March 29-May 8, 2017 (The boat stayed here while we
traveled to CA, CO and NC during April)
Miles Today: 14.7 NM
Total
Miles: 500.4 NM
Woohoo – achieved our first 500 miles!
Heeding all
the dire warnings we had read about the strong currents and tides in the
Charleston area, we timed our 14-mile trip up the Stono River to hopefully
arrive at slack tide at St. Johns Yacht Harbor. We had to push the throttle to 10 kts (hold
onto your hats – this is a blazing 11.5 mph!) to arrive as the tide was
starting to change.
“Look for a
big powerboat, bow out, named Lone Palm
and pull into the slip right before it,” said the dockmaster on the radio. I’m on Bazinga’s
bow as we ease down the fairway, looking for Lone Palm and our slip. I’m
supposed to let Jim know as soon as I see it, so he can begin to turn Bazinga. One problem – boats have their names on the
stern, not the bow! (Definitely a learning moment – and something we’ll
remember when talking to any dockmaster in the future. “We can’t see the name on a boat’s stern if
it is stern-in. Can you give us a name
of a nearby boat that is bow-in?”)
We
ended up sliding halfway past our slip before I saw two dockhands waving from
between two very large powerboats. Jim
did some fancy maneuvering and I used a boat pole to push off from the boat on
our port side as we slid into a 17’ wide slip between two huge
‘skyscrapers’! (Bazinga is 14’ wide – you do the math.)
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| Tight quarters. It got worse during several stormy and very windy days. |
St Johns is a lovely marina. The best bathrooms and showers we’ve found so
far and an awesome laundry room with $1 washer and dryers. They also provide a very nice courtesy car
for marina guests for 2 hour timeslots. It’s a bit of a hike
to the clubhouse and an even further walk to the parking lot to meet an Uber
ride. Definitely got my steps in! But why are so many marinas below/next to
bridges??! If the windows are open, we
can hear the swish of cars crossing over the bridge from James Island to Johns
Island.
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| St Johns Yacht Harbor, Johns Island, Charleston, SC |
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| Walking under the Paul J. Gelegotis Bridge to and from the parking lot |
It rained our first night and the following day,
so we used the crummy weather to get our laundry and boat chores done. The sun came out on Friday and we were off to
see Charleston! Enjoyed the next few
days taking a buggy ride to see the historic district, walking through the
Charleston City Market, eating delicious meals, attending Mass at the Cathedral of
St. John the Baptist (the most beautiful choir music we’ve heard in many years)
– all best described in pictures……
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| Palmetto Buggy Ride through Historic Charleston |
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| St. Phillips Episcopal Church. First built out of wood in 1681 nearby. After it was destroyed by fire, rebuilt in 1835 on the current site. |
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| "Rainbow Row" |
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| In the original walled city, land was limited and highly valued. To get the most from your parcel, the house would be built sideways on the lot. The 'front' door facing the street actually led to the front porch and the formal front door to the house! |
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| St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. What a fabulous choir! |
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| Interior of St. John the Baptist |
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| Charleston City Market, established 1790's, stretches four city blocks. It provided a place for local farmers and plantations to sell their livestock and crops and as a social gathering place. Today vendors sell jewelry, paintings, health and beauty products, souvenirs, and the famous Sweetgrass baskets. On weekend nights, only vendors that create/sell South Carolina made items are allowed to have a booth. |
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| Brunch at 82 Queen Street Restaurant in their lovely courtyard |
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| Fried Catfish, "dirty" rice, southern green beans |
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| Please, please don't forget the hush puppies! |
