First Class Marina--Bob and Steph's Dock

(No route or location this time folks to protect the identity of this private residence.)

It was a short cruise from last nights anchorage to the home to Bob and Stephanie aboard September Song.  Sadly, they got cabin fever and left a few days earlier.  They are looking for warmer climes and Thanksgiving in St Augustine, so had to skedaddle.  But they left us very clear directions and permission to use the dock and their car.  What wonderfully generous friends.

We're a couple of days earlier than planned.  So, we will continue our relaxation mode before heading to the Jacksonville, FL airport to fly to Columbus, OH for Thanksgiving.

To all of our regular blog readers, we extend our most heartfelt wishes for a safe, fun and warm Thanksgiving holiday.  Watch out for the turkey enzyme!!

Back On The Hook Again, Ahhhhhhhhh! (Revised with Pictures)

Today's route and new destination:  Buckhead Creek Anchorage.  Click on the link below:
Buckhead Creek Anchorage

 After all that marina time, it was a real treat to be back on the hook (anchoring). Everyone just hung on their boats and relaxed. What a nice respit. Norm grilled some marinated chicken. A very uneventful, quiet, relaxing evening--just what the doc ordered.

Following pics courtesy of Doug and Tammy aboard Gypsies in the Palace. They got this series of pictures of us approaching the anchoring area in Buckhead Creek. Being an hour ahead of us, they were already settled in. Vicki's at the helm and Norm is on the bow prepaing the anchor.

Approaching at low tide.

Finally settled in for a lazy night.

And the next morning, they took this shot as they were leaving at the break of dawn in the fog.  You can see the top of Tide Hiker in the distance on the bottom right side of the picture. 

Port Royal Landing--One Horse Town!!

Today's route and destination (Lynnie told me how to shorten the link title.  So just click on this shortened link):
Charleston, SC to Port Royal Landing (near Beaufort, SC)

There are 7-foot tides here.  And, the marina is a good distance from the shore.  When the tide is down, so is the ramp from the elevated fixed walkway from shore.  As you can see here, Vicki is just a little squirt at the bottom of the ramp going to our dock.

Now, while in Charleston the other day, Doug and Tammy invited us over for apps and wine tasting.  They purchased this neat appliance that changes dirt-cheap wine into the finest of fine.  It's called Vinturi.  And, it really worked!!!  We brought over a box of white and a bottle of rot-gut red.  They were remarkably transformed into fine chateaus.

Here's Doug performing the wine transformation.  As they say in the hills, "we gotta get us one o them" !!

Port Royal Landing is just down the waterway from the much more popular Beaufort, SC, pronounced Bue-fort.  (The Beaufort in NC is pronounced Bo-fort, I think.)  We have been to Beaufort a couple of times so thought we would visit here to check it out.  After all, that's the purpose of this slo-mo cruise south--to see the world!  This marina has a courtesy car, or in this case a courtesy pickup.  We borrowed the truck at 4:30 PM.  The dockmaster told us we had to have the truck back by 6 PM when they close.  We were back with the truck at 4:55 PM.  It's a very small place.  The restaurant on site is know for their hamburgers and rightly so.  They were fantastic!

Church Services in Charleston, SC

Our route and new location:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&ll=33.055868,-79.62616&spn=0.675636,1.668549&t=h&z=10&msid=102224145462847302635.000478a80d5a97235b5c2

We are piously attentive in church.  Actually, the Mud River Bar and Grille was converted from an old church.  So, Doug, Tammy, Vicki and Norm conducted services there.  Beer tasting services, that is.
The treat of the visit to Charleston was meeting up with Bart and Ellie Franey.  Two lunches, one at the Noisy Oyster; and, one at the Reel Grille at Barts marina were awesome.  Bart also schlept us around to West Marine and to the Post Office to get Christmas packages sent.  (We're celebrating Christmas on Thanksgiving at Norm's daughter's home in Columbus, OH.  The whole family will be there.

That's Bart in between Vicki and Tammy.  Bart was the ultimate port captain and a great guy.  Thanks Bart. 

Of course this blog entry would not be complete without mentioning Reggie, Barts Dog.  Reggie would greet us with a slow bark and crying bellow every time.  Wonderful pup!

This marina, "Charleston Maritime Center Marina" was the most convenient to downtown and the historic center.  BUT, it was the most rolly polly dock we have ever been at.  As you can see, our boats are directly abeam of the entrance to a "WORKING HARBOR" as the dockmaster puts it.  Vicki had to get off the boat yesterday afternoon because she was getting sea-sick at the dock.  Too bad, it's a great little marina with a great staff running it. 

We departed Charleston this morning at the crack of dawn in order to catch the right tide at Fields Cut down the waterway.  Need to make passage there on half tide or better.

Geezerville remembered!

Today's location, Georgetown, SC, a 60-mile run from N Myrtle Beach.  See our route by clicking on the following link.
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=102224145462847302635.000478553b2a3fc02b15d&t=h&ll=33.394759,-79.169197&spn=0.615696,1.599884&z=10

Remnants of IDA were still with us on yesterday's run.  It was chilly, overcast, drizzly in spots and windy. Conditions wern't too bad to chase us from the flying bridge to the pilothouse though. That's the beauty of the intracoastal waterway.  NOAA weather reported 11-15 foot waves in the Atlantic yesterday.

We stopped here with Rick and Lynnie (MV Rickshaw) on our way North last June and celebrated Norm's 65th birthday.   Hence, "Geezerville".  We're at at different marina this time (Boat Shed Marina) because it has better rates.  Gypsies are due in tomorrow.  They stayed back another day in Wrightsville Beach due to continuing bad weather.  Seems we slipped south of the really bad stuff just in time.

Weather has improved significantly since yesterday.  This is the Marnia's front yard.  It's sunny and warm here.  So, we took a walk downtown and through some of the closer residential areas.

Most of the residential streets here are lined with these huge old trees.  This one on the right is over 540 years old.

There are tons of these old plantation-type mansions. These two were built in the 1700's.