WOW -- Charleston!

November 4 - 13, 2012

We arrived in Charleston expecting to stay two days.  After the first day, we changed our reservation to two months!  The following morning the Today Show announced the best city to visit in the USA is Charleston!  Extending our stay was definitely the right decision.  It has been a phenomenal week:  architecture, history, shopping, gardens, the most delicious food and super nice friendly people!  If you have never made a visit to this city, you really must! 

 

Historical notes: 

The Slave Market
This is where the slaves shopped. 
It is not where slaves were sold.

In 1669 the first settlers arrived in Charleston. The first American Jews arrived through this port along with 1/3 of the slaves brought into the country. 

The shops inside the Slave Market. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fort Sumter was an early loss during the Civil War.  The Union fort was forced to surrender when it caught fire after a 34 hour artillery exchange.  The surrendering troops were granted permission to fire a 100 gun salute before lowering the Stars and Stripes.  One of the shots misfired and killed two Union soldiers.  Ironically, the first two official deaths of the Civil War were friendly fire.

 

 

The lavish lifestyle of the plantation owners and merchants crashed after the Civil War and the collapse of the rice market.  Luckily, the city was too poor to tear down and rebuild the homes.  Today those homes are selling for up to 20 million!  

Unique Style
What appears to be the front door, opens
to the porches on the side of the house.
If this door is open -- the owners are receiving
guests.  The real front door to the home is
midway on the main floor porch.

 

Pineapples are a symbol of hospitality.
Satellite dish is a sign of modern living.

The first submarine to sink an enemy ship was the hand cranked vessel H.L. Hunley.   It sank in 1863 and the crew drowned at it's Charleston mooring when the wake from a passing steamer flooded it.  The submarine was rediscovered in 1995 and raised in 2000.

Huge Saturday morning farmers' market in
Marian Park:  arts, crafts, vegetables and
food booths. 

 

   

Second Sunday of the month King Street (the main
shopping street downtown) is closed to traffic. 



Jennifer and her trusty stead, Amos. 
They gave us a wonderful tour and history lesson.

Two of the great restaurants we ate at.

While lost, we drove past this restaurant four
times.  We decided it must be an omen.  Great
sandwiches and homemade soups. 

Charleston is second only to Rome for the most
preserved city in the world. 

The Dock Theater built in 1736.  It is
 the oldest building constructed for the
sole use as a theater in the US. 
The theater is still in use today.

Walking the beach we were greeted by this warning!

South Carolina low country waterfront.

Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride!




 

Charleston On The Horizon

November 2 - 4, 2012



Moon reflecting in the water off our stern. 

Hurricane Sandy must have taken all of the bad weather with her. Since leaving New Bern, we have had beautiful weather every day, gorgeous sunsets and a full moon. 

We ended Friday's travels and started Saturday's in a miserable part of South Carolina's intracoastal.  The "Rock Pile" -- a narrow 28 mile section of waterway that is lined on both sides with very large jagged rocks.  At low tide, which we had on Friday, the rocks are visible.  At high tide the rocks are not visible...our fate on Saturday morning.  After spending Friday night at a marina in North Myrtle Beach, Tide Hiker -- Bob and Deidre's boat -- had an engine problem.  They were able to make a temporary repair and we were back in the "Rock Pile" by late morning.  Gotta Smile managed to hit one of the rocks in spite of great care and concentration.  Everything is working, but we are fairly positive that one of the stabilizer fins is damaged.  This is especially aggravating since we just had both fins repaired and the bottom painted in Solomons.  A diver will inspect for damage when we get to Stuart.  The only way to insure that there are no incidents on the water is to leave the boat in a slip.  What fun would that be?  We'll take our chances and accept the risk.       

Bon Voyage and Tide Hiker rafted on Gotta Smile.

Saturday night we anchored with all three boats rafted together.  Bonnie made a fabulous dinner and we relaxed sharing stories and reminiscing about our travels together the last few weeks.

Sunday morning Brian and I jumped out of bed at 6:45, knowing we had a long day ahead of us.  Quick showers and dressed by 7:30 when we realized we forgot to turn back the clocks last night.  Too late to go back to sleep.  We were 45 minutes into the day. 

Interesting sights along the intracoastal:

Near Camp Lejeune -- sounds serious!

Aerial tramway ferries golfers between holes.



Waterside wedding with parasols and cowboy hats.

Deluxe ferry boat

Gotta smile, we're lovin the ride!

And, minimal ferry boat.

                

Halloween Trick - One Day Late

November 1, 2012

Gotta Smile & Bon Voyage grounded in the channel.

Just as we were thinking, "Wow, two perfect days in a row", we came to an abrupt stop!  There we were in the middle of the channel riding the magenta line (on electronic charts the center of the course is marked in magenta).  We went aground and so did the 39 Krogen traveling with us.  We both tried to wiggle and jiggle to get loose, but it wasn't to be.  Tow Boat US monitors the radios and heard us discussing our situation.  Since we are both members, we agreed to be pulled off by them. 

Tow Boat Tom to the rescue!

350 horsepower can really churn up the bottom!



Almost free, the first time.....

The captain backed his boat up to us and put his two 175 horsepower engines at full throttle.  He sat there and let his big engines dig the sand out from under us.  Once we were free, we moved to the starboard side of the channel where it was supposed to be deeper and we grounded again.  The tow boat was still next to us.  This time he attached to our bow and pulled us until we were definitely in deep water.   As we sat signing the paperwork, the Coast Guard arrived.  They were measuring the water depth and buoy placement.  Apparently this has been a problem spot for other boats too.    

The Coast Guard surveying the channel.

Shoaling is a constant threat on the waterways.  As the water moves, it carries sand and redistributes the bottom.  Move enough sand in an area and a shallow spot is created in a location that makes no sense from the surface.   

Still a beautiful day -- just a little hiccup or what I call a memory maker!


Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride! 





               

And The Winner Is------

October 31, 2012

We got underway at 8:30 this morning when the New Bern bridge opened.  It is hard to believe that so much of our country is devastated from Hurricane Sandy when we look at our horizon.  It is such a beautiful day.  The sky is blue, the sun is shining, the water is flat, the dolphins are jumping and our little convoy of three boats is traveling south.  It feels so good to be moving and have the storm behind us.  

Bob and Diedre arriving for dinner. 

Everyone is coming for dinner when we get to the marina.  I’m busy in the kitchen as we chug along.  Trying a new recipe so who knows what kind of chaos will occur. 

I had some time to read our Waterway Guide this morning and wanted to share a bit of useless information.  Outhouses were originally marked with a star for men and a crescent moon for women.  The cutouts were to allow light in and offer ventilation.  It didn’t take long for the men to realize that their outhouses were always dirty and the women’s were clean.  The men began using the women’s privies and before too long all of the outhouses had crescent moons on the door.  The tradition continues today.  Everyone uses the same bathroom and the women clean them!  

 

We just found out that Gotta Smile was chosen the best boat name by Jeppesen/C Maps.  We are now featured on their website.  No prize money or trophy – just the glory of winning.   

 

 

 

 

Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride!

 

               

Lucky Again - Hurricane Sandy In Our Path

October 24 - 30, 2012

We decided to stop in New Bern, North Carolina for one night. Brian had traveled here when he was with 3M and he wanted to show me some of the historic sights. So, on Wednesday the 24th we took a forty mile side trip up the Neuse River to New Bern. That was a very lucky decision!  Once we got settled and checked the weather we saw that Hurricane Sandy was on track to travel up the east coast. Even though Sandy wouldn't be up here until Sunday or Monday, we decided to wait it out while we were this far inland.  We also found out that when the winds reach 35 miles an hour, the bridges on the intracoastal are closed. If we had continued, we could have been stranded in areas without anchorages or marinas and unable to go further without a bridge opening. Once again -- we are sooooo very lucky!

New Bern - The birthplace of Pepsi----NOT Coke! 
Caleb Bradham created "Brad's Drink" in this pharmacy
in 1898.  I could only find a gas station on the outskirts
of town that sold Coke!

This super storm was combining hurricane strength with a full moon and high tides to compound her threat.  Wind from the storm was being felt 500 miles from the eye.  And, once on land Canadian storms combined with Sandy to provoke massive snowstorms.        

Carver County Courthouse
The First Provincial Congress was held in New Bern
in defiance of British orders in August 1774.

Tryon Palace
Reconstruction of the original colonial royal
governors' palace.

Thursday and Friday we enjoyed beautiful bright sunshine and temperatures in the upper 70's.  We walked all over town visiting shops, restaurants and historic sights.  Saturday the weather began to disintegrate.  The wind picked up and the rain was intermittent.  We were out and about in spite of the weather visiting the farmer's market (that was cancelled - only one farmer showed up) and having breakfast in a local gem.  Sunday was a misnomer -- the sun never came out.  Gray clouds, rain and stronger winds continued throughout the day with temperatures dropping into the low 40's.  We stayed on board   
all day only leaving to go to a friend's boat for dinner.  Monday the storm finally passed us and continued towards New York.  Our weather was a duplicate of Sunday's.  We did walk into town for breakfast with friends and had dinner on their boat.  The plan had originally been to leave on Monday, but the wind gusts were still up to 50 miles an hour.  Walking on the docks took full concentration as they continually shift from wind and wave action.  Tuesday morning the sun peeked out of the clouds and gave us hope of better weather.  Wednesday we will be heading south with the two other boats that are traveling with us.         

Washington stayed in this home for two nights on
his Southern Tour in April 1791.

This is the third hurricane or tropical storm that we have encountered on our travels.  With waves beyond the intracostal at 35 feet, we NEVER want to experience that kind of angry water face to face.  As I have said before -- better to be lucky than smart.  Thank God our luck is still holding. 

Thanks to all of our family and friends that called, emailed and texted to see that we were safe.    
           
Gotta smile -- we're lovin the ride!


Formal Gardens of flowers and vegetables.

  

An authentic turn-of-the-century hardware.
Mitchell Hardware is a landmark in town and a
favorite of Brian's week in New Bern.

The Sting Ray Cafe -- the best restaurant for
fresh seafood in town. 

A beautiful sight!  The first blue sky and sunshine
we have seen in days..... It only lasted a few minutes. 

 

New Bern was the colonial capital of North Carolina
and for a short time the state capital.  It was first 
settled in 1710 by Swiss and German immigrants.
164 beautiful homes, stores and churches in the
downtown area date back to the early
eighteenth century.



 

                           

Heading South -- At Last

October 17 - 22, 2012

Frequently we are asked why we don’t have a plan or some kind of a schedule.  Well, to put it simply -- every time we try to schedule a bit of our life – life changes.  ‘Our plan’ had been to leave Solomon’s Island when the Krogen Rendezvous ended on October 7^th.  Instead we pulled away from the dock on the 17^th.  The main reason for the delay was my broken rib.  But, the weather, wind direction, current and wave height all control our travel decisions.  This time of the year the shortened daylight hours are an additional factor.  Compounding those conditions is coordinating schedules with friends.

 

Bonnie and Jon had been at The Tides Inn Marina in Irvington, Virginia for most of the month.  We had made arrangements two previous times to meet them there only to have something interfere.   Now that the stripper pole is installed and I’m off pain pills we can get under way.  Bonnie had a physical on the 16^th, the doctors said they needed a little more information before they would give her an all clear.  We woke up on the 17th and decided to leave immediately.  We wanted to wait out the doctor’s decision with them.  By the time we arrived, they had talked to both of her doctors and the consensus was – “come back in a year – you are good to go”!  Great news!  

 

Brian and Jon left the marina on the 19^th at 7 AM to deliver Jon’s car to Charleston and drive back in a rental.  That’s a 1000 mile road trip in one day.  They arrived back at the boats at 2 AM.  Bonnie and I had the day to enjoy the resort, do a little shopping and walk for miles and miles (at least it felt like miles and miles).  Strange as it sounds – that was the first day that Brian and I were apart for a full day since we left Minnesota over a year ago.  Wow, that is a lot of togetherness---

 

Saturday morning we did some last minute prep and got under way.  It was a perfect Fall day.  The water was flat; the sun was shining; only a whisper of wind and the boat was purring.  How many days like this can we possibly have?  The weatherman predicts a full week of beautiful mid 70’s days.  Just once maybe he will be right!  As we prepared to drop anchor for the night, we got a call from Jon that their windless was not working.  (The windless is the mechanism that lowers and raises the anchor chain.)  We decided that they should ‘raft’ with us. (Tie to our boat and we both swing off one anchor.)  Well, as long as we are connected, we might as well have dinner together.  I prepared a quick main course and dessert while Bonnie made a salad and heated bread.  The guys worked on the windless and got it working.



Walkie talkies are used to talk between boats
when  underway.  We forgot to give one to Jon before
we left the marina.  Safely passed in a plastic bag 
and fishing net.  Communication can commence.    



    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday morning the engines were running as the sun came up.  The Chesapeake was slapping our port side with 3 - 4 foot waves for the first three hours.  Just as I was thinking that I should have taken my new sea sick pills, we turned and the waves were hitting our stern.  A much more comfortable ride.  We arrived at the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, Virginia in time to take on 500 gallons of diesel and tie up for the night.  Meanwhile, Bonnie and Jon’s water pump quit working.  Not a problem: connect to marina water for the night and order a new pump at 7:30 Monday morning.  The pump was delivered by 11 and we were heading south on the intercoastal by noon. 

Brunch on Bon Voyage as we wait for parts to arrive.

 

Rafted for the night

Monday night brought continued maintenance.  We rafted in a quiet North Carolina bay.  Jon installed his pump and Brian worked on our generator.  One thing that is reinforced daily – to live this life you better have a mechanic on board or your trip is going to have a lot of interruptions waiting for repairs and parts.  Bonnie and I combined efforts for a dinner that we inhaled just before the third Presidential debate. 

Dueling hoses clean the anchor chain!

 

Tube Dude can't keep from smiling about 
another beautiful morning!

 

 

Gotta smile – we’re lovin the ride!