March 28, 2010 to March 30, 2010

 

Mast Climber Retrieving a halyard lost in the November blow at Portsmouth
and preparing to install an insulator in the back stay.

Note from the Captain for the radio ops.:  The new backstay insulator works like a charm.  On the very first call to the maritime net control VP5VB in the Turks and Caicos he came back  and said I had the strongest signal he had that afternoon.

We're beginning this latest phase of the Intracoastal Waterway trip in Charleston, South Carolina.  We bounced down here , figuratively speaking, on Sunday, March 28^th.  Fred, Jr. flew us in the Cessna against winds approximating 30 MPH.  It was a very bumpy ride!  Our pilot mentioned that he could make just as good progress on I-95, especially in his Corvette!  Normally, the trip down here would have taken 4-1/2 hrs, and it took us 6.   Lunch and a tall, cool drink tasted wonderful!

Since the first night at a Hampton Inn ,  (guess whose idea that was!) we’ve been cleaning the boat inside and out, Fred has been servicing the engine, and we hired a "mast monkey" to repair damage done to the rig during last November's nor'easter.  We've also become very familiar with Mt. Pleasant and Wando, SC, which is where the boatyard is that Wise One has vacationed in while we struggled with three feet of snow back home.  I've even resisted the urge to buy a sweet grass basket from a roadside stand .  Where in the world would we put it?  What, displace the 12 bottles of wine?

Tomorrow we hope to leave for parts only partially known, but in a northerly direction.  It's predicted to be in the 80s, so whatever breeze we encounter will be welcome.  Hope to give you an update soon.

 

March 31, 2010

Today was a short, calm, beautiful day motoring to the Isle of Palms - well, except for the short time we ran aground!  There's certainly no margin for error in the Intracoastal.  We're trying to gauge our progress so we spend tomorrow in Georgetown, SC.

 The picture above is a real study in contrasts:  the cranes of modern civilization and the fishermen surrounded by at least a hundred hungry pelicans.  Also, dolphins were swimming so close to our boat that one rolled out of the water and he reached the level of our railing.   

We took an hour walk from the marina to the ocean.  With an 8-foot tidal range here, there was packed sand all the way to the beach grass.   Made us wish we had bought those bicycles to put on the boat - almost!

 

Dreaded dredging operation in the Estherville Minim Creek Canal

April 1, 2010

Another gorgeous day south of the Mason-Dixon line.  We started out from Isle of Palms Marina at 7:30, as soon as we saw the light of day, and motored eight hours to Georgetown, SC, arriving at 3:40.  The day was clear and calm with a bright blue sky.  The only other color evident was pale green pollen in a powdery form e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e!  Since everything is starting to bloom here, I suspect we'll be riding the pollen wave north . 

We did see another dredging operation near Winyah Bay, which we approached gingerly.  We didn't want a repeat hung-up-on-a-dredge-pipe routine!

We're not sure if we're moving north tomorrow or staying in Georgetown for another day and learning about  South Carolina's third oldest city in the old south and one of the oldest ports in the country.  We'll check in tomorrow.   Happy April Fool's Day!     

April 2, 2010

So glad we decided to stay in Georgetown another day.  Took a trolley ride to see antebellum homes and churches, some dating back to the 1700s, and even what they call the Champion Oak Tree, which is 500 to 700 years old and is 31 feet in diameter.   Another commonly referred to subject among the museum docents and tour guides is "the recent unpleasantness" or "the war of northern aggression," which we refer to as the Civil War.  They say it with a smile, but we northerners have the feeling that they still don't believe they lost the war!

On bright and early tomorrow morning headed to Myrtle Beach or beyond.   Hope to be in Southport, NC on Easter Sunday. 

 

 

April 3, 2010

After a 10-hour run today, we're about seven miles from the North Carolina border.  So, on Easter Sunday, we should be in Southport, NC.   We had an unfavorable current most of the day, so it took much longer than we expected, not to mention being rocked by at least four dozen speedboats.  These holiday weekends bring out all of the recreational boaters, many of whom have no concept of boating courtesy!   

The picture to the left is very common to SC:  cypress trees festooned with moss.   The tide was very low this morning, so you can see the root structure, too.  The picture to the right is my favorite sailor with a backdrop of the Waccamaw River.

We're healthy, enjoying the experience, and looking forward to each new day.  Happy Easter!