This morning I left Georgetown after spending a couple of days there. Yesterday I washed Shorty down and did my laundry. Those are always two of the things that are waiting when I have time. This morning I left Georgetown around 8:00 AM and for once I hit the waterway when the tide was slack and not running either direction so I let Shorty go on the Waccamaw River and we traveled up toward Myrtle Beach area. The river is a broad expanse and we started out with the typical marsh but with more trees than usual. Then another change took place on the river and we were now in a cypress swamp type area with trees growing right down to the channel of the waterway. This was an exciting change for me as we now did not have a lot of crab traps any more and I was traveling through a large area designated as a National Wildlife Refuge. The Osprey were now nesting in dead tree tops and on the markers in the waterway and a couple of times I saw some small ones peeping out of the nests as I went by. The waterway now became much narrower than it had been since I got on it. There is just about room for another boat or barge to pass if both take it slow. I had it all to myself this morning so I could commune with nature as I went along. It was very fitting for me to be traveling alone because a friend of mine passed away and it gave me the time to reflect on our friendship though it was very short. I met John Parker at a time in his life when it was very difficult for him. I always wished that I had known him sooner because he was a very kind and funny man who had come along during the years when it was tough to make a living. His illness made him do things that made it difficult for others but on his good days he was the nicest person to be around. Even not knowing him for very long I will miss him dearly when I get home. Bentley likes to go over and play with his and Dorothy’s two West Highland Terriers and he loved to watch them even though he did not say much; you would always see him smiling out of the corner of your eye.
Then I reached an area known as the rock pile and the channel got even narrower and if there was a barge coming you would have to turn around and wait for him downstream at another place where the waterway widens out. The currents here made it tougher to stay in mid channel because now the tide was going out when I got close to Myrtle Beach. I am now in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and that puts me pretty close to the North Carolina border and I just figured out my miles and Shorty and I have now traveled 1050 miles and everything is still hanging together. Sometime in the next forty miles we will be crossing the border into North Carolina. We still have a long way to go and many nights to sleep before we hang our hats on the wall. Now the only palms and palmettos are there for landscape unless I run up on them again in North Carolina. I am still limiting myself to 50-80 miles a day until the whole country is in Springtime. The dogwoods were blooming in a few places. Another thing I noticed today is not all the homes are McMansions but are getting down to workable size most of the time. Of course the Myrtle Beach area is another condo area but there are not as many viewable from the waterway. But there are enough to let you know there are more you just can't see them because they are toward the beach on the Atlantic. I also passed a couple of Swing bridges where I lower my radio antenna and I can then get under without the bridge tender having to open them.
I walked out of Dock Holiday’s Marina up to the main road and asked how far to the grocery store at a golf cart store on the main highway which was only a couple of blocks from the marina. Well the man in the store just handed me the keys to his pickup and said its down there a ways at the first traffic light. I said no but he insisted so I took it down and back and it sure made that chore go a lot better. My eyes in the store are always bigger than the boats storage compartments so I will work on that directly when I finish writing this. I have met so many kind people on the trip that I hope I can keep up with when the trip is over. I can’t remember all their names but I certainly can remember the name of the boat.
The only photo I took today was of the beautiful sunrise this morning. I will have to listen to the weather again but I think it is supposed to be another north east wind which does not bother me in the waterway but I think I have a little open water at the end of the trip. So I better get on the charts for tomorrow and see what is going to be happening up the way
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Monday, March 26, 2007
March 26, 2007
As of two o’clock today I am sitting at the dock in Georgetown, SC where I am catching up a little on posting of expenses for the trip. This morning when I started out in Charleston, SC it was very cloudy and the winds were very gusty and there were small craft warnings up. I knew that I would have to see what Shorty could handle in the way of bad weather. The visibility was so low that I could not see the next marker from where I was. I know that may be scary to some but the chartplotter almost puts you on top of the marker and you see it well before you get there. The waves were probably 3-4 feet in height because when I would hit one it would bury the nose of the boat ever so often. The waves were also extremely choppy because we had an east wind coming right up the channel toward the city and the tide was going the opposite direction. As long as I kept the speed down to five knots we did fine and I have stuff sitting around the boat and it did not fall on the floor. The charts were on the table and they did not fall off either. The microwave has taken it in stride so far. The only boats out were me and one Coast Guard boat. I got just to the entrance to the waterway and I was passed by another big cruiser that has passed me a lot of times on the trip and they were going to Myrtle Beach, SC before they stopped for the day. I was very pleased with the way the boat took on the conditions this morning and did not hiccup once because more than likely we will encounter those conditions many times before the trip is over. I won’t take those conditions on again on purpose but if I get caught out on a large body of water I have to know the boat can handle it. In the midst of all the conditions I also came very close to Fort Sumter but it was too foggy and in those conditions I could not get a photograph of it. It sets in the middle of the harbor entrance as near as I could tell and that meant it would have done a good job of protecting the bay.
I also noticed in my travels today that the trees and marshes have changed from what they were in Charleston area. There are now more trees and an embankment along the waterway and it has narrowed except where I am now on Winyah Bay in Georgetown. This morning, with the overcast and strong winds all the birds including the pelicans were sitting on the high ground instead hunting as usual. The thrill I get from seeing the new things around each corner and being able to sit inside in bad weather makes this one really enjoyable journey. While there is a bit of a breeze I am going to walk the eight blocks from here to downtown Georgetown and see what I can find there. I will probably stay here a couple of days and do laundry and such and I need to scrub Shorty down and get rid of his salt bath of today.
I completed my journey downtown to see what Georgetown is all about. While I was downtown I met a fellow who said he had seen me on the waterway in Shorty a number of times. I am sure that we will cross paths again before his journey to the Chesapeake Bay is completed. Shorty is definitely looked over in every port and this morning the captain of the big trawler in front of me came down and asked if he could help do my lines when I got ready to pull out. The marina people drove down in their cart to the end of the dock this morning to see how Shorty would take the high wind and waves and they had said if it didn’t work or anything happened to just call and they would send a boat out to help me back. Back to Georgetown, it is a beautiful place and about the size of my hometown in Iowa. The homes are as pretty as in Charleston and some are smaller. The churches are all still established in the early 1700’s and this time there was a black church that was started back then. They also had a cotton exchange here where they bought and sold cotton and other products grown on the plantations back then. It surprised me that this little town has two big plants which require ocean-going vessels to enter it as a port so they also have the regular buoy systems and the intracoastal markers. They even have a Coast Guard Station here with a one boat presence. There is a large contingent of Sport Fishing boats at this marina because it is close to the Atlantic and an exhibit of a record sailfish that was caught in Georgetown Canyon in the Atlantic at the entrance to Winyah Bay on the Waccamaw River.
I must go for now, the sun is setting and it feels like it will be a chilly night here in Georgetown. It won’t be freezing though but different from the 80 degree day on Sunday in Charleston
I also noticed in my travels today that the trees and marshes have changed from what they were in Charleston area. There are now more trees and an embankment along the waterway and it has narrowed except where I am now on Winyah Bay in Georgetown. This morning, with the overcast and strong winds all the birds including the pelicans were sitting on the high ground instead hunting as usual. The thrill I get from seeing the new things around each corner and being able to sit inside in bad weather makes this one really enjoyable journey. While there is a bit of a breeze I am going to walk the eight blocks from here to downtown Georgetown and see what I can find there. I will probably stay here a couple of days and do laundry and such and I need to scrub Shorty down and get rid of his salt bath of today.
I completed my journey downtown to see what Georgetown is all about. While I was downtown I met a fellow who said he had seen me on the waterway in Shorty a number of times. I am sure that we will cross paths again before his journey to the Chesapeake Bay is completed. Shorty is definitely looked over in every port and this morning the captain of the big trawler in front of me came down and asked if he could help do my lines when I got ready to pull out. The marina people drove down in their cart to the end of the dock this morning to see how Shorty would take the high wind and waves and they had said if it didn’t work or anything happened to just call and they would send a boat out to help me back. Back to Georgetown, it is a beautiful place and about the size of my hometown in Iowa. The homes are as pretty as in Charleston and some are smaller. The churches are all still established in the early 1700’s and this time there was a black church that was started back then. They also had a cotton exchange here where they bought and sold cotton and other products grown on the plantations back then. It surprised me that this little town has two big plants which require ocean-going vessels to enter it as a port so they also have the regular buoy systems and the intracoastal markers. They even have a Coast Guard Station here with a one boat presence. There is a large contingent of Sport Fishing boats at this marina because it is close to the Atlantic and an exhibit of a record sailfish that was caught in Georgetown Canyon in the Atlantic at the entrance to Winyah Bay on the Waccamaw River.
I must go for now, the sun is setting and it feels like it will be a chilly night here in Georgetown. It won’t be freezing though but different from the 80 degree day on Sunday in Charleston
Sunday, March 25, 2007
March 25, 2007
Since today was Sunday in Charleston, SC I decided that today I would go and photograph the old churches in hopes of getting one that was open and letting people just tour it. No such luck today. I started with the Catholic Cathedral which was very large and made of red brick which were very unassuming but there was something different about them. Instead of laying with holes down it looked as though they were laid on edge. It just seemed that way because of the pattern they used in the brick. Next I came upon some gardens and fountains in between the buildings as I went. I also saw some more neat and unusual homes. In one of the gardens leading to a church I spotted what appears to be some holly berries or some such plant. Maybe those of you who are flower and plant buffs can identify them for me. Next I came to the Unitarian Church which had some unusual features about it. The Lutheran church had what is known in the original glass windows as rain glass because it always has the look of being wet with water. Another person called it crying glass for it had absorbed the sins of men. The Congregational Church was the most unusual of all since it was a church in the round. A person could certainly not hide from their sins in that church. I don’t believe I have ever seen a church in the round before but since I am from Iowa I have seen round barns. And of course no list would be complete without another beautiful Episcopal Church. That concluded today’s tour as my feet and legs were simply worn out after walking at least eight miles this weekend on foot or more. I also went back to the old marketplace and I am still amazed that the buildings are four blocks long. Of course they are open in many places where you can go in and out through the old market stalls which are now filled with many things they did not originally have when first built.
The city was full of tourists today going around on horse and buggy tours, trolley tours, bus tours, limo tours, and as mine was a walking tour with a map and do it yourself.
Tomorrow I plan on moving up the waterway again. I don’t know how far, it depends on the weather but right now the plan is to be in Georgetown, SC tomorrow evening. I will again play tourist but I am also going to have to do laundry, buy a few groceries if possible and other boat things like cleaning in the interior again. My feet got wet cleaning the outside today and then after cleaning them on the door mat I carried something oily in on them anyhow. A boat is constantly in the process of being cleaned, polished and other stuff serviced. No complaints I just thought I would say something because what I am doing is not a ride in the park. I also have to study charts this evening as well as cook something to eat and then in the morning it will all pay off with an enjoyable day on the waterway.
The city was full of tourists today going around on horse and buggy tours, trolley tours, bus tours, limo tours, and as mine was a walking tour with a map and do it yourself.
Tomorrow I plan on moving up the waterway again. I don’t know how far, it depends on the weather but right now the plan is to be in Georgetown, SC tomorrow evening. I will again play tourist but I am also going to have to do laundry, buy a few groceries if possible and other boat things like cleaning in the interior again. My feet got wet cleaning the outside today and then after cleaning them on the door mat I carried something oily in on them anyhow. A boat is constantly in the process of being cleaned, polished and other stuff serviced. No complaints I just thought I would say something because what I am doing is not a ride in the park. I also have to study charts this evening as well as cook something to eat and then in the morning it will all pay off with an enjoyable day on the waterway.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
March 24, 2007
This was just one of those gorgeous spring days that are just right. I hope everyone is now having spring weather because when I was in Florida sleeping under two sleeping bags I wasn’t sure that spring was going to ever get here. I got up early today and fixed breakfast and then got myself over to the stop for the Marina van trip downtown to see some of the historic sites. I had him drop me off on Market Street in the old section of town which is also down by the river where the cruise lines tie up when they are in Charleston. If I remember correctly the one at the dock today was the liner Norwegian Princess from the Norwegian Cruise Lines. It was unloading so it was pretty much a mad house. The US Customs House is also right there by the docks. There were a couple of container ships coming and going also which I think is normal in all ports I have been to and even in Brunswick, GA where I did not expect to see them. Well I wound my way through the old market which was four buildings of all kinds of jewelry, paintings, basket work, and various other wares. I saw lots I was interested in but nothing I could take with me on the boat. Then I started my usual four blocks around walk which usually turns up a lot of interesting history. I had just got to the first church which was another Episcopal Church when the battery on my camera quit. It did not notify me any earlier in the day. So I walked back to the Marina to charge the battery for it. On the way I peeked into all sorts of little walkways between homes and gardens in little side yards so I will definitely being going back tomorrow morning and give it another try since I have recharged the battery. I walked on real old cobblestone streets and sidewalks made from original slate laid every which way but not flat. This is not high heeled shoe country. This afternoon I took another walk closer to the Marina and took some photos of the houses and architectural things that are somewhat different in each southern city I have visited. I am going to try to post those to the photo link I have set up. The morning trip must have been at least a five mile walk so I needed a break before I started out again. The afternoon walk was about a mile or two so I am hoping my feet are ready for tomorrow morning.
Back at the Marina it was boats on parade day as all the locals drive their boats past to get a look at what’s new in town at the Megadock of Charleston. That means that all of us on the face dock get bounced up and down all day as we sit on our boats looking at their boats go by. The highlight of the boat parade was the one with what looked like a load of Hooters girls in bikinis to much cheering. It came by just before I laid down to get my sore feet some rest. I thought it would end but another boat just went by tonight. I also walked all 3000 feet of dock and looked at the boats just like everyone does and there are some really gorgeous boats here. A lot of them were restored and also a lot of brand new. My favorites of course, are the trawlers. They have some really nice ones and some; well there are a few that can’t make up their mind as to where they should be classified. I think I am probably the smallest boat here but I will keep looking. The one thing I can tell you is that you meet some of the friendliest folks you will ever find no matter where I have been down here. They will help you with anything and everything.
I am having a hard time keeping up with all the business cards I have collected with all of boats on them. I did not think of having one done with Shorty’s photo on it. You live and learn new things every day. I am always inputting new email addresses and trying to remember everyone I meet. Tonight I saw the PDQ Catamaran that is on the Loop so I will try to visit with them and see what they have been doing since we last crossed paths. On the walk down the dock I was looking for any new boats on the Loop but that was the only one I know of for sure. Its time to close up for the evening; before the no-see-ums find out I still have my windows open. The dinner cruise boat just went past and is turning around for its second pass of the evening.
http://www.photogserver.net/file/larryhoth/Shorty's%20Photos/
Everyone knows to hold down control and click the link to the photos and go to each file and click to open it and then click the individual photo. If anyone is having trouble just email me.
Back at the Marina it was boats on parade day as all the locals drive their boats past to get a look at what’s new in town at the Megadock of Charleston. That means that all of us on the face dock get bounced up and down all day as we sit on our boats looking at their boats go by. The highlight of the boat parade was the one with what looked like a load of Hooters girls in bikinis to much cheering. It came by just before I laid down to get my sore feet some rest. I thought it would end but another boat just went by tonight. I also walked all 3000 feet of dock and looked at the boats just like everyone does and there are some really gorgeous boats here. A lot of them were restored and also a lot of brand new. My favorites of course, are the trawlers. They have some really nice ones and some; well there are a few that can’t make up their mind as to where they should be classified. I think I am probably the smallest boat here but I will keep looking. The one thing I can tell you is that you meet some of the friendliest folks you will ever find no matter where I have been down here. They will help you with anything and everything.
I am having a hard time keeping up with all the business cards I have collected with all of boats on them. I did not think of having one done with Shorty’s photo on it. You live and learn new things every day. I am always inputting new email addresses and trying to remember everyone I meet. Tonight I saw the PDQ Catamaran that is on the Loop so I will try to visit with them and see what they have been doing since we last crossed paths. On the walk down the dock I was looking for any new boats on the Loop but that was the only one I know of for sure. Its time to close up for the evening; before the no-see-ums find out I still have my windows open. The dinner cruise boat just went past and is turning around for its second pass of the evening.
http://www.photogserver.net/file/larryhoth/Shorty's%20Photos/
Everyone knows to hold down control and click the link to the photos and go to each file and click to open it and then click the individual photo. If anyone is having trouble just email me.
Friday, March 23, 2007
March 23, 2007
Tonight this issue comes to you from Charleston, South Carolina and I am at the Downtown Municipal Marina of Charleston. I am on what is known as the Mega Dock which is 3000 feet of face dock for transients in Charleston at this particular marina. It called the Mega Dock because it has room for yachts as large as you can dream of and the power facilities and all to handle them. It is really funny as I am between a 60 foot Kadey Krogen and a big but beautiful 63 foot Hatteras Sport Fishing Yacht and with me at 26 feet I look like the stepchild of one of them. In fact there is a yacht here tonight I am told that has a 37 feet sport fishing boat as its tender. The Friday night thing to do in Charleston if you have a way to get on the water is to drive past the Mega Dock in your boat and view what is there. As they come by they point at me and smile and some laugh at what I am doing in such a place. Well I will tell you Shorty and I don’t give up any ground to any of these big boys. They even started not to take me because they have a 30 feet minimum. But I sort of hinted that was pretty much discriminating against us small folks who are doing the same thing they are, traveling on the waterway. I like being on the face of the dock other than the constant bounce of the waves but even the big guys bounce so I am not alone.
This morning I left at 7:30 AM just as I was able to see the markers and the numbers on them because I had about 90 miles to go. As the sun came up I was treated to a rare spectacle for me so far. There was a light coating of fog in the air which burned off shortly after sunup but it made the marshes and the waterway look so beautiful as you were going along. The water was like a mirror because the wind was calm and we were the first disturbance of the day. The tide was out and the birds were walking along the waters edge, egrets were fishing, as were the herons. Up ahead of me were some dolphins doing the morning hunt. And for the first time I started to see pairs of Canada Geese working the tide flats. As you know they pair up for life and even though they travel in groups when flying when they were in the marshes this morning they were just in their pair status. As the sun came up further the markers were a little easier to spot and after a few miles I crossed one of the large sounds and could barely discern the markers in the distance as the haze and fog obscured them some. The chartplotter was kind enough to give me the path and then the markers would eventually come into view so I could stay away from shoaling water. The route was the usual twists and turns and double backs, bridges, slow down for no wake signs which were official ones. Most of the trawlers start real early so about the second hour into my day I begin to pass them one at a time as I continued on. I even saw a couple which I had seen before on the trip and a wave and a smile makes your day when you see a friend doing the same thing as you are. As the day wore on I ate my snacks which I set out before I start and I continued to check markers and what the tide and the crab traps are doing. You won’t believe this but I was in Charleston and tied up at the dock by 12:30 noontime today. When I came around the last bend and saw Charleston downtown I could not believe my eyes. I had done the ninety miles in five hours at 3000 rpms and even two official slow sections and a lot of adverse tide. Is that a day you could love or what. If they are all this good I don’t know how I will handle it. I could sit in the cockpit out back and eat my lunch with a nice easy breeze blowing and watch the traffic go by on the river. Tomorrow I will start taking up the tourist side and I will be here Sunday as well and then Monday it is back on the waterway again. I had planned to get here by four this afternoon and not noon. I even had time to get a mile walk in before I made my dinner tonight
This morning I left at 7:30 AM just as I was able to see the markers and the numbers on them because I had about 90 miles to go. As the sun came up I was treated to a rare spectacle for me so far. There was a light coating of fog in the air which burned off shortly after sunup but it made the marshes and the waterway look so beautiful as you were going along. The water was like a mirror because the wind was calm and we were the first disturbance of the day. The tide was out and the birds were walking along the waters edge, egrets were fishing, as were the herons. Up ahead of me were some dolphins doing the morning hunt. And for the first time I started to see pairs of Canada Geese working the tide flats. As you know they pair up for life and even though they travel in groups when flying when they were in the marshes this morning they were just in their pair status. As the sun came up further the markers were a little easier to spot and after a few miles I crossed one of the large sounds and could barely discern the markers in the distance as the haze and fog obscured them some. The chartplotter was kind enough to give me the path and then the markers would eventually come into view so I could stay away from shoaling water. The route was the usual twists and turns and double backs, bridges, slow down for no wake signs which were official ones. Most of the trawlers start real early so about the second hour into my day I begin to pass them one at a time as I continued on. I even saw a couple which I had seen before on the trip and a wave and a smile makes your day when you see a friend doing the same thing as you are. As the day wore on I ate my snacks which I set out before I start and I continued to check markers and what the tide and the crab traps are doing. You won’t believe this but I was in Charleston and tied up at the dock by 12:30 noontime today. When I came around the last bend and saw Charleston downtown I could not believe my eyes. I had done the ninety miles in five hours at 3000 rpms and even two official slow sections and a lot of adverse tide. Is that a day you could love or what. If they are all this good I don’t know how I will handle it. I could sit in the cockpit out back and eat my lunch with a nice easy breeze blowing and watch the traffic go by on the river. Tomorrow I will start taking up the tourist side and I will be here Sunday as well and then Monday it is back on the waterway again. I had planned to get here by four this afternoon and not noon. I even had time to get a mile walk in before I made my dinner tonight
March 22, 2007
I spent a second day in Beaufort, SC today and this time I went to see as much as I could in the other half of the city. I know I probably did not touch half of the things but most of the historic buildings and such lie within about maybe six blocks each way and then about four blocks from the river into the city. The rest of the city expanded after the early 1700’s. This made it a nice city to walk about without taking a tour. This place is exceptionally buggy tonight as there is no breeze. It went away as quick as the sun set. I put up two sets of photos for those of you who have gotten the photo link from earlier postings. They are mostly of the azaleas and the architecture of the homes down here. I also have some of the Episcopal Church which was established in 1712. I also was able to go in and take a couple of pictures of the interior. They did not trust Catholics and the religion was banned early on in the southern colonies because of the close proximity to Florida which was Spanish. They felt that if people were allowed to practice Catholicism they would be more likely to side with the Spanish. I got this bit from the man who was leading the walking tour through the cemetery of the Episcopal Church. The early churches here buried there people right next to the church and you walked through the cemetery on your way to church for services. And it was interesting that some people were buried in the ground and some in little mausoleums above the ground. They must have thought that at some point when a hurricane came by that the water would raise the dead from the ground. I really have no idea, I am just rattling on. Maybe some of you can set me straight since I do my own history tours.
After going around photographing the city in cloudy weather this morning the afternoon was really a great one with lots of sunshine and since no breeze was available lots of the wonderful no-see-ums were there to fill the void. Tonight Shorty has company in the slip beside us. There is a little 24 foot cruiser and they just came in and went to a hotel. That is the way they are traveling. So at last we are docked and are larger than the boat docked next to us.
Today there were bus loads of students walking through the historic section of town on a history treasure hunt. Each group had photos of an object and they had to find it and then take a photo of it to show they had been there. They were swarming the cemetery of the church when I was there looking for the oldest grave site in the cemetery. It was kind of a way to make history fun for them.
I sat down for one more swing on one of the porch swings for Marilee and while I sitting there they began to fill with tourists waiting to see what the sunset would look like. So sitting there slowly swinging back and forth a lady came by and asked if she might join me since all of the others were filled up and I said sure. She asked what I was doing in Beaufort since I didn’t seem to be dressed like the others on tours and tour buses. She asked me where I was born and I said Iowa. She said she was from Iowa and on one of the tours from there. I asked her where she was born and shed said Clarence, Iowa so I told her I was from Sumner and she said no way. I said that I had retired and then some from her group came up and I did not get to find out how old she was but I bet if I looked up old stuff in Iowa I might recognize her or maybe my brother and his wife will. It is certainly a small world and what a way to end what was a perfect stay in Beaufort, South Carolina. Well a few minutes after sunset the bugs hit because the breeze went to zero and they needed more blood from my hide.
This issue is going to be pretty short tonight because tomorrow morning I leave for Charleston, South Carolina from here and I figure that it is at least 80 miles of hard going because of the tides which can cut your speed sometimes as much as 5 knots depending on the tidal stage and current.
After going around photographing the city in cloudy weather this morning the afternoon was really a great one with lots of sunshine and since no breeze was available lots of the wonderful no-see-ums were there to fill the void. Tonight Shorty has company in the slip beside us. There is a little 24 foot cruiser and they just came in and went to a hotel. That is the way they are traveling. So at last we are docked and are larger than the boat docked next to us.
Today there were bus loads of students walking through the historic section of town on a history treasure hunt. Each group had photos of an object and they had to find it and then take a photo of it to show they had been there. They were swarming the cemetery of the church when I was there looking for the oldest grave site in the cemetery. It was kind of a way to make history fun for them.
I sat down for one more swing on one of the porch swings for Marilee and while I sitting there they began to fill with tourists waiting to see what the sunset would look like. So sitting there slowly swinging back and forth a lady came by and asked if she might join me since all of the others were filled up and I said sure. She asked what I was doing in Beaufort since I didn’t seem to be dressed like the others on tours and tour buses. She asked me where I was born and I said Iowa. She said she was from Iowa and on one of the tours from there. I asked her where she was born and shed said Clarence, Iowa so I told her I was from Sumner and she said no way. I said that I had retired and then some from her group came up and I did not get to find out how old she was but I bet if I looked up old stuff in Iowa I might recognize her or maybe my brother and his wife will. It is certainly a small world and what a way to end what was a perfect stay in Beaufort, South Carolina. Well a few minutes after sunset the bugs hit because the breeze went to zero and they needed more blood from my hide.
This issue is going to be pretty short tonight because tomorrow morning I leave for Charleston, South Carolina from here and I figure that it is at least 80 miles of hard going because of the tides which can cut your speed sometimes as much as 5 knots depending on the tidal stage and current.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
March 21, 2007
I left Isle of Hope Marina this morning near Savannah, GA and arrived in Beaufort, South Carolina at the Downtown City Marina by about 12:30 after trolling through a few slow spots and doing at total of 55 miles today. Most of the time the tides would let me either gain in speed or lose depending on the direction of the tide. Beaufort is one of those cities that let you know when you pull up to the dock that they are special. Some docks handle you with care and some just want the money and leave tomorrow. This is definitely a tourist destination. I got all signed in fill my gas tank and got my slip assignment, tied up, and connected to the electricity in just about 30 minutes. Then went up to the office to get the packet of information they give you on the area that you are in. The first thing I did was go get cleaned up and then put on my walking shoes. I knew I would get my exercise here. The city has a park along the waterfront which stretches about a half mile. Along that half mile they have put benches and porch swings under all the old live oak trees. The flowers are just beginning to bloom in all the areas I am approaching now. Then just behind the park is the old downtown area of Beaufort. Behind that is an area of old homes and churches and the city is laid out in such a fashion that it is easy to find your way around and you always end up at the waterfront. We have had kind of an off and on day of rain showers all around us but it did not rain here except for a few sprinkles. I will do more walking around town and looking for historical things again tomorrow.
The trip this morning was really great. It was a very calm morning when I started and the marshes in the sunshine at about eight in the morning look gorgeous. It was high tide when I started out so I could see for miles across the marshes in all directions. The first thing when I came around the bend at Thunderbolt, GA they were having rowing practice in pairs of eight. There three boats of eight getting in their training sessions. You could hear them counting cadence and I slowed to give them no wake so they would not have to deal with that. Around the next bends I began to see all the big and beautiful homes around the Savannah area and then you about two or three miles and you hit the Savannah river and right when I was about to cross it two ships were meeting with one going out to sea and the other coming into port. I have a shot of one of them going by in the marshland. You cross the Savannah River and go back into the many islands and rivers of the lowlands again. You go past the places that everyone has heard about, like Daufuskie Island, Hilton Head Island with all of its rich and beautiful homes and boats in the marinas. After you cross under the bridge at Hilton Head you travel just a little bit further around a couple more bends and there is the city of Beaufort laying before you like a walk back in time as you see the old mansions from the water before you get here to the docks. But I also had to cross a couple of big sounds or inlets from the ocean today and travel a long distance up them and this is where the tides can really play havoc with your time line if you have one. The big ones were the Calibogue and Port Royal sounds where you travel on headings toward bouys which you sometimes can’t see right away and they can also be rough. Since the winds were forecast to increase later in the day I wanted to get away from the dock as soon as possible to avoid the large waves if I could. The wind gods were with me and when I reached the last sound they were only about 15 miles per hour. But Shorty loves to ride the waves and cruised along at between 13 and 15 knots and about 3000 RPM’s again today. On big water that seems to be about a good way to run. You get that fluid wave motion and since she is on plane the waves first hit the boat right about where I sit and she cuts and takes them and the movement and the power of the waves can be felt as you hiss along on them. I drive with the windows open and the back door which allows me to hear the movement and the power of the engine which is smooth as can be. Some days the motion is so nice that it goes real well with the classical music I listen to when all is well.
I also put the pictures of Savannah which were few because I took the tour which did not stop for photos. The photos from my walk around Beaufort today are also published on the photo link. Let me know if all links are working.
As always there are some beautiful boats in this marina both sail and power and all brands, shapes and sizes. You can certainly tell if the boat is just sitting in the marina or if it on the waterway and been moving. The people are all very friendly and fun to meet and talk to. I am so fortunate to be seeing America from its back door and seeing things I will never see again. I saw the first flock of ducks come in tonight that were also headed north before they split and landed in the marsh. I am facing the sunset again as usual and no matter what is coming for weather I really look forward to all the colors that are reflected on the water and the tide as it ripples by on its way. The tide really needs to come in here because I did not bring mountain goat shoes.
The trip this morning was really great. It was a very calm morning when I started and the marshes in the sunshine at about eight in the morning look gorgeous. It was high tide when I started out so I could see for miles across the marshes in all directions. The first thing when I came around the bend at Thunderbolt, GA they were having rowing practice in pairs of eight. There three boats of eight getting in their training sessions. You could hear them counting cadence and I slowed to give them no wake so they would not have to deal with that. Around the next bends I began to see all the big and beautiful homes around the Savannah area and then you about two or three miles and you hit the Savannah river and right when I was about to cross it two ships were meeting with one going out to sea and the other coming into port. I have a shot of one of them going by in the marshland. You cross the Savannah River and go back into the many islands and rivers of the lowlands again. You go past the places that everyone has heard about, like Daufuskie Island, Hilton Head Island with all of its rich and beautiful homes and boats in the marinas. After you cross under the bridge at Hilton Head you travel just a little bit further around a couple more bends and there is the city of Beaufort laying before you like a walk back in time as you see the old mansions from the water before you get here to the docks. But I also had to cross a couple of big sounds or inlets from the ocean today and travel a long distance up them and this is where the tides can really play havoc with your time line if you have one. The big ones were the Calibogue and Port Royal sounds where you travel on headings toward bouys which you sometimes can’t see right away and they can also be rough. Since the winds were forecast to increase later in the day I wanted to get away from the dock as soon as possible to avoid the large waves if I could. The wind gods were with me and when I reached the last sound they were only about 15 miles per hour. But Shorty loves to ride the waves and cruised along at between 13 and 15 knots and about 3000 RPM’s again today. On big water that seems to be about a good way to run. You get that fluid wave motion and since she is on plane the waves first hit the boat right about where I sit and she cuts and takes them and the movement and the power of the waves can be felt as you hiss along on them. I drive with the windows open and the back door which allows me to hear the movement and the power of the engine which is smooth as can be. Some days the motion is so nice that it goes real well with the classical music I listen to when all is well.
I also put the pictures of Savannah which were few because I took the tour which did not stop for photos. The photos from my walk around Beaufort today are also published on the photo link. Let me know if all links are working.
As always there are some beautiful boats in this marina both sail and power and all brands, shapes and sizes. You can certainly tell if the boat is just sitting in the marina or if it on the waterway and been moving. The people are all very friendly and fun to meet and talk to. I am so fortunate to be seeing America from its back door and seeing things I will never see again. I saw the first flock of ducks come in tonight that were also headed north before they split and landed in the marsh. I am facing the sunset again as usual and no matter what is coming for weather I really look forward to all the colors that are reflected on the water and the tide as it ripples by on its way. The tide really needs to come in here because I did not bring mountain goat shoes.
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