02/26/2011 - Shem Creek Trip

(Tide listing for Charleston, SC)

Low Tide: 8:55 AM EST (0.56 ft)

High Tide: 3:02 PM EST (4.34 ft)
Sunrise: 6:51 AM

Sunset: 6:14 PM
Water Temp: 57F

Charleston Harbor Entrance Currents







Saturday Feb 26, 2011 - Shem Creek Trip

This trip started out at the boat ramp at Nature Adventures Outfitters on Shem Creek and extends into the Charleston harbor before returning to the starting point for takeout. The great things about using Nature Adventures Outfitters is they have a carpeted kayak ramp to prevent damage to your boats, they allow paid customers to use their bathroom facilities, and they allow you use of their water hose to clean off your boats at the end of your trip. We though that this trip would be heavily influenced by the prevailing tides, but it didn't significantly impact our paddling. Ok, I must confess that I didn't complete this blog until months after the paddle, so don't expect the level of detail to which you have become accustomed to seeing on Lowcountry SC Kayaking. The photos, however, are the actual pics from the trip!



We put in our boats at the Nature Adventures Outfitters ramp on Shem Creek. For a small fee ($3 / boat) and a signed waiver of liability they graciously allowed us to use their carpeted boat ramp, bathroom facilities, and water hose to wash off our boats after the trip! They rent kayaks there for Shem Creek paddlers, so if you need boats for this trip or just want to sign up to use the facilities as we did contact them at (843) 568-3222 or visit them online at www.kayakcharlestonsc.com. They are located next door to Mt Pleasant Seafood and Lowcountry Scuba. We have done business with all 3 and each are our favorites in the area for their type of business.





The launch went well and we paddled out toward the Charleston harbor with Bryce in the sit-inside kayak. Deanna and I were on the the sit-on-tops. The warm sun felt great as we paddled through the shrimp and fishing vessels that were docked along Shem Creek. The wind was not much of a factor that day. We reached the Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary alone and beached our kayaks on the sandy beach to stretch our legs. This was the last weekend of the spring season in which humans are allowed on the little island. It is a nesting area for many birds in the area and they were soon to arrive.






After we stretched a bit on the sand we were joined by 2 couples, each including a sailor deployed at the local Navy base. The tide was coming in we had to run and catch the other's kayaks as they hadn't pulled them up above the tide line like we did. We took the time to enjoy a tasty sandwich that Deanna had put together for us and rehydrated a bit before mounting up again and continuing on our journey. The islands served as a breaker for most of the waves coming in from the harbor.






We went on down to another small sandy bank and stopped to search for fossils. We did find a nice Snaggletooth Shark tooth that Bryce took back to Kansas after mounting it into a nice necklace. On the way back to Shem Creek we noticed Bryce's kayak riding a bit low in the water. As we approached for a closer look we could see that when he really put out on the paddle, the back of his boat was taking on water through the drain hole. We stopped again on the beach where we had lunch and drained Bryce's kayak.






We took many pictures along the way on our trip. Deanna even brought along the nice DSLR camera. The birds were great sports with many Pelicans on every possible perch on our way back up Shem Creek. The dolphins came out and swam around us a bit. It was a great day out on the water!









It was an excellent day on the water at Shem Creek and we contemplated paddling around toward Patriots Point where the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier is at port. We were stopped by the setting sun and headed back up Shem Creek.








We passed our takeout point, Red's Ice House, and paddled under the bridge. There we took a number of photos of the resting pelicans in the fading sunlight. We used the water hose provided by Nature Adventures Outfitters to clean up our equipment, packed it up in Bryce's truck, and headed home. This was an excellent paddle, but it also meant the end of our Spring 2011 paddles with Bryce as he had to go back to Kansas. We look forward to his next visit!

02/18/11 - Ft. Sumter Trip

(Tide listing for Charleston, SC)

Low Tide: 1:52 PM EST (-1.0 ft)

High Tide: 7:31 AM EST (6.0 ft)
Sunrise: 7:18 AM

Sunset: 5:51 PM
Water Temp: 53F

Charleston Harbor Entrance Currents



Friday Feb 18, 2011 - Ft. Sumter Trip - Ft. Johnson to Ft. Sumter
This trip, in the Charleston harbor, is heavily influenced by the prevailing tides and winds. Our pre-trip planning showed low tide and 1:52PM and we planned to take advantage of the outgoing tide on our trip out to Ft. Sumter with the incoming tide pushing us back to the takeout spot when we leave. Bryce accompanied us on this trip and was instrumental in the site selection for the journey. He wanted a salt water experience and to check out Ft. Sumter. We could not have picked a more beautiful day for the trip. The temperatures hovered above 77 degrees Fahrenheit. The water temperature was a brisk 53 degrees, but it didn't seem quite that cool if you didn't take a swim in it.

Our initial plan was to put the kayaks in at Milton peter Demetre Park (formerly Sunrise Park) and paddle around Ft. Johnson to Ft. Sumter. However, upon arrival at the park we saw that the wind was picking up a bit. Another man pulled up to launch his kayak here and suggested that we might all be better off if we launched from Ft Johnson itself. The other kayaker, John, led us back to Ft. Johnson and showed us where he usually launches from at Ft. Johnson. After rigging the kayaks and hauling them the 40 yards or so to the water's edge we parked our vehicles in the paved parking lot nearby. It was to be a full moon that night and the tide was very low. At the launch site we waded out into the low tidal waters with out boats to launch at 12:05pm. The shallow waters made the launch a little slow, but soon we were on our way to Ft. Sumter. John took a right turn and went to check out a nearby tidal creek.

We almost immediately came upon a sand bar and had to paddle around it. Deanna took the sit-inside and left the rest of us on the sit-on-tops. The warm sun felt great as we paddled across the harbor and to Ft. Sumter. The wind wasn't took bad on the way to Ft. Sumter, but the wave action did crash over the side of the sit-on tops a few times. As we approached Ft. Sumter, Bryce noticed that the flag flying above the fort was not sporting all 50 stars. We also noticed that the other flagpoles, usually flying the state and confederate flags, were empty. We had to wonder if the fort would be closed for the President's Day holiday. We beached the boats at Ft Sumter at low tide and pulled them up the beach about 20 yards to avoid the high tide floating our boats away. The trip from Ft Johnson to Ft Sumter had taken us just 30 minutes.


At Ft. Sumter, the tourist boats had not yet arrived and we had the place to ourselves. A nice young lady from the Park Service said it would be at least 20 minutes before the first boat would arrive. Everyone had a camera along and we went crazy taking photos and looking around before the place would be crawling with strangers. Deanna even brought her good Sony DSLR camera for the event. The Park Service people said the flag flying over Ft. Sumter is an exact replica of the flag flying there in 1861 when Maj. Anderson was defending the fort. The flag will be flying there alone until March 1, 2011 when it will be rejoined by the other flags.



After spending a few hours at Ft. Sumter and watching the boats change out the tourists twice, we headed back for the kayaks and took a little time for snacks and beverages. Then, we dragged the kayaks back into the water, which by this time was only about 10 yards away. The trip back was a little tougher with the wind whipping up a bit. We stopped along the way at a beach on the James Island side of the harbor and left our boats on the sandy beach. The tide was rising much faster in this shallow beach and it quickly send us running back for our now floating boats. We dragged them up the shore a bit and tied them to a hitching post before resuming our beach combing. This proved to be a good idea as they were soon afloat again.



We then headed back across the last remaining tidal creek opening before our landing spot. The rising tide pushing water into the tidal creek made this part of the journey especially challenging. With a lot of work we arrived back at the launching spot at about 5:30pm. We loaded up the boats with the help of our new kayak wheels. These low pressure tires made the walk up the beach a breeze and I highly recommend them for anyone who has to portage great distances with your kayak. Everyone was a bit exhausted, but after a celebratory beer on the shore we wrapped it up before heading to Folly Beach for dinner.