November 08, 2005
Bounty
On our final thick-fog approach to Charleston, Bounty was heading out to sea.
Posted by dave at 07:39 PM | Comments (0)
N32.5 W79.6 Charleston, South Carolina
Wind, wind, where for art thou? Southport was a nice place to rest and relax, but ultimately, the wait for wind was tiring. Fire up the engine, and away we go. A 24 hour trip, carefully timed with tidal currents, we left Southport at 9am and arrived at the entrance to Charleston Harbour at 8am.
Not a breath of wind.
Which meant the DENSE PATCHY FOG wouldn't blow away.
We dropped anchor outside Charleston harbour and waited for the fog to lift. It was splendid, watching dolphins and jelly fish frolic around the boat.
Finally, into the fog-bitten Charleston we went, replaced the diesel we burned on the way, and tied into our slip.
Here, we will wait for Toby's arrival on Friday from New York. The three of us will sail 410 nautical miles directly to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a trip we expect will take 3-4 days.
Posted by dave at 04:20 PM | Comments (0)
August 06, 2005
SS-343 Submarine Clamagore
We toured the diesel submarine Clamagore, which was commissioned just a few weeks before the end of WWII. She is 325.5 feet and displaces 1,800 tons. Chis met the Chief Electrician that served on the sub, and learned many things, including the fact that Clamagore was the last sub used to spy on the Russians during the Cold War.
Posted by dave at 08:02 PM | Comments (0)
Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum
We spent the afternoon exploring the museum right next to the marina. This photo is Chis standing on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. She was commissioned on April 15, 1943 and participated in the Pacific offensive that began in 1943 and ended with the defeat of Japan in 1945. She is 888-feet long and displaces 27,100 tons. As an antisubmarine carrier, she served in the Vietnam War and retrieved the Apollo 8 astronauts in 1968. She was decommissioned in 1968.
Posted by dave at 07:56 PM | Comments (0)
Cooper Island Bridge
The giant new Cooper River Bridge spans from Mount Pleasant to downtown Charleston. Our marina is in Mount Pleasant, and we ran across the bridge and back this morning. What a site!
Posted by dave at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)
August 04, 2005
N32.5 W79.6 Charleston, South Carolina
We arrived in the late morning after a 17-hour sail through the night from Savannah. Winds, tides and weather worked well for such a journey. It was uneventful, except for floating unmarked obstacles that we reported to the Coast Guard. Just dumn luck that we didn't hit them in the dark.
We are weary, dry-eyed and ready for a snooze.
Charles Towne was founded in 1670 by the British, and soon received French Huguenots who imparts the Creole flavour that colours the area even today. Today, the city is full of pastel houses and tidy brick-walled gardens behind lacy iron gates. Many of the oldest houses have front doors that lead to long pillared porches. These porches run along the side of the house, not the front. Uniquely Charleston.
Apparently 120 restaurants that are top-ranked in the US by various magazines are within the historic downtown district. We enjoyed a fabulous dinner at Grill 225 in the Pavillion Market Hotel, part of the Leading Hotels of the World (as is the Wedgewood Hotel in Vancouver).
This is a fun city with much to explore. Must be done in one's lifetime.
Posted by dave at 12:42 PM | Comments (0)