gate last year, see /?p=145174 and /?p=146335. Now Captain Healy gives us up-to-date confirmation that MID TO HIGH TIDE is a requirement for passage through Hell Gate. This is trusted advice…TAKE IT!!
Larry: As of 4/22/2015 at 19h45: Egg Island, GA, tide data: L – 17h09 Range: -0.2 to +8.0 Readings at 19h45: +2.8 – NB, one-half way between G91 and R89: 6.2′ – At G89: 5.8′ – 100 yards north of G89: 5.6′
Conclusion: minimum depth at normal low would be 3.0′, less for celestial low tides; not navigable at low tide for most cruising boats. Channel is narrowing, and tidal currents require careful attention. Jim Peg and Jim Healy aboard Sanctuary, currently northbound at Hilton Head, SC http://gilwellbear.wordpress.com Monk 36 Hull #132
Unluckily, I had to pass both Hell Gate and Jekyll Creek at dead low tide the last couple of days. Both were 4 feet. Jekyll was 4 feet from beacon 20A to 13. High banks of mud less than 50 feet on both sides means the channel cannot be more than 100 feet wide when full. I consider this to be a no passing zone. Hell Gate was 4 feet from just before beacon 89 for another few 100 feet. I draw 3′-9″ and just had my Fathometer rebuilt, so I now have confidence, but have not touched bottom recently for the final accuracy test. Ray Schmidt
Just another reason to wait for a 24 hour window and bypass Georgia completely by leaving out of Port Royal sound and gliding along the coast to Florida. This usually takes me 20-24 hrs under sail.
SV Airtime (draft 5′ 3″) passed through Hell Gate from the south this morning (April 24, 2015) at 10:00 approximately 2 1/2 hours after low tide. Low tide at Egg Island was at 07:32. The lowest depth I saw was 6.0 feet but I know I was a little too far to starboard expecting the incoming tide to set me more to port. We were behind 2 other sailboats with drafts of 5 feet + that passed through approximately 1 hour previously. The lowest depth reading conveyed by radio was 6.2 feet.
My advice for this passage is trust the aids to navigation, do not believe your chart plotter, stay centre channel and exercise caution.
We passed thru Hells Gate in early March, within 1/2 hour of a normal low tide, and saw a minimum of slightly over 5 feet. We draw 4.5 feet, and did not touch bottom. However, another boat closely following us on a slightly different track reported 3.5 feet. From this, and from Jim Healy’s remarks, it would seem that the channel is now very narrow. The problem is to figure out just where the deep water is.
Walburg Creek shapes the east side of Walburg Island and the Waterway lies on the west side. Good depths and great beach combing. My young daughters always called the beach spooky because of the skeletal trees and dense forest to the east! While the creek has both a northern and southern entrance from the AICW, we prefer the northern passage, though there is still an unmarked shoal northwest of Middle Ground in St. Catherine’s Sound which must be bypassed. Our thanks to Skipper Lombardi for this report posted on AGLCA’s Forum.
Walburg River, St. Catherines Is, This is also called the Graveyard of Trees as the island is moving south. We anchored in the north end of Walburg Creek by the beach. Fabulous beach, great walk among the “stranded” hardwood trees on the beach, and dog friendly. Public is limited to the beach area on the north side. It is a popular beach spot for folks from the area, so I would avoid the week ends. Weekdays are good. We anchored in the current and had great holding. Lots of boats seem to go down to the dock that you cannot use. We didn’t notice any difference in current or wind down there. This area is boot camp for bugs, so bring your No Natz. You might get lucky and see some of the Lemurs on the island, so look up. Corinne Lombardi
Skippers Golden and Walker join the list of satisfied customers at Brunswick Landing Marina, a very popular facility with long term resident cruisers and many positive comments from your fellow boaters. BLM sits well off the direct path of the AICW, flanking the eastern banks of Academy Creek off Brunswick River, near the heart of downtown Brunswick, Georgia.
It was a very pleasant experience to return to Brunswick Landing Marina after an absence of several years due to illness and varying travel plans. Shelley is still a remarkable dock manager with a great memory of her customers, their likes, must haves and dis-likes. The lounge and laundry areas were meticulously clean. We really enjoyed the fresh produce at the Farmers Market on Saturday morning before we left to push north on the ICW. Although the Cap’n enjoyed his hike to the West Marine and grocery store and a local family gave him and his packages a ride back to the marina, a courtesy car (even one we had to donate to for the convenience and the fuel) would have been handy. Unfortunately we did have to miss the local restaurants this time due to having the newest member of our crew on board ‘“ Mocha is a GoldenDoodle pup and at 9 months is still mischievious enough to not be left aboard alone. We definitely will return and will tell all our boating friends about the good experience at Brunswick Landing. Forest Golden and Susan Walker
This article by Emily Heglund in the Tribune and Georgian does not discuss the impact of the proposed launch sites on the Intracoastal Waterway which parallels the west side of Cumberland Island and, as Skipper Long suggests, the possibility of Waterway closures during each launch seems very real. As shown in the map below, the site of the spaceport would be on the western shore of the Waterway south of St. Andrew Sound. Cumberland Island is a barrier island and noted as one of the most spectacular natural habitats in the Northern Hemisphere. It is hard to see how such a habitat with its wild horses and native wildlife could be preserved with launch corridors at both north and south ends of the Island. If you have further information into this turn of events, let us hear from you.
Camden spaceport could be ‘turning point’ for Ga. by Emily Heglund Camden County residents could see the first ever launch from a local spaceport as soon as 2018.
But that’s only if the community can stay focused on the process of bringing a spaceport to the area, according to county administrator Steve Howard.
The idea that two years ago seemed outlandish to some is quickly gaining momentum as Howard and other county leaders work toward a purchase agreement with the two landowners who currently hold the proposed 11,000-acre site at the east end of Harrietts Bluff Road. The land has already served as the site of the Thiokol chemical corporation and, most recently, of Bayer CropScience.
On Tuesday morning, Howard and Georgia Tech professor and space expert Dr. Robert Braun addressed the Camden Roundtable, a non-partisan citizens group dedicated to furthering community discussion and participation.
Braun said Georgia could leverage the skills of its already-thriving aeronautics industry to aid the setup of a spaceport in Camden.
This could have terrible impacts on Cumberland Island and result in frequent waterway closures. Roger Long
I believe it would actually be across from Cumberland Island on Floyd Creek near marker A31 N30 56.034 W81 30.643. We passed the abandoned industrial site when we took the inside route. Still the impacts on the island and waterway would be severe as the flightpath would be over both. The “protector” of Cumberland Island, Carol Ruckdeschel, who we saw briefly but didn’t get a chance to talk to is a very interesting person known as the “Wildest Woman in America”. Her biography is titled “Untamed”. Her web site is: http://www.wildcumberland.org. She is someone you should definitely touch base with if you want to look into this further. BTW Floyd Creek is an excellent alternative to getting beat up out in the sound although another mid rising tide only passage for most boats. Roger Long
Click Here To View the Cruisers’ Net’s “AICW Problem Stretches” Listing For Hell Gate
Comments from Cruisers (2)
Passed through Hell Gate at :40 mins past low tide. Sea Tow tide app. showed low tide at 1.5 ft above MLW (near full moon). 6′ was the lowest. we saw. From our chart there was a new Red 90 which we honored. We draw 4’3″ but still had white knuckles.
Everyone hears all these freak out stories and they are anxious about going thru Hell gate. To add to the fear you always arrive around low tide. I live in Savannah and go thru the gate on a regular basis, on all tides. Yes it is low but the USCG keeps the red buoy in the proper place. The above Captain said he tried to stay in mid channel favoring the red side. Well that is what they call a diametrically opposing statement. You are either in mid channel or you are favoring the red side. One or the other, you cannot do both. The channel is the same as always. Stay in the middle keep, all markers and buoys at an equal distance to the proper side and you will be fine. When in doubt stay out. If you are anxious waiting one hour can make all the difference in the world. Pick up the radio and ask that local guy who is just about to go thru for help. Ask him to take readings for you. Again like the anxious captain above said after all that he didn’t even bump.