Charleston SC

On Sunday 29/11 we passed through the Ben Sawyer Memorial bridge at the 1000 hour opening (with a bit of a sigh of relief as it is due to be closed for repair for 10 days in a couple of days time) and motored to Charleston past several dolphins and pelicans.
Moored at the smart Caroline Yacht Club as guests of Bill & Jacqueline form S/V Sea Swallow (old Kemerite friends whose yacht is in Croatia at the moment) just in front of Rhum Line. Had a very pleasant meal together on Dutch Link with the 6 of us reminiscing and catching up on news.

Charleston was where the Civil war started with the Confederates firing on the Unionist's fort on an island just offshore the town. It is a very interesting old town with many fine old buildings very well preserved.

Dewees Creek

After refueling in the Hazard Marine in Georgetown we motored further south and anchored close to S/V Yara in Dewees Creek, a delightful marshy reedy area.
Oyster Catchers were busy feeding on the drying banks close by and flocks of swifts circled around .

Georgetown South Carolina

Left Callabash River at crack of dawn on Wed 25 Nov.


13 Bridges later we arrived in Georgetown and anchored in 2.2 meters close to high water. The route took us initially through a canal with many large houses with private jetties and boat lifts and, after passing through the Socastee Swing Bridge, entered the beautiful forested winding Waccamaw River . which took us to Georgetown. Just before Georgetown, the nominal 65 foot fixed Lafayette Bridge blocked our path - a bit unnerving as there are reports that it is actually less than 65 feet at mean HW and we approachedclose to HW. Unfortunately their was no tide guage so we approached very cautiously - the VHF antenna pinged on each bridge girder but no damage was done and we were through.
Had a very relaxing day on Thursday (first day off since leaving Wilton Creek on 15 Nov) .

Had a walk around the old residential part of town with its fine houses and huge Live Oak (evergreen) trees . Celebrated Thansksgiving in fine style on board the new Rhum Line with old Kemer friends Ted & Trish.
Visited Rice Museum in old clock tower and learnt that Georgetown was once the centre of the major rice growing area in the USA and became a very important town. The ground here is very difficult to cultivate with machinery and so, with the abolition of slavery, rice was no longer profitable and is no longer carried out here.