Waccamaw River

 Hi again!

It's been 3 short days since leaving Charleston. About 30 miles on the first one, 35 on the second one, half of which was under sail, and about 20 today. The upcoming stretch is pretty much devoid of anchorages. And the forecast tomorrow includes a real potpourri of bad events, so I may be staying put.

Back to Charleston. What a lovely place! Unfortunately, it looks like millionaire status is needed to gain entry these days. But it was so nice to be able to walk around and soak it up. I toured the South Carolina Historical Society Museum and the Charleston Museum. Loved them both.

Joined my friends on Pathfinder and Sweet Dreams 3 for a nice restaurant dinner. Great time. 

Last night I anchored in my secret anchorage, of which I have spoken in the past. Just a perfect spot. Never been anyone else anchored in there. 360 degree protection. Scenic. Deep up to the banks. Wide enough to turn the boat around in. Love it!

Best, Charlie

White Seal Becomes a Motorboat

 Hi folks!

Sheesh, its been a while, hasn't it? Here I am in Charleston with nary a peep out of me as I passed thru some beautiful scenery, the Georgia low country. I thought about sailing outside for an overnight run up the coast but I just couldn't face it. So I plunged headlong into Georgia and realized again how much I love the place. The coast, anyway. Not so sure about the rest of the state. Anchored at Jekyll Island one nighr and took a pleasant jaunt ashore. It is about the most pedestrian and bicycle friendly place imaginable. The trail system is beautiful and extensive.

A couple of days later I was in Savannah, and as a pedestrian there I was relegated to 3rd class citizenship. Happy to have survived the questionable street crossings that give you about 5 seconds less than what you need. And at age 69 my ability to scamper is somewhat diminished.

I was very happy to catch up with my friends and mooring neighbors, Roger and Susan. Diligent readers will remember they raced with me in Georgetown. They are here in Charleston as well. Sadly, the wind has either been very light, or on the nose, which given that the waterway is usually quite narrow, means that I have been motoring. Not a big deal, but it just doesn't seem very righteous.

Tomorrow I will be here in Charleston for a full day. Hoping to visit a couple of museums and visit my boat friends. Upcoming weather does not loik good. Possible gale force winds Thursday nite into Friday. Don't want to stay at the marina for more than 2 nights because of the expense. Anchoring options here are terrible. Happy to be at the dock so I can visit the town without worries. Charleston is gorgeous and exceptional. I hope I don't get hate mail but Savannah looks a bit lame in comparison. The sheer numbers of preserved and maintained old homes is really something. As usual, a foray outside of the historic district exposes one to a sh*tstorm of ghastly architecture but I guess most people tolerate it so it can't be all bad. It just happens that I appreciate beauty and tradition.

Thats all for now!

Charlie

Waiting for the tide

 Greetings all!

I left my rented mooring in St. Augustine and went a mile or two north, where I anchored to wait for the tide change. Yesterday was spent doing an oil change and belt change on my engine. What was normally a 1 1/2 hour job, turned into a six hour ordeal, because I had reluctantly purchased aftermarket oil filters from West Marine. The outside diameter is a bit smaller than the originals, so my filter wrench no longer worked. No problem, I figured, I'll just walk 3 miles round trip to an auto parts store and get another wrench. That one didn't work either. So I decided to go to West Marine and see if they had a solution. They told me that the decision to stop carrying Yanmar products was made because they were getting too expensive. So, instead of paying 15 bucks for a filter I could buy one for 11. And spend 6 hours walking all over town in the blazing hot sun looking for the appropriate tool. Thank you West Marine! Happily, I did find a proper tool at another parts store. And I do realize that this sad little tale is a classic example of a first world problem!

After leaving Vero Beach I had a couple of days of very high winds on the Indian River and really incredible sailing. A bit scary at times. The wind was blowing at 25-35 and at times I felt like I was driving a Ferrari. There were very few boats out there but I did get satisfaction at passing 2 motoring sailboats. Alas, I then spent a day and a half motoring up to St. Augustine. A cold front went thru last night and I am actually wearing a coat at the moment. Breeze out of the north for the next couple of days precludes me from sailing so I think I will motor up to Fernandina over the next couple of days. Might be a good opportunity to go outside after Wednesday.

Cheers, Charlie

Magnitude

 Hi everyone!

When departing from a place like Morgan's Bluff, Andros, and sailing into Palm Beach, one is humbled by the magnitude of everything in the US. The sheer numbers of people. The noise and the traffic, which thankfully is mostly driving on the right! Simple things like great sidewalks. And the Publix supermarket, oh my goodness! Simply astounding after shopping at the Exuma market. 

After a couple of days in Palm Beach I headed back out the inlet and had a great sail up to Fort Pierce.  Hard to believe I was the only sail out there until I got to Fort Pierce, where I was joined by a couple of other sailboats coming across from the Abacos. Anchored in Fort Pierce for the night before motoring the short distance up to Vero Beach, where I spent last night. And due to a stiff north wind I have elected to stay another night. The forecast is pretty poor, with wind and rain.

I am often critical of outrageous displays of extreme wealth, (think megayachts and waterfront real estate) so I have a little story to share about some prime property in Palm Beach. There is a row of high rise condos marching north along the shore, when suddenly, they stop. They are replaced by 1.6 miles of sand dunes, mangrove marsh, and sea turtle habitat. When Britt and I discovered this last fall it literally brought tears to my eyes. The monetary value of this land had to be huge. Instead, the owners, John D and Catherine T MacArthur decided a park would be better. You've heard their names on public radio. I know that philanthropists have a desire to immortalize their names but I really can't think of a better way to do it. Kudos to their memory and to everyone else involved in preserving this bit of paradise smack dab in the middle of what is otherwise a dystopian south Florida.

Happy Easter to all,

Charlie

Back in the US

 Hi everyone!

My US phone is working sporadically but I got in yesterday evening. Just finished with customs. Not sure why I wasted my time doing this since nobody else does. They seemed surprised to see me. Will post more later since I don't want to write a bunch only to lose it.

Best to all, Charlie

PS In Palm Beach after 37 hours out of Andros. Yes, I am too old to be doing this! Particularly singlehanded. Thank goodness for the autopilot!