Thunderbolt Marina, GA to Safe Harbor Skull Creek, Hilton Head, SC (docked)
June 28, 2025
Originally, we planned to be away from Port Royal for about three weeks; we were going to get Lailia hauled out in St. Mary’s so we could get her sanded and then we would paint her hull. St. Mary’s Boatyard is one of the few that allows DIY work. They’re really busy and not very communicative. As we waited to hear from them, we priced out having Lailia painted and found that it was actually better to have someone else do it.
Now that we have “extra days” we can take our time and do shorter trips towards home. We averaged about 40+ nautical miles going south (a pretty full day) but are shooting for 25ish each day going north.
Thunderbolt to Skull Creek Marina in Hilton Head Island 25 nautical miles. We are able to dock here for free as we are members of Safe Harbor.
Summer Saturdays on the water are really busy. It’s very noticeable in places with construction, like the Causton Bluff Bridge. There’s a narrow channel in between barges and an anchored tug that all marine traffic has to use.
Calibogue Sound between Hilton Head and Dafuskie Island is also a busy place during summer Saturdays.
Tomorrow we’ll be back home – another short ride.
As happy as I am to get home (we need some provisions), there’s a Tom Petty lyric* running through my head, “You belong in a boat out to sea, Sail away kill off the hours, You belong somewhere you feel free…”. On this vacation we got to take Lailia out on the ocean and anchor in remote places, where we felt free and having this adventure together.
Life on Lailia 