Cruising the Carolinas

After a few days of polishing winches and playing WORDLE, while waiting for a weather window, on April 23rd we finally had an opening to begin the 200+ mile sail to Charleston, SC. We left at 9am and had some great sailing until the wind dropped out around 3am the next morning. We caught site of the infamous Charleston bridge, that looks like two giant sailboats from far away, and motor-sailed into the Harbor around 3:30 pm that day. 

We thought about anchoring off the Coast Guard Station but there were half a dozen derelict boats there and we weren't sure how well they were tended to so we opted for the anchorage across from Charleston City Marina, despite the reports of strong currents and sunken objects. We felt the anchor drag over something hard and then grab and weren't entirely sure of what was holding us, but we were holding. We made drinks and were entertained that evening by all the private yachts and party boats that traffic the Ashley River.

The next day, we launched the dinghy and took an Uber into town to scope it out. We had our first she-crab soup and a shrimp po-boy at Virginia's on King Street. Definitely, the best crab soup ever but still looking for the best po-boy! We went all out tourist and hired a horse drawn carriage from Old South Carriage Tours to take us through the historic parts of town. We learned about the old homes with side porches that had doors used to indicate whether the family was open (or closed) to visitors, the wrought iron collected during the Revolutionary war to make canon balls and the churches painted black to obscure them from bombs at night.

We discovered that our friends Cary & Martha Thomson's place was close to our anchorage as well as a historic plantation near by, so one day we took the dinghy to their dock and walked to the McLeod Plantation, where we saw the main house and the living & working quarters for the enslaved workers. It was a simple & beautiful home with fantastically large Live Oaks that had moss weeping over them providing a stark reminder of how the slaves lived and tried to raise their families in one room abodes.

Later that day, we had the best South Carolina barbeque ever at Rodney Scott's. We ordered two meats w/ two sides each (chicken & pork w/collard greens & beans for me, ribs & beef w/ macaroni & slaw for Andrew). We ate what we could for lunch, switched plates and took the rest home for dinner. 

On 4/28 we crossed our fingers while pulling up the anchor, which came up uneventfully, and moved to a slip at Charleston City Marina so that we could do laundry, provision and take advantage of their town shuttle. One morning, we had a good southern breakfast at the Marina Variety Store just off the docks and another evening, we took the shuttle to Laurel Restaurant in town for a deliciously decadent meal of octopus w/ smoked paprika & fried sweet potatoes and grilled grouper w/saffron rice & butter beans. It was the best meal we've had in months and the best octopus ever!

That afternoon, Andrew asked me if I would like to get off the boat for a night. Being the financial planner in the family, I saw no need to pay for a slip and a hotel room but when Andrew insisted on paying, I succumbed to one night at The Ansonborough Inn in Charleston. I have to say I am not sorry to have spent one luxurious night in a huge bed with puffy white comforters and starchy clean sheets. It was a pleasant treat and worth every penny (say I who didn't pay)!!

That weekend was Charleston Race Week so we went out in our dinghy to watch. There were over 200 boats participating with 5 race courses in the harbor and 2 or 3 out in the ocean. We got some great pictures and were heading back to shore when Andrew spotted our friend Tom, on Alladin, arriving with his crew, Howie. That evening, we deflated the dinghy and stowed her on board in preparation for departure to Beaufort, NC the next day and had a nice meal out with Tom & Howie. 

At 0800 on May 1st, we were off the dock on another 200+ mile trip north. We arrived in Beaufort at 1430 on May 2, motoring most of the way. The entrance to Beaufort Inlet is wide open but according to the cruising guides, "difficult only when high northerly or southerly winds blow against an unfavorable tide." Unfortunately, we had the unfavorable tide but fortunately, not the strongest southerly winds. After seeing the 6-7 foot waves and white caps for a quarter mile into the entrance, I would strongly advise against approaching it in worse conditions.

After getting through that, we had to take our boat (with 75 foot airdraft) under electrical wires that were reported to be 77 foot "safe passage". Technically, that means there is 77 feet of clearance off the water at the highest reported tide but... we took it slow! We arrived at Holmer Smith's Marina and tossed the lines in relief only to run aground 5 feet from the dock... It was low tide!! We've spent 6 months in The Bahamas managing those shallow waters with our 7 foot draft and it took until now for us to run aground, fortunately in mud. Andrew strapped on one of our fender boards with a cushion to the boat and creating a gangway for us to reach shore.

Beaufort is a quaint town with small, well-kept historic homes, pretty churches, spooky cool graveyards, a busy Front Street on the water with shops and restaurants and lots of flowers this time of year. We've enjoyed walks around town, breakfast at Cru, lunches at The Dock House & Front Street Grill and dinners at Town Dock Marina & Aqua, but in general, we've been waiting for a large low pressure to dissipate off the east coast.

 

Next stop: Little Creek in the Chesapeake. Hoping for a departure this Sunday, May 11th.