The morning started out cold about 36• the cold front had gone thru and with it the usual wind. I'm getting used to it. With lots of current and wind opposing the current it was easy to get the anchor in. Now I was on my way to Beaufort. Or about half way.winding my way down thru a maze of creeks and cuts I can see how if you weren't paying attention you could take the wrong turn and find your way in a predicament. I was really in the Sea islands now. 

Halfway thru the last cut into a big body of water around the corner comes a barge being pushed by a tug. I don't know how wide this cut was but there was going to be barely enough room for both. I don't care how many times you do this it still puts your heart in your throat. They call these things cuts for a reason. All worked out and he even waved, sounds silly but it means something. 

I got to the end of the cut turned the corner and turned right back. With the elements against the boat it doesn't make any sense to try get somewhere at 1.5 knots. The northwest breeze makes for a beautiful day but....

Getting back to the beginning  of the cut I turned left up the remaining part of the creek and found a place out of the wind. I slowed the boat down ready to jump forward let go the anchor. The boat really slowed down actually it stopped on its own, current I thought because the chart said 17'. It wasn't current, I was caught on a sand bank and the tide was going out like gang busters. Before I could do anything I knew the boat wasn't going anywhere. At least it was a nice spot to be On my birthday, and I assumed the boat would just stand up as the water went out. 

The problem is a 7' tide and with the northwest breeze pushing more water out I wasn't going to be straight up and down, quite the opposite! I hope the pictures show the tides effect. 

I had gotten stuck around 3/4 tide with it unfortunately going out so I had to wait for it to go all the way out and then come back in. 

The cool part was, this is when the dolphins come in to catch what ever was hiding in the marsh grasses and gets swept down stream. As the dolphins made there way up the creek they went on either side of the sand bar I was "temporally resting" on. As they went by they would blow and cock their head sometimes and give me one of those side glances that said "humans - how did they last this long?" then on their return they had to go on one side only, it was like a little parade, very fun. 

By 10:00 that night I was back to floating (a great birthday gift)and moved the boat farther down the creek towards the cut, making sure I was dead center between sides. Oh well!

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