Lowcountry

Magnolia Plantation, Charleston, SC

A good motivator to keep moving south: temperatures of 13ºC. One morning it was 6ºC! I'll be the first to admit our Canadian resilience to cold was left in Canada - in storage with the rest of our winter stuff, I guess. We've put Kianda's new heating system to use and it has turned out to be our greatest upgrade (second only to the new oven which I'm really lovin'). We won't again own a boat with no heater. Our best evenings onboard have actually been the cool ones when we hunker down and turn the heat on; it makes the cabin feel so wonderful.

In spite of the chill, most of our days in North Carolina have been clear and sunny and we continue to feel very lucky weather-wise. The marine forecast hasn't been good for the ocean passages we were considering however, so we've been trucking along the Intracoastal Waterway rather than waiting around for a weather window to go to sea. Besides, the Carolinas are beautiful and we enjoy the scenery offered by the ICW.

Perhaps less thrilling were the stretches transitioning straight, narrow dredged channels (or land cuts). These sections are where the ICW really lives up to its nickname "the ditch". Many a mile was spent motoring through residential areas in which colossal houses line the channel, each one more extravagant than the last.

Dave: "Smell the air here - it smells so good!"

Being close to an ocean inlet, I knew he meant the fresh salty breeze but I jokingly said:
"That's the rich."

Dave added: "Is that what money smells like?"

Example A

Example B

Why is your house so big??

Nearing the state line into South Carolina, the mansion miles eventually gave way to an abundance of natural landscaping in the form of swampland and salt water marches. The anchoring options in adjacent rivers where plentiful and we spent evenings anchored in some very beautiful places, without any sign of civilization. On nights like these we forget cities even exist.

We had the lovely Schooner Creek, South Carolina to ourselves, or almost... After securing the boat at anchor, we used the last hour of daylight to launch Peli (our Pelican dinghy) and go explore further down river. Almost immediately, movement on the riverbank caught our eye. The tall grass partially blocked our view but we could make out a dark hump of fur. We both thought it was a bear until we saw big pointy ears. A dog? No, couldn't be... And then we heard a loud 'OINK' which left no doubt! We were looking at wild pigs - two big ones chowing down on roots. They were completely engrossed with their dinner. We heard fanatic gnawing, crunchy chewing, snorts of satisfaction exchanged between them (remarkably similar to me eating the ribs at Southern Soul BBQ in Georgia - more on that in a later post). The quietness of our electric engine allowed us to get very close (another favourite boat upgrade); you can't be so sneaky with a gas powered outboard engine.

Entering Schooner Creek, SC

Schooner Creek

See the two furry backs?  (Click for larger view)

We would have loved to stay in Schooner Creek for a full day at rest but we stuck to our plan and pressed on. We had been going pretty steadily, 'making miles' south each day and we were looking forward to a break but, as agreed, not until we reached Charleston. That's where we wanted to stop for a while to recharge our (proverbial) batteries. Our schedule is normally pretty loose but some upcoming commitments will require us to be in specified locations, so that's playing into our decision making. Also, Halloween was 2 days away and we thought Charleston would be a fun place to spend it. We had costumes!

After entering Charleston Harbor, we made our way to the Ashley River to seek a spot to drop the hook. As Skipper Bob says: "Wonderful city to visit, unfortunately isn't near a really good anchorage". We settled on the Ashley River anchorage because it's handy to downtown Charleston and we could land our dinghy at the marina dock (for a fee of $5 per day). We took care to pick a spot on the very edge of the anchorage in attempt to avoid the tangled mess of wrecks that lay on the bottom of the anchorage proper (i.e. take our chances while being cautious about it).

I lowered our anchor, 100 feet of chain and 30 feet of rode from the bow, allowed it to set and we had a look around. We weren't happy with our placement; we 'felt' too close to the snag zone that we pictured below. We're aware of anchors that would not come up from this anchorage (RIP Bruces and Rocnas), caught on debris on the bottom, and how chain had to be cut to set the boats free. Seeing sunken masts protruding from the water isn't reassuring either.

So we decided it would be best to reset our anchor and I hauled up the ground tackle. We circled around, eyeballed a better position and I lowered the whole kit and caboudle again. What's my secret to silky soft hands? Remove dead skin cells by lowering heavy anchor chain hundreds of feet in succession. An electric windlass has been added to the purchase list for future boat upgrades - in case I'm not forever the robust powerhouse I am today.

It can get shitty when birds rest in your rigging like that. 

We love Charleston! We stayed put for a week and it was a real vacation (I know what you're thinking: "vacation from vacation" but anyone who sails knows the difference). This is a very picturesque city with so much to offer visitors. I couldn't walk 20 feet without stopping to admire the houses and gardens and wonder how I can recreate what I see into my future home. It's so beautiful! How do I get a Live Oak with Spanish Moss to grow in my region's hardiness zone? Is cobblestone, prefereably a historic ship's ballast, a viable option for my next driveway?

Dave in Charleston.

Folly Beach, SC at sunset.

Since there is also much to see beyond the city, we rented a car to explore the Lowcountry. Can I just say once more how beautiful it is? The days were warm and sunny, we found amazing places to eat and the scenery was awe inspiring.

One of the highlights of our day trip with the car was strolling the grounds of Magnolia Plantation. The property is extremely pretty. Many pictures were taken. Dave, the biologist, is a fan of swamps and was pleased as punch to see turtles, an alligator, frogs, and a big black, yellow dotted snake. As for me, not so pleased to find myself on a dead-end bridge when Dave pointed it out, folded over itself at the edge of both my entrance and my only exit (I had unknowingly walked within 3 feet of it a moment earlier). "That was a big guy!" Dave said with a smile after it slithered off. Enthusiasm not reciprocated. 

 

Dave observing turtles at Magnolia Plantation.

Spanish moss hanging from the branches.

The dead-end snake bridge I was trapped on.

Botany Bay Beach on Edisto Island was an amazing place to spend the afternoon. I love a beautiful deserted beach and this one is special because of the added visual interest that the washed up Live Oak trees bring. (Are they still called Live Oaks when they're dead?) The massive structures rest in the sand like sculptures, turning the beach into a natural art gallery. This beach takes driftwood to a whole other level! It's stunning.

Me with tree.  Edisto Island.

One more...

Back in Charleston, as we headed to shore from our boat (a five minute ride to the designated dinghy dock), our path was intercepted by a derelict boat dragging so fast in the strong wind it looked like it was motoring backwards! The unmanned sailboat was headed directly for the marina (toward million dollar boats) and we were the only ones around seeing this unfold! We tied Peli to the nearest dock while calling out for anyone to come help. At that point, the derelict boat smashed up against the end of the marina docks, turned broadside and bounced over to meet the bow of a beautiful sailboat tied there. With the wind and waves driving it, the derelict boat did a bump and grind number on the beautiful boat and it wasn't pretty to witness (as can happen with grinding). Dave and I both jumped onboard the derelict boat. Dave searched around, grabbing fenders and lines while I tried to push us off the beautiful sailboat's bow, with all my might, while hearing screeching, thumping and cracking sounds. Then suddenly, it was like I had the strength of 100 men and the boats separated from each other! I quickly realized I didn't become the Incredible Hulk in that moment; our shouts for help had been heard and a crew member from the beautiful sailboat had the quick-wit to get into an inflatable dinghy and use it to nudge the derelict boat off and away from their bow.

In the end, the derelict boat didn't fare well. It was pretty banged up from being repeatedly bashed into the dock. Once it was secured to the end of the dock, I raised the anchor (as I started to wonder why am I always the one doing this?) and we were semi-shocked to find a dinky little chain and anchor. No wonder the boat didn't stay put in the wind and current.

All day I wondered about the reaction the man who lives onboard would have when he returned to find his boat in its new location and condition. Not a nice surprise but, for goodness sake, get some decent gear to hold it in place.

The beautiful sailboat was okay; the metal bow rail and raised anchor on the bowsprit took the impact. The crew member who came to help was not much concerned about damage anyway. He's not the owner so, not his problem.

With only my phone on me, the pics aren't great but you get the idea. 
This is the beauty boat - too big to capture fully in one shot. 

Once we had it secured, the derelict boat (white one) ended up here, like this,
at the end of the dock.  Dave is sitting where we landed our dinghy
& my backpack is where I dropped it when the boats were hitting and we boarded
the white one to fend off the dark one.

Once the show was over, we circled around in the dinghy to take pics.

For Halloween we were sailors! 'How original' you sarcastically say? But here's the morbid twist: we were drowned sailors. Blue lips and fingertips! The pictures turned out less funny and more macabre than I'd imagine. Dave said I shouldn't post them as it might upset my mom to see me dead in a lifeboat (so I'll attach just one of the milder ones for your viewing displeasure). 

The Ashley River anchorage turned out fine for the week. The current was very strong and the boat spun around at every tidal shift. Wake from passing traffic rocked the boat but we were mostly on shore all day anyway and it died off at night. On the morning of departure came the moment of truth: the anchor came up nice and clean! We headed off to sea. From Charleston we sailed offshore to land in St. Simon's Island, Georgia. And we were right on time because company's coming!

Sunset in Folly Beach.