On Board: Chuck, Susan, Maggie, Trooper, Peanut, joined by Susan's sister Linda and her husband Richard
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| We are in Charleston, SC at The Charleston Maritime Center |
We left the Downtown Marina in Beaufort at 7. The current at the marina was not too bad, and there was little to no wind. There were also no boats in front or behind us on the face dock, so we slipped out into the river with no trouble at all. Leaving Beaufort, we saw the big old houses from the water. Still very impressive. We saw the home where "The Big Chill" was filmed.
The trip was really uneventful. "Blue Herron" passed us near Edisto Island. We saw her and her owners at the AGLCA Rendezvous at Joe Wheeler State Park in Alabama last Fall. I talked to them on the radio for a long time. I also had a good conversation on the radio with "Dudoon Pilot". She was at the marina in Beaufort with us, and we missed an opportunity to do drinks with them on Friday night. We followed them all the way to Charleston.
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| Typical Low Country Scene on the ICW in South Carolina |
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| Sea Gulls Enjoying the Spring Morning on the ICW |
Somewhere before we got to Charleston, we came upon an old Army Barge crane that looked similar to the 100 ton barge crane that I had in the Azore Islands when I was in the Air Force. Our Squadron was deployed to repair a breakwater that protected the harbor at Lajes AFB. We brought an Army barge crane down from England to set stone and tetrapods on the rebuilt breakwater, and low and behold, here is a similar crane in the ICW South of Charleston. Small world!
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| Looks Like an old U.S. Army 100 Ton Barge Crane Just Anchored Off to the Side of the ICW |
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| Small Shipyard on the ICW South of Charleston. Some Type of U.S. Army Landing craft Up on the Ways. |
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| Linda Chills Out on the Cruise Up to Charleston |
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| Captain and Navigator on the Flybridge |
On the approach into Charleston from the South, you have to go through a very narrow canal type waterway called "Elliot's Cut". This Cut is too narrow for two big boats to pass. We heard radio traffic all afternoon from boats entering and leaving the Cut. When we arrived just South of the cut, we talked to a Cruise Ship called the "American Star". This ship is part of a fleet that carries passengers up and down the ICW on cruises. (I know, what are WE doing cruising in our own boat when we could do this thing on a super duper cruise ship???). Anyway, we wound up having to stop and wait outside the cut for this ship to go through, then we went through.
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| The "American Star" heading South Out of Elliot's Cut |
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| The "American Star" Blows By Us Coming Out of the Cut |
Elliot Cut led to another wider creek type waterway that brought us to the Ashley River and Charleston Harbor. We turned right at the River and continued through the harbor, around the famous Battery, and then into the Cooper River. We cruised North past downtown Charleston and came into a semi-protected harbor at The Charleston Maritime Center that is near the Aquarium at about 3:10 PM.
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| Coming Through Elliot Cut and Seeing Charleston |
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| The Mega Yacht Marina on the Ashley River. It is Huge! |
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| Coast Guard Facility on the Ashley River |
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| Starting to Come to the Battery |
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| The Battery from the Harbor |
The current here was ferocious as it was in Beaufort. It took all my thrusters to get into the fuel dock. We topped off the diesel tank and pumped out the holding tank and got to our slip. Then the fun began. Ship after ship passed in front of the marina. Ships coming and going. Huge ships, all with wakes. The wakes roll into the marina and bounce us. Pleasure boats also come by the marina and roll their wakes in on top of us. Sometimes we rock so much that it is hard to walk on the boat. Water taxis serve the marina from Patriot's Point across the River. They roll us when they come and go. Rock and Roll Baby at The Charleston Maritime Center!
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| Entrance and Breakwater at The Charleston Maritime Center Marina |
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| Fuel Dock at The Charleston Maritime Center Marina |
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| The Charleston Maritime Center Marina |
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| The Charleston Maritime Center Marina |
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| Looking Across the Cooper River from our Marina at the USS Yorktown on Display at Patriot's Point |
We rigged additional fenders on the dock side of the boat. The boat still bangs the dock when the wakes roll in. No wonder there are not many boats in this marina. The marina on the other side of town on the Ashley River is enormous, and there are Mega Yachts docked there. I chose The Maritime Center because it was close to downtown and seemed less crowded and intimidating.
We walked up to Meeting Street for dinner at Hyman's Seafood, a restaurant that Susan and I have eaten at before. It did not disappoint. The food was great. We walked through some very old Charleston Neighborhoods with houses dating to 1839. Walking and seeing these houses, especially at night all lit up, is one of the neat things to do in this town. We love it here, probably just not at the Maritime Center!
Tomorrow will be more touring of Charleston.
Thanks for Reading!
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