10/29 - 11/4 Georgetown, Charleston, Beaufort and Hilton Head
SC
Well we had a wonderful week on the waterway beginning with
Georgetown SC which is a small town on the coast that dates back
to revolutionary war times. The architecture is more British
than Southern and the town opens its arms to boaters who provide
a boost to the local economy. Wee walked into town and along the
waterfront boardwalk and main street which is a throwback to the
50's...then we stopped at the seafood wholesaler in front of two
shrimp boats and picked out some truly jumbo shrimp and clams
for another wonderful dinner...this time a jambalaya!
We got an early start for the long push to Charleston and
began for the first time to get a noticeable effect on our
progress from the tides and currents that SC is known for...our
normal cruising speed is about 7 knots and we found ourselves
getting a 2 knot lift from the current for much of the way to
Charleston so we arrived a couple of hours earlier than expected
at the Isle of Palms marina...yes there are lots of palm trees
here! We did a little local shopping and provisioning and made
plans to take the bus into Charleston proper the next day.
Charleston has a great bus system that you can ride anywhere
all day for just 3 bucks... we got our money's worth as we
toured around this great city...wonderful architecture and
ambiance and a great many stores and restaurants to see... we
returned to the boat thoroughly worn out and happy to have had
the opportunity to visit on such a wonderful Halloween day! Of
course Janet has her carved pumpkin lit and she was excited to
visit the old Unitarian cemetery which was downright spooky with
large oak trees hung with Spanish moss almost totally shrouding
the graveyard in deep shadow. Back at the marina we had trick or
treaters visit the boat so Jan's day was complete!
The next leg of the journey to Beaufort was too long for one
day so we anchored out in Steamboat creek for the night in about
11 feet of water at low tide...which rose to 17 feet of water at
high tide swinging us 180 degrees on our anchor in the swift
current...but all was calm on the creek and we only had Ray
& Betty and one other boat in the creek with us as the full
moon rose after another beautiful sunset. We weighed anchor at 8
in the morning and made the 25 mile run to Beaufort SC in about
4 hours. The current at the docks was incredibly swift and Ray
had to try several times to let the current back him in to his
assigned spot at the marina...pretty dangerous for
fiberglass...but they made it safe and sound. We were
fortunately assigned to the outside of the dock and had an easy
time heading into the current and parking the boat. So we were
in for lunch with plenty of time to explore this quaint little
town. Since Ray and Betty would be heading to a different marina
on Hilton Head where they will keep their boat this winter we
decided to have our "farewell dinner" in Beaufort and
Ray also was kind enough to go over the charts of the rest of
the waterway with me and offer advice on where to stay, anchor
and eat. The next morning we grabbed the marina courtesy car and
did some food shopping and were back at the marina at 9AM to see
Casa Blanca off. You couldn't ask for better traveling
companions than Ray and Betty and we were thankful to have them
show us the right way to do the ICW ! (Ray/Betty - Have a great
winter and we'll see you in the Spring!)
We got started for Hilton Head at about 10 AM and arrived
underneath the lighthouse at about 1:30 with the help of a
favorable tide which was nearly dead low as we entered the
entrance channel. The dock master advised us to keep to the
right side of the channel and I held my breath as the depth
meter dipped below 6 feet over the entrance to the yacht
basin...and then let it out as we squeaked through into deeper
water inside!
Hilton Head is wonderful! We rented bikes and rode about 5
miles over to the ocean where the porpoises swam about 10 yards
off the shore and we could hear them breath and click at each
other. We also saw some long tailed deer and a couple of hundred
nesting white herons all together...pretty awesome. I got myself
a much needed Pizza fix for lunch and we had a seafood dinner
with Jan polishing off a New England boiled dinner of lobster,
crab, oysters etc. in record time. Spoke to Bill Rivas (formerly
of Circuit City too- One of the truly good guys!)), who has a
home here and was happy to hear that he was still boating and
golfing and enjoying his retirement and was headed to Disney
World for a 23 person family reunion. We decided to stay another
day at Hilton Head!
Today we spent cleaning and polishing the boat, catching up
on E-mail and phoning friends and family. After polishing the
boat, Jan rewarded me with a double scoop of ice cream...despite
my aching arms, I still managed to get the spoon to my mouth! I
made my famous Bar-B-Que chicken on the grill for dinner and we
went below to watch the Yankees lose the Series and spoil an
otherwise perfect day!
On to Savannah next!//GB
I keep forgetting that we are in the
"deep" south. These coastal towns look and feel like
New England. Most of them began in the 17th century and played
vital roles in the revolution. The cobblestone roads and the
architecture are magnificent-the founding fathers had excellent
taste! Georgetown is beautiful and rustic with a boardwalk that
follows the water. It reminded me of Europe with all of the
flower planters and small outdoor cafes. Getting fresh seafood
right off the shrimp boats is a thrill for me-huge buckets of
clams and tons of gigantic shrimp-can/t remember the last time I
ate meat-Nicole would be proud of me! It was a full day getting
to Charleston-really Charles Town named after King Charles 11.
What a wonderful city! It is immaculate and drop-dead gorgeous!
No wonder the union soldiers spared the buildings-each one is
more outstanding than the next. Charlestown has an open market
place-like the Bahamas, a french quarter with 17th century
breweries, the horse and buggy section of downtown proper and
King Street-which is like a mini 5th Ave. with very upscale
stores-what fun Noelle! Wish you could have seen the
shopping-Dad is glad you didn't! heheh! The Yorktown is here and
permanently anchored near Fort Sumpter -I kept thinking of one
of my favorite movies "Glory". There are 2 person
swings everywhere here for the tourists and you can just relax
or "sashay" your way through the town. Many of the
corners have local woman weaving baskets known as sweet grass
baskets-what incredible intricate work! If you like the movie
Gone with the Wind-and who doesn't- this city has more Rhett and
Scarlet paraphernalia than anyplace so far-and yet that took
place in Atlanta! The Civil War is alive and well here-even saw
carpet bags for sale-Hillary must have a few of those! On to
Beaufort-Bewfort as they say here-and what a beautiful 18th
century little town. The house where Lafayette addressed the
soldiers is right here along with a walking tour of numerous
other homes from the period. There are also enough plantations
here to amaze you or upset you. Some of the tree-lined entrances
are a mile long before you reach the main house! Beaufort is
about the size of Cold Spring Harbor for those of you that know
and has small stores and cafes right along the docks-charming!
On to Hilton Head. We arrived at Harbortown Yacht Club Marina
and "parked " under the lighthouse-Luciano this is a
dream spot for you! We rented bikes right away and rode 5 miles
to the ocean beaches-no words to describe how stunning! There
was a sunset wedding taking place on the beach-so elegant and
spectacular! George told you of the dolphins right there-so
close you felt as though you could touch them. The sand is so
firm you can ride your bike along the ocean-paradise right
there. The smell of gardenias is everywhere .Hilton Head has it
all-from isolated beaches to major resorts. If you like the
country club atmosphere-this is the place with everyone wearing
the trendiest golf and tennis outfits to very upscale stores
known as golf widows revenge! We had a great evening-every day
around 4 o'clock a reggae band-Chris you would love the steel
drums!-starts playing Jimmy Buffet music while you sit in huge
rocking chairs and watch the sun set keeping a close eye out for
the elusive green flash! Wine and cheeseburgers in paradise-I'm
in overload! Talked with family and dear friends-all wondering
about the hurricane-not to worry-we're playing it safe. Next
stop-Savannah.
