Redbird Creek to Thunderbolt Marina, Thunderbolt, GA (docked)
June 27, 2026
We made a good decision to wait until this morning’s high tide to get through Hell Gate. The rising tide also kept us from bumping on our way out of Redbird Creek.
Hell Gate is only about a mile long but it’s narrow and shallow. The Army Corp of Engineers last dredged in it 2019 – so everyone has to depend on the additional 7 or so feet of water high tide brings. Those big tidal swings bring lots of silty mud with them, which is why annual dredging here would be optimum.
Green flies are still trying to takeover Lailia but John has been able to fend them off. While they’re annoying, it’s pretty amusing to watch the Captain take them out.
Almost exactly three years ago we docked at Thunderbolt Marina while we waited for a cable to repair our autopilot. They have a huge boatyard that does repairs on huge boats – their huge boatworks building is visible from a distance and is a good landmark.
Our Lailia is dwarfed by many of the other vessels here.
We’re going to take it easy again tomorrow: instead of going straight home, we have reservations in a marina in Hilton Head.
- Happy Boataversary, part 3 (going east to the Bahamas 2022)
- Happy Boataversary, Lailia (part 2, going south-2022)
- Happy Boataversary, Lailia – part 1, 2019 through 2021)
- …and a Jump
- A Hop and a Skip
Life on Lailia 
Yeah, those green head flies are really nasty!! I’ve been bitten by them, most notably when I was around 13 on about a 26’ motorboat heading to Cape May NJ.
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