Charleston, SC

Island Spirit and the Ravenal Bridge over the Cooper River
Charleston, SC Maritime Center Docks

We arrived Charleston, SC Tuesday and secured a dock on the favored side of town at the Maritime Center where BoatUS members get a discount at $1.50/foot. We booked in for two days but due to weather and the temptations of a fabulous city, we stayed an extra day. Not bad....a "room" right in the city for $52.50 per night (35'*1.50) - we had a difficult time moving out. We usually do not take docks because of the cost and also we have a 44 lb Bruce anchor and 250 feet of chain anchor rode, so we always prefer to use that and save the fee. Charleston does have an anchorage field on the Ashley River, but that is on the opposite side of town from where the action is location. Lucky for us, one of our Island Packet members alerted us to the Maritime Center and we docked there. Thank you, Lamar and Sherri, IP-420 Winterset.

While at Charleston, we enjoyed Harris Teeter Shopping, one of the finest grocery stores on the planet. We also enjoyed Caviar and Bananas, a New York style deli that is better than any NY deli. Of course this was created by a family who moved here from....you guessed it...NYC. We also enjoyed a do-it-yourself historical walking tour that we bought at the visitors center. We walked the city, taking in the beautiful Georgian Architecture and historic cobblestone lined streets. East Bay Street is wonderful to explore. After the walk, we enjoyed a class of wine at one of the many pubs along East Bay.

Charleston, SC is a city I could live in...it was a joy to visit. We departed there and motored 45 miles south to a beautiful anchorage on Bass Creek, just off Parrot Creek near the Coosaw River. Our next stop will be Beaufort, SC.

4 Island Packets: Island Spirit, Habibi, Winterset, Cutter Loose

SERIOUS Coast Guard Cutter: USCGC STRATTON
Third of eight the USCG will be building, just launched in Oct 2011

Loaded weapons and guns, this ship is ready to protect.

Typical Charleston Home, narrow on the street, portico to the SW
homes were taxed on their street frontage, so this beat the system

Homes along the southern tip at the Battery

The Three Sisters, the finest example of Charleston Single homes

The Battery, when viewed from sea

After departing Charleston, we anchor in a most remote area
Bass Creek off Parrot Creek

Nothing but marsh grasses....beautiful

Sunset over the stern of Island Spirit, Bass Creek

Next stop....Beaufort, SC....that is pronounced....BEWwwww-fert!

Awendaw Creek, SC Video

Spectacular Place, my 4 minute video shows the beauty and the isolation of this location. Enjoy!

Google Satellite Map of this Location

Citadel, SC a visit to William

William and Mr. C. at Watts Barracks, The Citadel, SC

With great pride and respect, we visited one of my top high quality students who is now attending The Citadel in Charleston, SC. William, or Will as he is know to most, graduated from the High School where I spent my 31 year teaching career. Over those 31 years, several students rise to the top of the list as outstanding students who are obviously in a league of their own. William is one of those few students and I am proud to have been his computer applications teacher in 2010. As we neared Georgetown, SC, we sent a text off to William to alert him of our impending arrival in Charleston in a few days. Will replied and informed me that it was Homecoming this weekend and that it also was Open Barracks and that it would be a shame we would miss all the fun.

William in Watts Barracks, Citadel, SC

Don't give "Team Island Spirit" a challenge like that, because....WE WILL MAKE IT....and make it we did. We dropped anchor 66 miles short of Charleston, in charming Georgetown, booked a rental car, departed the boat at 7 am on a frosty 40 degree morning, drove down Rt. 17 to The Citadel and breached the fortress of WATTS BARRACKS where we sent a text to William and said...."WE ARE IN THE COURTYARD....where are you?" William alerted us to climb the NOVEMBER tower staircase up to the 5th floor and there he was, looking better than ever. We visited for an hour, toured his barracks and met Frank, his local host family, who is a civil engineer and a 2006 Citadel graduate.

Watts Barracks, Citadel, SC

After the barracks closed at 1000 hrs, the corps formed up and the entire brigade was presented on the parade field where hundreds of family members and Citadel graduates lined the field. William told us where to stand in order to locate his NOVEMBER Company. We enjoyed watching the precision marching, the presentation and firing of the cannons and recognition of dignitaries and awards to honored graduates. I am so proud of William and his dedication to this Military College of South Carolina. The academics are difficult and the disciplined program even more challenging, but I am positive William will excel, just like he did in all his previous years. Congratulations and thank you again for alerting us to the Open Barracks and Homecoming festivities. You make me proud....very proud!

Citadel BULLDOGS

Brigade Parade marching into the parade field

Smoke covers the main hall as the cannons are fired

November Company, with William in the center

William in formation, November Company, Citadel, SC

William in the center, 4th row back in this photo

You make me proud, William!

Georgetown, SC

Norah, our newest crewmember, she sails from the Potomac!

We arrived Georgetown, SC from Myrtle Beach and planned to stay a few days as this town is very welcoming to boaters, plus you can anchor 100 yards off the town dock! The approach by water is not scenic due to a steel mill and a paper pulp factory, but the town itself is charming and very walkable. We learned that there are more pre-Revolution houses here than in Williamsburg, VA.

While here, we connected with our Washington, DC cousins and enjoyed a nice lunch at the BIG TUNA on the long boardwalk overlooking Island Spirit. It was great to see family and our NEWEST crewmember, NORAH, who has the most beautiful blue eyes. We were concerned about taking her to the boat as we did not have a proper child life vest, so we enjoyed walking the town and catching up with our fun cousins. Dinner ashore with Cutter Loose at Limpin' Jane's was delicious!

Island Spirit anchored off Georgetown, SC

Norah, dreaming of sailing and the blue sea, check those BLUE EYES!

The girls at lunch in the Big Tuna

Required ICE CREAM stop with the team

Veterans Day Parade, thank you Veterans for our FREEDOMS

Veteran's Day Parade, 4 pm on 11/11/11/ in Georgetown, SC

40 degree AM sea smoke engulfs the fishing & shrimping fleet

Sailboats departing the harbor in the sea smoke

Sunrise begins to burn off the sea smoke and fog

City street at night, Georgetown, SC

Waccamaw River, SC

Typical shoreline along the Waccamaw River, SC

Spectacular, breathtaking, beautiful, winding, inspiring, ever changing...that is the Waccamaw River south of Myrtle Beach, SC. This is our second time passing through here and it is more beautiful than I recall. I shot 140 pictures today in the river and none are as beautiful as I saw it. Either I need a better camera or I need a better memory, because one of these is off. Refusing to exit this fantastic river valley, we pulled over behind Butler Island and dropped our anchor just 8 miles short Georgetown, SC. Tomorrow we will leisurely meander our way down to Georgetown in the AM and explore that town where we will connect with family vacationing in the area.

Only in Myrtle Beach would you have gondolas carts taking golfers
from one side of the ICW to the other!

Grissom Parkway Bridge, Myrtle Beach and the ICW...beautiful

Typical home on the waterway at Myrtle Beach, SC

OH NO....barge traffic meeting at the bridge, he told us to keep on
and pass him to starboard...OK!

Same barge filling the entire bridge opening that we just passed

Myrtle Beach golfers along the waterway

Yachts lined up and passing through the Socastee Swing Bridge
This bridge is now on the National Historic Register and will be preserved forever

Socastee Bridge swinging closed behind us, very interesting process

Waccamaw River navigation aids

Our good friends Eric and Patricia on Cutter Loosen avigate the turns of the Waccamaw river

Endless beauty...

Spanish Moss hanging in the trees

Fantastic day running down the river valley and also a great stay at Barefoot Landing. Life is so easy, so peaceful, and so much fun when traveling the Intracoastal Waterway, especially with good friends. Island Spirit and Cutter Loose are two happy boats....

Myrtle Beach, SC Milestones

The ship that pushed us out of the channel
and pushed Cutter Loose aground

 Another beautiful day on the ICW - sunny, warm, with clear skies and interesting scenery. There were beautiful homes (many, many for sale) dilapidated docks, winding turns, and ocean inlets, some navigable, some not.  Some exciting moments were two floating casinos and a barge passing us northbound. It felt like these huge vessels took up all of the waterway. We docked at Barefoot Landing Marina, adjacent to an enormous shopping center  The best part of the day was dinner ashore with friends - see the happy photo below!

Milestones:
     500 miles since leaving Rock Hall, MD
     Mile Marker 353, halfway from Norfolk to St. Mary's,GA, our Thanksgiving destination
     Crossed into South Carolina
     Thursday will be our 20th day on the water

Pelican convention on a dock

Holden Beach Fishing boat

Fun with color and photography, Holden Beach

Island Spirit at the Barefoot Landing Dock, Myrtle Beach

Local resident, Myrtle Beach preparing for winter

Required ice cream stop...can't resist

90 footer docking behind and over Island Spirit

Island Spirit under the bow of a 90 footer

Dinner visit with good friends Debbie and John

Next stop....the beautiful Wacamaw River Valley and then Georgetown.