The trip from St. Simons Island to Savannah was to be our longest so far. 78 nautical miles over nearly ten hours. It involved some tide swings as well as a very shallow section called Hell Gate. So we got another early start and headed north on a rising tide. It was also our turn to take the lead for the boat convoy, so I had to pay attention.

The majority of the day was uneventful except for dodging an occasional crab pot. The day got interesting at a place called Hell Gate. This is a stressful stretch for many larger boats because of the constantly changing sand bottom, and the possibility of bad weather that can add additional challenges.

Arriving at Isle of Hope Marina was very easy and we were able to add fuel before moving to our assigned dock space. Dinner was on the boat and we retired early.

The next morning we enjoyed a scenic bike ride through Isle of Hope. We admired all the amazing homes. Some are small and others are large, but they are all fairly modest and have a rustic beauty. We could imagine ourselves living here.

In the afternoon we took an Uber ride into downtown Savannah where we started by having lunch at the Pirate House. We then set off on our own to wander around and see the city. Neither of us had ever visited Savannah before, so it was interesting. Also hot. So we got ice cream at Leopold’s, which is over 90 years old.

The final day of our Savannah weekend was more relaxed. We rode bikes to a state historic site called Wormsloe. It contains the oldest standing structure in Georgia. The signature feature of this park is the canopy made of live oak trees. This tree canopy is over a mile long, and is a nice bike ride. There are also walking trails and we joined a guided walking tour of the historic areas.