Burr, It’s Cold Out Here

Burt modeling the latest in cold weather attire - notice the enclosure surrounding the cockpit

We make a calculated decision.  It has gotten quite cold and will stay that way for days on end.  At this point we would typically head off shore to Charleston, but that would require anchoring out for five days to await a weather window, a cold and miserable alternative. So, our other option is to begin the slog down the ICW under motor.  With the motor running and the cockpit enclosed, the temperatures are bearable. Depths are a real issue for us, and our eyes are glued to the depth sounder, chartplotter, and hazard warnings that come up on the Active Captain web site on our tablet.  It is not relaxing, but we’re glad we aren’t in the ocean with the cold and windy conditions.  We mark our progress south with observations of our surroundings. Our first pelicans appear in the southern Chesapeake, our first dolphin is sighted near Beaufort, NC, moss draped live oaks become plentiful in the Waccamaw, and the first naturally occurring palm trees are near Charleston.  The days underway and evenings at anchor tick off: Swansboro, Carolina Beach, North Myrtle Beach (where we actually have frost in the morning), Georgetown, and finally Charleston.  There are interesting sights and activities along the way. We see many shrimp boats plying the shoaling inlets in North Carolina.

A shrimper returning to port

Dave and Abby Taylor from the Sandusky Sailing Club, who later meet up with us in Charleston for a walk and lunch, wave from their campsite just south of Myrtle Beach. 

The Taylors wave to us as we pass along the ICW.

The beautiful Waccamaw River leads us through wilderness swamps of live oaks and cypress.   

The beautiful and isolated Waccamaw River

We spend an evening with a college friend and her husband in Georgetown where they take us on a tour of the area and treat us to dinner at their rental home.  Soon they will begin construction on their own home in this lovely community sandwiched between the ocean and conservation areas.  The ICW wanders through an endless sea of grass just north of Charleston. 

Just north of Charleston

So, we arrive in Charleston and drop anchor just opposite the City Marina in a designated anchorage.  We’re in the cheap seats, but we’re not too far from the other extreme.  Just across the channel from us, Rising Sun is tied up to the Mega Dock. 

Rising Sun - note the mast heights of the large sailboats behind it for a sense of scale

And this is a mega boat.  At 453 feet, it is the 10^th largest mega-yacht in the world.  David Geffen is the current owner, but until recently it was co-owned by Geffen and Larry Ellison. It certainly is a beauty and draws lots of attention from Charleston residents.  People are strolling the dock, mouths agape, and lots of boats are passing by in the channel to gawk.  We enjoy watching the action through our binoculars, becoming paparazzi without a telescopic lens.  So, here in the cheap seats we are besieged every evening, starting sometime between 4:00 and 5:00 by masses of large starlings.  The sky almost turns black as they fly from the city towards our location.  They are in a mood to roost after spending the day munching on purple berries.  After all, man and beast both enjoy a good perch for the sunset.  Our first night we don’t respond fast enough and are under siege.  They have congregated on the stays and spreaders and are in the process of depositing the day’s munchies on our deck and canvas.  The berries must have seeds as it sound like bee-bees hitting the deck.  Our solution is to attach a dock line to the backstay and twang the stay whenever the birds descend.  This can be done from the cockpit in the evening and, by running the line through the aft hatch, from our bed in the morning when they also make a briefer appearance.  But, these are equal opportunity birds, and they enjoy roosting on Rising Sun every bit as much as on the anchored sailboats.  In fact, with 453 feet of luxury to occupy, they may even prefer Rising Sun to us.  The crew has erected two yellow scary balls (available at West Marine) and one plastic owl to ward them off, but from our vantage point it appears the birds are even landing on these defenses.  And we’re talking hundreds and hundreds of pooping birds. Come sunset, all the mayhem ends and the birds take off for the trees on nearby islands. Come morning, after the am fly-by, the 45 person crew of Rising Sun is on deck hosing down all 453 feet of multiple decks. Rumor is spreading that Rising Sun will be departing on Thursday.  On Tuesday the cleaning activity takes on a more fevered pitch.  Power washers are brought out, and integrated scaffolding is deployed to wash windows.  Outdoor furniture is uncovered and cleaned. Problem is, once everything is sparkling, the birds will again descend – didn’t anyone tell this hard working crew? Thursday finally arrives and the crew gives the boat one final cleaning before they depart the dock, just before the evening arrival of the birds, and anchor in the outer harbor.  We suspect a helicopter (yes, it has a helicopter landing pad) will deposit the guests away from the prying eyes of Charleston.  The next morning it departs to an undisclosed destination. 

Our first project upon arriving in Charleston is to replace our starting battery.  The not-all-that old one is showing rapid deterioration, and we dare not move until we are sure the engine will start again.  We also discover that a fan has failed in the refrigeration system, so a new one is overnight freighted to us.  With the several repairs completed, we have missed the one weather window for heading further south in the ocean.  From here to the Florida line, it is almost impossible for a boat with our draft to use the ICW.  Thus we will be in Charleston for an extended visit.  We move the boat a few hundred yards farther south, further away from the birds’ flight path, and find that we now have very few uninvited guests. And we begin our life as tourists.  Almost daily we take bicycle rides through the beautiful historical town with its winding streets and century or multi-century old homes. 

A stately home with ivy growing on the vertical surfaces of the entrance steps

A traditional Charleston home with the multi-story porches facing south

Lovely gardens are tucked along side many homes

Colorful facades protected by earthquake bolts - the fault under Charleston is the second most active in the US

We take a walking tour of the old city and learn lots of historic tidbits that we never learned in 11^th grade history, all from a southern perspective.  We visit a restored mansion where, from its second story porch, General Beauregard directed the bombardment of Fort Sumter. We bicycle to the campus of the Citadel and find it a strange place where cadets march between classes and the buildings have a sameness that reminds you of a legoland reproduction.   

The Citadel - Burt thought he was walking through White Castle heaven

We meet up with our trawler friends (remember the happy hour tour in Cape May?) for another entertaining happy hour at a pub that specializes in oysters. And we just enjoy the opportunity to immerse ourselves in a city and culture that is distinctly Charleston. 

Even in the Fall, the flower boxes never cease to amaze

With the storms offshore, our anchorage is packed with boats awaiting better conditions.  One nearby boat drags anchor while the owners are away.  The current is moving it past the other anchored boats at a surprising rate of speed.  Burt and three other men take to dinghies and maneuver the boat so it doesn’t hit any of the other boats. Finally, one man is able to get aboard the runaway boat and lay out more rode, allowing the anchor to reset.  We have met the owners of this boat and have their phone number, so we eventually make contact and relay the message that they need to return to their boat and re-anchor. All ends well, we are given a bottle of wine and an “award” stating we are the cruising neighbors of the year.  But this kind of vigilance and cooperation within the cruising community is not unusual.  Someday, someone, someplace, will assist us in a similar manner.  (And as an aside, this is the second boat we have seen drag in this anchorage.  Both boats had put out trip lines on their anchors, and the trip lines became entangled with the anchor rode or rudder during current changes, disengaging the anchors. We do not use trip lines in situations where there are strong reversing currents.)

The constant cold fronts are going to take a break, and we hope to head all the way to Cape Canaveral via the ocean.  It’s been a tough time for those who ventured out earlier.  On our SSB net we have heard of a dismasting, lose of a rudder, and a broken fuel pump in a fleet of boats heading from Norfolk to the Caribbean. There is talk of another boat sinking and the captain being rescued in a state of severe dehydration.  The Coast Guard has had a very busy 24 hours! We’re happy that we are able to spend this down time in such a nice location, but we’re looking forward to Florida and more comfortable temperatures.