Charleston in October

In Charleston, we anchored in the Ashley River for several days and then moved over to the city Megadock, which had all sorts of megaboats tied up. It looks as if the parade of boats going south has started early this year. While in Chaleston, we had a chance to catch up with friends Charlie and Jennifer Black. They are both talented artists and fellow residents of our tour in Spain.


We toured Charleston with Ryan and Sabrina who drove down from Raleigh to join us for a long weekend. Charleston has wonderful and historic houses and we took a carriage ride with Bill, the wild horse who took off at a trot every time we hit an intrersection. He must know somwthing about Charleston drivers. The Charleston Harbor gave us a chance to sail to Fort Sumter and put Ryan to work on the boat.


We also celebrated Sabrina's birthday at Rue de Jean in Charleston, where the lamb dinner was so good I had to be restrained from licking the plate!




We say farewell to Ryan and Sabrina and the next day to Charleston also.

The Intercoastal from Beaufort to Charleston

The Beaufort Bridge opens on demand, except during rush hour. Since we wanted to hit Brickyard Point during high tide, we chose to leave at 6:45 am. Unfortunately, the sun doesn't come up until 7:30, so we found ourselves leaving the dock and going through the bridge in pitch black, with flashlights and navigation lights. Do you see the wool hat, heavy duty foul weather gear, gloves? The temperature was 41 degrees, with a brisk northeast wind. This is South Carolina in October. What's wrong with this picture?

We had oour first experience calling the coast guard when we discovered an empty skiff floating through the current: "Coast Guard this is sailing vessel Wind Dancer
reporting a 19 foot Carolina skiff floating unattended at green marker number 165. South Carolina registration is SC 3462BK; repeat South Carolina 3462BK. Do you copy? Over" "Roger that Wind Dancer. can you give us your position? Over" "Was there any fishing gear on board?" "That's a negative." We were so cool with our official boat talk.

At 2 o'clock, sorry, that's 1400, we arrived at Toms Point Creek and turned off the Edisto River into the tidal creek to anchor for the night. Lots of discussion as this is our first attempt at anchoring in current and tide. We wait anxiously for the tide to change, wondering if the anchor would hold. Gently, with scarcely noticeable movement, we float to face the opposite direction. So, we stop worryiong and enjoy the wildlife eating supper, just a few feet away and watch the sunset over the marsh.

Still in Beaufort

During our stay in Beaufort, we spent time in Savannah with Gail, Kia, and their daughter, Michelle, and grandson, Colton.


Gail, Rick, and Cookie took an interesting historical walking tour of Beaufort in the rain.

Beaufort, South Carolina

From Hilton Head to Beaufort, SC, a puffy breeze took us across the Port Royal Sound and up the Beaufort River. Gail Malott and Pam Minton came to Hilton Head for the 4 hour ride. Rick's caption for this picture is "How Many Women Does it Take to Steer a Boat?"


Being in Beaufort meant Cookie was able to celebrate her birthday with friends. Gail Malott baked a kahlua cake for the BIG 65.

The Journey

For a woman, the destination is the thing, for a man, it is the journey. Rick complains that our blog is too little about water, and too much about land, so to accomodate him, here are pictures of our journey from Cape Canaveral to Hilton Head Island, SC, a distance of about 250 miles. Favorable winds, at last, with 20+ knots from the west. Rick wrested control from the autopilot to enjoy the thrill of the ride as we skimmed across the open ocean on invisable wings of wind. Ever curious dolphins chased us, looking up at us as we looked down at them. In the evening, heavy winds and a beautiful sunset with ragged clouds announced the qpproach of the front. The only negative, although we made it to the entrance of the channel to Port Royal Sound in just 36 hours, we arrived after dark and spent a second night at sea, sailing slowly back and forth all night with furled jib and reefed main, watching the glittering parade of freighters and barges float past us on the sea highway to Savannah.

UNDERWAY AGAIN....Fall Cruising 2009

Boats are not like houses and cars. If you leave a boat with everything working just fine, and you come back to set sail, something has always broken. So Rick had to repair one airconditioner and fix the toilets...again. as we prepared to get underway this fall. The plan is to leave tomorrow for places north and places without the no see'ums that have flocked to our boat in the otherwise perfect Harbortown Marina here in Cape Canaveral.





Repairing the marine toilet, changing oil in the reversing gear, reweaving the dinghy davit pulleys, left and right. Such are the joys of boat ownership. But then all guys like projects. Right?