Charleston, SC

Charleston, SC

Friday 9th to Sunday 11th May, 2025

I really like Charleston. It’s a fabulous city with lots of beautiful buildings and a wealth of history. We have visited here several times in the past, but it still seems fun just to wander round the streets.

Being at the dock in Charleston City Marina is a luxury. It’s only a couple of hundred yards away from the anchorage in the Ashley River, where we have stayed previously. However, reports that we have read more recently about the anchorage suggests that the bottom is “foul” and that many boats have had issues getting their anchors snagged and having to call out divers to retrieve them. So we decided to bite the bullet and cough up for a couple of nights on the dock … that ended up being three. (Marinas can be like velcro - it takes a certain amount of energy to tear yourself away!) As Gloria mentioned previously, we were assigned to the ‘super-yacht’ dock, which seems entirely appropriate, and there were certainly some impressive boats. By far the best was “Svea”, a 145 ft modern J-class sloop. (Check it out on the interwebs - absolutely beautiful!). The facilities at the marina were also good, with excellent showers and a laundry (that we didn’t need as we did laundry in Beaufort, SC). But the best thing about being in the marina is the ability to just walk off the boat and immediately be in the city.

The weather has been dodgy and continues to be problematic (more on that in a moment), but we got lucky on Friday and had a beautiful, sunny, warm afternoon stroll around the city. It also stayed dry on Saturday morning, which allowed us to go do some grocery shopping. However, I went back into town on Saturday afternoon and that was a very wet experience. Gloria opted for a quiet afternoon on board.

Our original plan was to leave Charleston, SC and sail directly up to Beaufort, NC (~ 200 nm, 36 hour passage), but the weather is so stormy that this is not possible at the minute, and it seems like it will be many days before off-shore sailing will become reasonable again. We aren’t too keen on the idea of motoring up the ICW all the way up to Wrightsville Beach (another 200 miles), where it is possible to go offshore in a day to Beaufort, NC, so we have come up with a compromise. We will continue along the ICW from Charleston for another 60 miles to the Winyah River. We will do this in very short hops, spending long periods each day / night at anchor in the lowland marshes. This allows us to make use of the top-of-the-tide to traverse some very shallow sections, and to seek shelter from the unrelenting storms that are scheduled to continue through the next several days. If the weather improves we can then go offshore from the Winyah River (another good deep water inlet) all the way to Beaufort, and if it doesn’t, we can make a day trip offshore to the Cape Fear river and from there go up to Wrightsville Beach. This would allow us to skip the most challenging sections of the ICW and also avoid the risk of being caught off Cape Fear and the “Frying Pan Shoals” in a storm. 

So this morning, after a night of thunder and lightning, we got up at 5.45 am, drank some coffee and prepared to leave the dock. We were hemmed in by two expensive-looking powerboats, with about 3 or 4 feet clearance forward and aft. So we ran a line from the bow round a bollard on the dock at ~ mid-ship and back to the bow, and used it to pivot the stern away from the dock whilst driving forward. Once clear of the boat astern, we backed out, pulled in the pivot-line, and set off from the marina. It all went smoothly and we also got really lucky with the weather. Whilst we could see impressive lightning in the distance, we were more or less dry for the three hours it took to get to our destination anchorage in Dewee Creek. It’s a beautiful location, seems to have plenty of swinging room, but also strong current and little protection from the wind. Nonetheless, we feel comfortable here, and plan a lazy day as more storms roll through.

Mike

32 50.216 N, 79 44.835 W

This is one of my favorite photos of the entire trip! It is taken through the window of the Anglin Smith art gallery in Charleston. I liked the look of the beautiful glass pieces and put my wide angle lens right up against the window ... I didn't expect it to come out so well! 

 Same situation as above but with the lens at the longer 35 mm (rather than 17mm).

On our 2012-3 trip I took a photograph of this exact location, which resulted in one of my signature photos "The Blue Portal". The doors have been replaced since then ... but I was really happy to come across the location again (by chance)

As you may know I'm a big fan of murals ... and I don't take nearly enough people pictures. This photo of a two story brick wall mural can double up as my people picture!

Abstract - textured wall and tree trunk

A fascinating little alleyway 

A classic beautiful Charleston house

Colorful walls and amazing window boxes - there are so many beautiful town-houses

A female 'Boat Tailed Grackle' takes advantage of a puddle bath

Threatening skies, but we managed to stay dry on our short trip up the ICW to the Dewee Creek

Now we are back in the USA we once again have access to Sirius Radio weather information, which we can overlay directly on our chart plotter. I took this picture shortly after anchoring in Dewee Creek and it shows the extent of the storms along the coast of South Carolina and Georgia

The Importance of Timing

The Importance of Timing

Wednesday 7th and Thursday 8th May, 2025

Between the strong currents created by the large tides and the restricted bridge openings, traveling the ICW requires careful timing.  We departed the mooring field in Beaufort shortly after 1pm to catch the 1:30pm opening of the adjacent bridge.  Once safely through the bridge, there were many areas of shoaling to be avoided.  The thought of the rising tide helped ease the worries.  There were several difficult sections on our route that required careful and precise steering, but we arrived safely at the anchorage in the South Edisto River just before 6pm and spent a peaceful night in the marshes.

Knowing that we faced another notoriously shallow section shortly after getting started, we set the alarm for 5:30am to catch part of the morning high tide.  Having investigated the time of sunrise, I speculated that it would be light by 6 am when we planned to depart.  It seemed very dark at 5:30am, probably the result of cloudy skies, but shortly after 6:00am we were on the move.  Our route would meander along different rivers and creeks, sometimes we were fighting current, at other moments we were zipping along with the flowing water.  The day held some significant challenges including the Elliot Cut where the current flows at 4 knots and, shortly thereafter, the Wappoo Creek Bridge that only opens on the half hour.  With the current carrying us, we had to slow the engine to avoid arriving at the bridge too early with the possibility of four knots of current pushing us into the pilings and roadway!  During the four miles leading up to the bridge, we kept the engine at idle.  Entering the Elliot Cut, you can detect the powerful current in the roiling of the water’s surface.  The narrowest and fastest part of the Cut is mercifully brief, much stiller water greeted us on the far side as we approached the bridge, and we ghosted down the final half mile until the opening.

Once through the bridge, the next challenge was to dock at the Charleston City marina.  We contacted them by radio and were told to prepare for a port side tie up on the mega yacht dock.  Once at “piling #1”, we should radio for further instructions. The further instructions told us to turn around the end of the dock and tie up adjacent to “piling #2”.  As the mega dock was currently on our starboard side, turning around the end to starboard would give us a starboard tie up.  We were NOT amused.  Further discussion on the radio elucidated that we should proceed to the “turning basin”, turn around and come back along the dock to tie up on the port side.  Half instructions are not helpful in these docking situations.  As we went by our “spot”, I thought, that doesn’t look like a lot of space!  Thankfully, there were two people on the dock to take the lines. Mike did a fantastic job of getting the boat into the space which may have exceeded Cotinga’s length by as much as 6ft.  A quick application of reverse, kept us from hitting the bow of the boat in front.  Nerves were jangled by the time we were securely tied.  

As we sat down to lunch, a short time later, we heard the first rumbles of thunder.(I found myself thinking “more good timing!”)  A powerful thunderstorm ensued with heavy rain.  I’m not sure why it feels safer to wait out a thunderstorm tied to the dock rather than underway.  Perhaps it’s the idea of many masts substantially taller than ours in the near vicinity.  Once the rain had subsided, we went for a wander around Charleston, admiring the old homes and trees.  I was so totally turned around by the time we “headed back” that I was unsure that we would arrive at the correct waterfront.  It’s a good thing Mike knew which way to go! 

Gloria

32 46.730 N, 79 57.311 W

Ps. As we have been traveling along the ICW we have both been thinking that our “motor” has been sounding louder than normal. To be precise the engine sounds fine (in neutral) but when motoring forward the drive train sounds a bit “clackety”. We are starting to worry that we have a problem with our transmission or the Aquadrive (the universal joint / thrust bearing that connects the gearbox to the propeller shaft). There’s nothing obvious on an external inspection and I topped up the transmission fluid (which didn’t seem low), but I’m not sure there is much else we can do at this point other than hope that it holds up. Once back in East Greenwich I’m thinking we should pull out the gear box and take it in for servicing / refurbishment. It’s a worry ... Mike

A foggy morning in Beaufort, SC

The Lady's Island swing bridge - opens every hour, on the half hour from 9.30am - 4.30pm

Beaufort, SC to the Edisto River had some really remote and beautiful sections

Threatening clouds but no rain

Ripple patterns from our wake

The sun finally climbs above the clouds - the Dawho River

Almost dead calm in the Dawho River

Your typical 'slow pass' in the ICW

On the Mega Yacht dock at Charleston City Marina - just before a storm

Early morning from our dock at Charleston City Marina

A Day of Gluttony

A Day of Gluttony

Monday 5th and Tuesday 6th May, 2025

On Monday we switched tactics regarding the tides. We figured we needed a few extra feet to get out of the New River anchorage and through Buckhorn Creek, but after that we would have good depth all the way to Beaufort (pronounced “Bewfort”). So we pulled up anchor early in the morning, at about half-tide and falling, and made our way past Hilton Head to the Beaufort River in time to catch the flood tide all the way up to Beaufort. It turned out to be a beautiful day and a relaxing trip. We picked up a mooring south of the city and in the afternoon hiked out to the Food Lion grocery store for some more food. If you think maybe we eat too much - read on!

Monday night was dinner and a movie. We ate steak, savory rice and broccoli and watched a good film. But before all that we showered at the marina. This was the most awesome shower we have had in weeks! Lots and lots of hot water … marvelous.

This morning started with croissants and coffee, then we topped up the diesel and water tanks and refilled jerry cans at the marina. We also had to clean the fridge as we had a beer can break open and consequently the fridge smelled like an old bar-room. A sad loss of a can of Voodoo Ranger IPA, but happily the mess is now resolved. With all our jobs done and a satisfying lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches under our belt, we spent the afternoon wandering round the historic district of Beaufort. It’s really a beautiful area, with fabulous old houses surrounded by giant ‘live oaks’ draped in Spanish moss. We stopped and had an ice coffee late in the afternoon, which was notable because the ice cubes were actually frozen coffee. We each forced down a pastry … a mini pecan pie tart for me and a giant piece of ‘7 deadly sins’ for Gloria! Needless to say we had to take a break back at the boat to recover our appetites before heading back in to town this evening for dinner. We ate at the Breakwater Restaurant and it was really nice - I had southern fried chicken followed by creme brulee, Gloria could only manage a salad and a side order of roasted Brussel sprouts. I guess you could say it was a day of gluttony!

Mike

32 25.705 N, 80 40.870 W

The New River anchorage shorty after dawn - with 'Restless Dragon' in the background

Ditto

Gloria doing the anchor wash-down. We have a radio remote control fob for the windlass which Gloria works with one hand while managing the deck wash-down hose with the other

We left before 'Restless Dragon' but they overtook us as we entered Port Royal Sound

Historic Beaufort - beautiful houses and massive old 'live oaks'

It's lovely to walk around the old part of the city

Beaufort, SC likes to emphasize the role that it played in creating a new America after the Civil War. I liked this bench ... it makes me look forward to a third founding of America when the current bunch of A-word holes have gone.

A brown thrasher takes a bath in a puddle near the marina

Hydrangea

Abstract trunks

The Joy of Greenheads

The Joy of Greenheads

Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th May, 2025

Greenheads are also known as the green horse fly.  The Latin name is Tabanus nigrovittatus.  They are found in coastal marshes and wetlands of the Eastern US.  Now that you know they are a type of horsefly you know why they have been causing us some consternation.  We have spent the last several days navigating the salt marshes of Georgia.  Unfortunately, the green heads have been our constant companions.  Each day before we even get started moving, the little devils are flying around the screen in the companionway.  Once we get moving,  they seek us out from all directions and accumulate on the underside of the dodger and bimini in dozens.  From time to time something disturbs a few and they fly - usually into our faces or onto our heads.  I shudder to remember it.  Left to their own devices, they find their way into the cabin.  Somehow, it is here that the biting begins.  Believe me when I report that these bites are painful.  Yesterday we adopted a new strategy.  Not only do we spray our legs with a DEAT containing repellant, but we now also keep the board and screen lodged in the entrance to the companionway.  This is reasonably successful at keeping the bugs out of the cabin.  It is also a significant pain in the neck when trying to go below, but we reckon it’s worth it.  Initially we were trying to kill all the green heads in the cockpit.  They just kept coming —and we damaged our flyswatter. (A crafty application of duct tape has that back to working!) Now we concentrate on killing the few that get below decks.  As you might imagine, we are not enjoying cocktails in the cockpit, or dining watching the sunset.  These bugs are cramping our style.

In terms of travel, we have been sticking to our plan of traveling from three hours before high tide until sometime after.  Usually, this means we travel for six hours or less.  It’s been pretty successful so far.  There is a slight problem in that high tide moves forward about 1 hour later each day.  At some point we won’t be able to carry on in this fashion.  Now that we have left Georgia (crossing the Savannah River today put us in South Carolina), we were thinking that there would be less “skinny water”.  Sadly this anchorage turns out to be just shy of a very shallow gate that we will have to cross tomorrow.  Tomorrow the high tide is about 5pm, but we really want to get moving earlier in the day.  Our objective is to get to Beaufort, SC.  We would actually like to ride the flood up the river. However, the we don’t think there is enough depth to get out of the anchorage at low tide. Currently our plan is to get going early —a few hours before low—to get through that shallow spot - then carry on carefully through low tide until it starts to rise again.  Fingers crossed.  

As we got started this morning, our knot meter was working.  After traveling a few hundred yards, it stopped functioning and read 0.0 for five hours!  We figure some detritus got stuck in the paddlewheel.  That will need sorting out before we set out again.  It’s always something….

Gloria 

32 06.709 N, 80 54.162 W

Scenes from the coastal marshes of Georgia and South Carolina

Sapello Sound

Motoring down Fields Cut off the Savanah River

Ditto

Fields Cut off the Savannah River

The New River near Daufuskie Island

The Wright River

Survey vessel flying along Elba Island Cut

There are some impressive properties on the banks of the less remote areas - this one on Daufuskie Island

After sunset in the New River anchorage

One other boat followed us in the the New River anchorage

Playing the Tides

Playing the Tides

Thursday 1st - Friday 2nd May, 2025

It’s been a while since we last travelled on the Atlantic Intra Coastal Waterway (ICW). In our 'rose-tinted' memories it was easy, and in part that is true. You mostly don’t have to worry about the sea state and there are plenty of places to stop. But in some areas, South Carolina and Georgia in particular, there are many shallow sections and the navigation is demanding. In our early forays into these areas we had some nail-biting experiences passing through the shoal areas. However, during our Covid trip we learned to play the tides. In the coastal marshes of Georgia there are sections of the ICW, where, because of inadequate dredging, the channels have silted up to less than 4 feet at mean low water. Cotinga has a draft of 6 feet, so obviously that’s a problem. However, the tides in Georgia are about 7 feet, so if you time your travels you can be fairly confident of having enough water.

We left the anchorage off Cumberland island around 9 am, three hours before high tide and travelled 38 statute miles* to an anchorage near St Simons. It took us about six hours and so we never had less than half tide (say + 3.5 feet above mean low water). Similarly today, we departed at 10 am, three hours before high, and travelled 43 miles to an anchorage in the Wahoo River. We passed several notoriously shallow sections, but never saw less than ten feet on our depth sounder. This method makes for fairly relaxing travel, but it does mean that you are limited to a small time window and, of course, it becomes more challenging when the timing of high tide is early in the morning and late in the afternoon. 

The other issue is current. With relatively large tides there are strong currents. As you wind your way through the creeks, rivers and estuaries you can have 2 knots of current at one moment pushing you along at 8 knots, then as you turn a corner it can be 2 knots of adverse current limiting you to 4 knots of boat speed. A creek that runs from one sound (estuary) to another will flow can opposite directions at each end. Despite hours of agonizing, it is almost impossible for me to compute detailed expectations of current for a 6 hour passage. 

The scenery tends to be wide open marshes with patches of wooded islands. It’s sparse but atmospheric, hard to photograph, particularly in teh middle of the day. In contrast to the Bahamas, the water is dark and brown, but we have seen countless dolphins. There are all sorts of birds including terns, gulls, herons and egrets, shorebirds and osprey. We have also seen several bald eagles. Unfortunately, it’s also quite buggy and we have had swarms of horse flies in the cockpit (thankfully, they don’t seem to be biting). Once anchored we put in our insect screens and the bugs aren’t an issue.

As we came into drop anchor this afternoon the ebbing tide and southerly winds were in opposition. We wondered how that would play out. The answer - the boat lay sideways to the current and the wind, with the anchor chain going back underneath the keel. Go figure!

What I have described is great way of cruising the marshes, but as I mentioned it isn’t fast. One of the challenges we are grappling with is that we are now quite keen to get home and consequently would like to be moving a bit faster. We need to learn to enjoy the moment and not be in such a rush! 

* Distances within the ICW are measured in statute rather than nautical miles (about 10% smaller)

Mike

31 35.564 N, 81 12.267 W

A typical view in the Georgia lowlands ... grassy marshes, a distant island with trees and vast sky

Shrimping is big business and shrimp boats are common

Crossing St Simons Sound we encountered this huge cargo ship on its bay to Brunswick

A close up of the bow as it passed by

We also saw this beautiful schooner from Nantucket

At anchor in the Wahoo River

Ditto