M/V MAERIN

Up bright and early, we left Price Creek 0730 and headed for Charleston, where we opted to bypass one of our favorite stopovers, instead heading out to sea and Savannah. Our timing would put us into Tybee Roads after dark, where we’d head up the Savannah River on a flood tide, arriving at City Dock before 11 PM. A long day cruise, but not quite an overnight. Since the Savannah ebbs at up to 3-1/2 knots, it’s not a trip to make against the current! We passed several large ships, but with the AIS, we can see them miles ahead, they can see us as well, so passing them is a matter of hailing the ship via VHF 13 and confirming a crossing. The ship pilots, who are responsible for conning the ship in local waters, are all business, and very professional. They will advise if there is any potential problem in crossing. We inform them of our intention, and everybody’s happy as we slide past the massive ships, some up to 900 ft long!