GEORGETOWN, SC

Wednesday, April 29th to Thursday, April 30th, 2015

Day 268-269
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 3385


  Wednesday was an all day rain day.  Dan took the opportunity to change the engine oil and oil filter.  Two nice gentlemen at the marina got us some 5 gallon buckets with lids to put the old oil in and they also hauled it away to an oil recycling location.  


  Thursday we went through the Rice Museum and the South Carolina Maritime Museum.  Georgetown, South Carolina's third oldest city, was founded in 1729 and became an official port of entry in 1732.  Rice and indigo plantations were formed along the waterways.  By the 1840's, Georgetown produced about 1/2 of the rice consumed in the entire United States.  The specialty was Carolina Gold rice.  These large rice plantations required a large slave work force.  The slave population accounted for 85% of the total County population back in the 1800's.  With the abolishment of slavery and  a series a severe hurricanes, the lucrative rice industry in Georgetown ended.  The history about Georgetown and its rice industry is housed in the Old Town Clock tower and the Kaminski Building.

Town Clock tower - part of Rice Museum

Kaminski Building - part of Rice Museum

  After leaving the Rice Museum, we went through the South Carolina Maritime Museum.  Its focus was on the steamboats that were used around Georgetown.  They were used to haul rice, lumbar, and other cargo between Charleston and Georgetown and Cheraw.  Many of these vessels were converted into Confederate warships during the Civil War. 

South Carolina Maritime Museum - with larger propeller on display along the building

  That evening we had docktails on the porch by the office with Foster & Susan on "Quo Vadimus", Bob & Martha on "Field Trip", and a few other boaters heading north.   

McCLELLANVILLE, SC TO GEORGETOWN, SC

Tuesday, April 28th, 2015

Day 267
Miles Traveled: 28
Total Miles Traveled: 3385


  Before we left Leland Oil Company marina, we were given a send off by their local dolphin.  It likes to perform in hopes of getting some food from the local fisherman.  

dolphin send off at Leland Oil Company marina

  Most of our travel on this day was in canals and creeks without any shoreline development.  We traveled along Fourmile Creek Canal, Duck Creek, and Estherville Minim Creek Canal.  One interesting find was on the last canal, a floating swing bridge.  A ferry-like vessel pushes a floating bridge over to the other side.  Unfortunately, we did not get to see it in action.

floating swing bridge

  
  The last leg of our trip brought us to a larger body of water called Winyah Bay.  Four rivers converge to form Winyah Bay - Sampit, Waccamaw, Pee Dee, and Black Rivers.  We entered the Sampit River which took us to Georgetown, SC and Harborwalk Marina.  

Winyah Bay

on Sampit Marina and closing in on Georgetown, SC

  We arrived at Georgetown just before lunch.  After eating lunch aboard, we took off for a walk around town.  There is a Harborwalk along the Sampit River with shops and restaurants on the land side.  In between some of the buildings are several small parks. 

Harborwalk walkway

  We walked along a few residential streets, each with multiple historic homes that are private residences.  Many were well maintained and preserved. 

home in downtown Georgetown

circa 1740 home

  We relaxed aboard for the rest of the afternoon enjoying the sunshine before going out to dinner.  That evening we were blessed with a beautiful sunset. 

beautiful sunset

CHARLESTON, SC TO McCLELLANVILLE, SC

Monday, April 27th, 2015

Day 266
Miles Traveled: 39
Total Miles Traveled: 3357



  We didn't leave until 11:00 am so that we could travel through a shallow section of the Atlantic ICW close to high tide.  We headed south down the Cooper River to reenter the Atlantic ICW.  Just before making the turn to exit Charleston Harbor and the Cooper River, Fort Sumter was on our right side.  We got a little better view this time, compared to our arrival at Charleston.  There are tour boats that go out to the fort, but, we did not work this into our itinerary during our visit.  Fort Sumter, named for South Carolina Revolutionary War patriot Thomas Sumter, is where the opening shots of the Civil War were fired on April 12, 1861.

Fort Sumter

  Several miles into our days travels, we passed by Goat Island (which is past the waterway called Sullivan Island Narrows and along Meeting Reach).  From 1931 to the early 1960's, the only inhabitants were Henry "Goat Man" Holloway, his wife, Blanche, and a herd of goats.  According to the legend, they ate what the land and sea provided.  They lived on the island as hermits for more than 30 years. 

Goat Island is to the left - now with many vacation homes

  Past Goat Island we crossed Bullyard Sound and entered Price Creek which took us to the Harbor River.  Along these waterways the scenery fluctuated between low marshland and marshland lined with trees.  

low marshland on the right

tree-lined marshland

  After leaving the Harbor River, we entered Mathews Cut, which took us to Jeremy Creek.  Just 1/2 mile up Jeremy Creek is Leland Oil Company.  This company has a very small marina.  Further up the creek are quite a few docks with shrimp boats.  After getting our lines all secured, we walked down to the shrimp boat dock area and found a fresh seafood market.  We purchased some crab dip made on site and had it for an appetizer before dinner.  It was delicious.  
    

CHARLESTON, SC - HISTORIC CHARLESTON

Saturday, April 25th to Sunday, April 26th, 2015

Day 264-265
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 3318


  Saturday we started laundry early to get done before the rain and storms started.  It was a day of staying aboard.  The wind had the Cooper River stirred up, so we were rockin' and rollin' most of the day.  Dan spent the majority of the day doing trip planning since site-seeing was not an option.
  
  Sunday was a beautiful hot and sunny day, perfect for walking around Charleston and taking in the sites.  Charleston was founded by the British in 1670 on what is now Charles Towne Landing on the western bank of the Ashley River.  Ten years later, they relocated to the site of current downtown Charleston, which locals call "the Peninsula".  In the 1690's, they set forth a plan to enclose the 62 acre settlement within a brick and earthen fortification wall to protect the residents from the French, Spanish, and hostile Indians.  This was the only British walled city built in North America. By the 1730's, most of the earthen walls were destroyed to accommodate the growing town.  Charleston has tried to maintain its rich history with many, many blocks full of old buildings and homes that have been restored and well maintained.  Some have been converted into shops and restaurants, and others still remain as private residences.  Others have become museums that can be toured.
  
  First, we took the free trolley to the southern part of the city and then walked the rest of the way to the southernmost point of Charleston called The Battery.  The Battery is a landmark defensive seawall and promenade.  This location is where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form Charleston Harbor.  White Point Garden, a public park, is also located at this location.

White Point Garden

Monument to the Confederate Defenders of Charleston (located in White Point Garden)

  After leaving The Battery, we meandered along downtown Charleston's streets.  Each street was lined with historic homes and buildings, many with a plaque providing its name and a brief history.  Some are private residences, some public buildings, and some churches.  Charleston has been called the "Holy City" due to its number of churches (12 in the historic downtown alone). 

home along East Battery Street

riverfront home along East Battery Street

The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
building complete in 1771
has been used as a customhouse, mercantile exchange, and military prison and barracks

U.S. Custom House - building completed in 1879

St. Philips Episcopal Church
built in 1836
home to the oldest religious congregation in S.C. which was established in  1681

  We continued our journey further north toward Market Street, the location of the historic Charleston City Market.  Established in the 1790's, this market stretches for 4 city blocks through a continuous series of one-story market sheds.  Vendors sell all sorts of goods, from souvenirs to Gullah sweetgrass baskets, jewelry to baked goods, and art to clothing.

one of the market sheds

people shopping inside one of the market sheds

  There is so much to see and do in Charleston, SC, and we were only able to scratch the surface on our short stay.  To learn more about visiting Charleston, SC go to: 
http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/tripplanner/what_to_see_do~3/attractions~31/



  On our return back to the Charleston Maritime Marina, we spotted a new ship docked at the fuel dock.  It was a sailing ship flying the flag of a foreign country and was named "Gunilla".  After some online research, we discovered that her home port is in Sweden.  She is a 50 meter-long three-mast barque sailing vessel which is crewed by students from Ockero Gymnasieskola school.  This municipal school, financed by the Swedish state, prepares 16-19 year old students for work on different sea vessels.  The "Gunilla" has a crew of 11 professionals and 44 students.

T/S Gunilla
(T/S denotes her as a training ship)

 






       

CHARLESTON, SC - VISIT TO PATRIOTS POINT

Friday, April 24th, 2015

Day 263
Miles Traveled: 0
Total Miles Traveled: 3318


  Today we took the water taxi across the Cooper River to Patriots Point.  The Aircraft Carrier USS Yorktown is on display there.  The Yorktown (CV-10), commissioned in 1943, was the tenth aircraft carrier to serve in the U.S. Navy.  She played a significant role in the Pacific offensive against Japan by participating in one of the largest carrier vs. carrier battles, The Battle of the Philippine Sea.  In addition, her aircraft assisted in the sinking of the super battleship, Yamato, signaling the end of the once mighty Imperial Japanese Navy.  Her crew consisted of 380 officers, 3,088 enlisted men, and an air group of 90 planes.  After serving in World War II, she was converted to an antisubmarine carrier for use in the Vietnam War.  In 1968, she was involved with the recovery of the Apollo 8 astronauts.  Two years later, she was decommissioned.

USS Yorktown (CV-10)

  While touring this ship, we tried to image what it would have been like to be part of the crew.  Unless you were an officer, the accommodations were minimal and not very private. 

sleeping quarters for enlisted crew

wash area for enlisted crew

  On a positive note, you would be rewarded for serving with chocolate chip cookies.  These would be made in batches of 10,000 (that averages out to about 3 cookies for each crew member).  Below is a picture of the ingredients required to make one batch (a recipe is also included in case anyone is interested in baking for a group the size of a naval ship's crew).

ingredients for batch of chocolate chip cookies on the USS Yorktown

recipe included

  The helm station and captain's bridge were important places on the ship.  The captain had a sleeping quarters and head (bathroom) right next to the helm station. 

helm station (undergoing some renovations)

captain's bridge with captain's chair

  An impressive area of the ship was the flight deck.  Multiple planes were on display on this deck as well as in the hangar bay. 

planes on display on flight deck

on forward part of flight deck looking down the runway to the back of boat

  In addition to the USS Yorktown, there were two other vessels and The Vietnam Experience exhibit to explore.  Patriots Point is home to the destroyer USS Laffey (DD-724) which also served in World War II.  Due to time, we did not tour this vessel.  We did take time to walk through the submarine USS Clamagore (SS-343).  She was commissioned in June 1945 just a few weeks before the end of World War II and spent her 30-yr career operating out of Key West, Charleston, and New London.  She was modified to a Guppy III class, which is the final configuration attained by diesel submarines before the introduction of nuclear submarines.  Decommissioned in 1975, she is the only Guppy III surviving as a museum ship.  We thought the accommodations of the USS Yorktown were tight, the ones on the USS Clamagore were even worse.  
  The Vietnam Experience exhibit was a landside exhibit designed to immerse visitors in what it was like to live and work in a US Navy Advanced Tactical Support Base (Brown Water Navy).  The site was staged with model buildings, structures, vehicles, and noises to replicate what a base would look and sound like during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War.  

Vietnam Experience site

  There were river boats used during Vietnam.  However, these boats looked a little different than the boats we have seen on our home waters, the Ohio River (or any of the other rivers we have traveled on this journey).  Machine guns usually are not mounted on the bow and gunwale (side) of the boat.

Patrol Boat, River (PBR)

  For more details about Patriots Point go to: http://www.patriotspoint.org/explore_museum/


  After completing our visit to Patriots Point, we took the water taxi back across Cooper River to Charleston's Waterfront Park.  This is a lovely park which includes a pier with seating and swings, lots of grass, trees, and flowers, and two water fountains.  

pier at Waterfront Park

Fountain, trees, and flowers at Waterfront Park

  We stopped for dinner at a Chicago Irish pub before walking back to the marina and getting on our own "ship", the Seahorse.        
  

PORT ROYAL, SC TO CHARLESTON, SC

Thursday, April 23rd, 2015

Day 262
Miles Traveled: 74
Total Miles Traveled: 3318



  We casted off our lines at daybreak in preparation for the long travel day.  Like most all of the recent travel days, we spent time on numerous waterways.  We started on the Beaufort River and ended on the Cooper River.  In between, we coursed through 15 more - the Coosaw River, Ashepoo Coosaw Cutoff, Rock Creek, Ashepoo River, Fenwick Cut, South Edisto River, Watts Cut, Dawho River, north Edisto River, Wadmalaw River, Wadmalaw Sound, Stone River, Elliott Cut, Wappoo Creek, and Ashley River.  The rivers were sometimes wide and sometimes narrow but all seemed to have frequent curves and bends.  The creeks were often shallow with narrow channels.  The cuts were mostly straight.  

  Much of the scenery was marshland with tall grasses on either side of the bank and flat lands beyond.  Some areas would have a collection of tall trees.  When homes appeared, they often had boat docks with long piers out to deep enough water for navigation. 

long pier out to this home's boat dock - typical of the lowcountry

  Elliott Cut (near Charleston) was particular exciting.  A section of this cut was particularly narrow and when we passed through the current was high.  There were lots of homes with boat docks in the area and idle speed was necessary.  Dan was running at 900 rpm which was even lower than our usual no wake speed of 1000 rpm.  Despite the low rpms, Seahorse was moving along at 9 mph.  Usually at 1000 rpms with minimal current we will travel at about 5 mph.  This is a good example of how strong the current in this section of the Atlantic ICW can be. 

Elliott Cut - narrow section

  Shortly after leaving Elliott Cut, Charleston, SC began to come into view.  We approached on the west side of the city which is bordered by the Ashley River.  The southern point of the city is where the Ashley River meets the Cooper River.  The waterfront on the east side of the city faces the Cooper River.  The east side is home to the Charleston City Marina and its Megadock - home to many large pleasure yachts. 

Charleston City Marina and its Megadock on the Ashley River

  Along the southwest side of the city, there were numerous beautiful waterfront homes. 

waterfront homes at Charleston, SC

  
  As we rounded the southern tip of Charleston a famous landmark was seen in the distance.  This landmark was the starting point of the Civil War.  Its name is Fort Sumter.

Fort Sumter

  We began heading north on the Cooper River and marveled at the large ocean going vessels docked on the west side of the city.  The Charleston Maritime Marina is on this side of the city and just north of the shipping port. 

west side of Charleston, SC on Cooper River

large ocean ship docked at Charleston, SC

  After getting ourselves settled into our slip, we looked at some brochures about restaurants that we got from the marina office.  Angie found one that looked interesting, A.W. Shucks.  We walked the mile to get to this restaurant and were not disappointed.  The house specialty was seafood casserole which was absolutely divine.  Shrimp, scallops, and crab were topped with a lobster cheese sauce and baked au gratin.  This dish was not to be outdone by the appetizer of hush puppies served with praline butter, which was actually more like a dessert.
  The restaurant gets its name from a local fisherman named Augustus Waring Shuck, whose friends called him A.W..  He was an expert fisherman and came from a long line of "watermen".  His family's presence in Charleston dates back to the 1700's.  In those days little commercial or recreation fishing existed, except for a specialized group using a wide assortment of small homemade boats with patchwork sails.  The sails were usually brightly colored and pieced together from bedding and clothes.  So numerous were these boats that the people on shore thought they looked like a swarm of mosquitoes skimming over the waves.  These fishing men came to be know as the Mosquito Fleet.  The Mosquito Fleet created and enriched the areas seafood recipes.  A.W. Shucks saw an opportunity to consolidate the catch and ensure its quick sale by starting a seafood company.  A.W. Shucks Seafood Company stood near to where the restaurant is located.

  After eating dinner, we walked up King Street.  Along this street are many shops and restaurants located in old buildings and is a bustling part of the city. 

King Street in Charleston, SC

  When we returned to the marina, there were two ships passing along the Cooper River.  One was coming in from the ocean and the other was returning.  The size of these ships is impressive, even from a distance they looked massive.  They crossed each other's paths right in front of us. 

two ships passing on Cooper River in front of Charleston Maritime Marina

Dan with ships in background

        

BULL CREEK NEAR DAUFUSKIE ISLAND, SC TO PORT ROYAL, SC

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2015

Day 261
Miles Traveled: 26
Total Miles Traveled: 3244


  We had a calm and restful night at Bull Creek anchorage.  We still had current, but less wind and better wind protection.  This kept the waves beating against the hull to a minimum and made for a much quieter night. 
  We experienced a little excitement trying to leave the anchorage.  While maneuvering the boat to retrieve the anchor, the anchor trip line and its float (this is a line attached to the base of the anchor that can be used to help pull up the anchor if it gets fouled on debris on the bottom) got pulled underneath the boat due to the current.  It apparently got hung up on some of the running gear or rudder and Dan was unable to pull it back up into the boat once the anchor was up.  As we drifted further up into the creek (at about 1 mph due to the swift current) Angie was afraid to put the boat into gear for fear that the line was wrapped around the prop or would become wrapped around the prop.  Dan decided to cut the line from the anchor and hoped to be able to pull it in from the back of the boat.  Luck was in our favor, and, Dan was able to retrieve the line and float before we got too close to shore.  Sometimes things that are meant to be a big help, somehow find a way to be a bigger nuisance.  We are not sure if said trip line is going to be reattached to the anchor - will have to reweigh the pros and cons of having one.  For now, its home will be in the transom storage locker.

  We had a beautiful cruising day with sunshine and blue skies.  After finally leaving Bull Creek, we reentered the Cooper river which took us to Calibogue Sound.  

Calibogue Sound

  This is the location of the Harbour Town Lighthouse on Hilton Head Island, SC.  As we passed by, we got a much better view of the famous lighthouse that we saw from our anchorage yesterday.  We have visited the lighthouse by land on several occasions while visiting dear friends Jim and Susan who have a home on Hilton Head Island.  On thing about this trip we are enjoying, is seeing sites by water that we have already seen by land.  It provides a different perspective.  

Harbour Town Lighthouse on Hilton Head Island, SC

  We left Calibogue Sound and entered Skull Creek.  This creek runs by several marinas in Hilton Head, SC.  It also is the location of our favorite place to eat when we visit Hilton Head Island - Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks.  They have the best She Crab soup and hush puppies.  We have decided not to stop here on this particular journey, since we have been here several times before.  We opted to move on and see places we haven't seen before.   

Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks

  After leaving Skull Creek we entered Port Royal Sound and crossed over to the Beaufort River.  Before entering the Beaufort River, we noticed this water tower on Parris Island.  Parris Island is the home to the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.  It was officially designated as a training station in 1915, but marines have been stationed here since 1891.  The marines train about 17,000 recruits at Parris Island every year.  

water tower on Parris Island - "Marine Central"

  Less than one mile up the Beaufort River is Port Royal Landing Marina, which was our final destination for the day.  Like most all the waterways in South Carolina, the currents can run swift.  Unlike our home Ohio river, whose current only runs one way (down to the Mississippi), the currents here switch back and forth depending on whether the tide is going in or going out.  Once either high tide of low tide is reached, the current becomes "slack", or nonexistent.  The currents in Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina can be very fast because the tide level changes are so high.  In the spring they average about 10 feet.  It is easier to dock the boat when the current is very low.  We planned our travel day to come in as close to "slack" current as possible.  This has been, and will be, a consideration when traveling through these three states.

Port Royal Landing Marina

  

  After tying off our lines and adjusting the fenders, we borrowed the marina's courtesy car and went to do some provisioning (getting groceries).  One important stop, a chocolate shop, was in nearby Beaufort, SC.  We learned about this shop after visiting Beaufort, SC with Jim and Susan.  The Chocolate Tree has some of the best handmade chocolates.  Tom Hanks agrees with Angie on this point.  In the movie "Forest Gump", the candies in the infamous Russell Stover chocolate box where actually from The Chocolate Tree.  Anyone can have these fine chocolates shipped to their home (or to Angie).  
To order go to: http://www.thechocolatetree.us/index.html.

Angie at The Chocolate Tree in Beaufort, SC - one happy lady

  We got back to the marina in time to have dinner at the marina's restaurant and enjoyed some Chocolate Tree chocolates for dessert.  YUMMY!!!!