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.

Dutch Link in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada

Tied up before the St Peter's Locks just before nightfall on 6th July 2009.






By 0830 next morning were through the locks and anchored by the St Peter's Lion Club Marina where we met up with Poll & Kyra from S/V Yara. After a couple of days relaxing, we sailed motored northwards through the Bras d'Or Lakes anchoring the first night at Chapel Island - the spiritual capital of the Mi'kmaq Indians. The island is deserted most of the year, the Mi'kmaq use it for ceremonies and sports events one week per year in July.


Next day we sailed / motored round to Orangedale to visit the Railway Museum.



In the evening we anchored at Eagle Point in the Denys River close to a huge Bald Eagle nest.






Spent a week anchored off Baddeck where we visited the Alexander Graham Bell Museum. Most people remember Bell as the inventor of the Telephone - however, he invented far more.

Bristol tales

Today we saw the clifton suspension bridge

Dutch Link on Les Iles du Soleil Rally

Having finally torn ourselves away from Kemer in April 2007, we said farewell to the Med , and after a few weeks in Graciosa, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria we arrived in Tenerife for the start of the 14th Les Iles du Soleil Raleil.

The rally started with a welcome/info meeting in the Club Real Nautica in Santa Cruz Tenerife. After a week getting to know other rally participants and making the final preparations we set sail for the 850 nm passage to Mindelo on Sao Vincent in the Cape Verde Island group.

The first 2 days were very relaxing as there was very little wind requiring the use of the iron sail. Then the NE-erlies filled in and the next 4 days were an excilerating sleigh ride goose winged run.

The only fish we caught were those that just flew onto the deck - in total about 15 flying fish offered themselves to us. Several groups of dolphins paid visited us - always a welcome sight as they played around the boat often swiming just a few centimeters in front of the bow.

In Mindelo, Philippe, Nicolas, Patrick, Jackeline briefed us all in French and English about Mindelo and the Cape Verdes.

We were enchanted by the music of the islands which is played and sung live in most of the restuarants in Mindelo.

We were very fortunate that we were allowed to moor in the new marina instead of having to anchor off - very good as we planned to take the ferry to the neighbouring island of St Antao for a few days hiking in the wonderful moumtainous landscapes.

St Antao is an island with many faces. The south of the island is many desert. Once one has climbed to the tops of the the mountains and looks north, the scenery drastically changes with green fertile valleys between the precipitous cliffs. The hike along the north coastal path is spectacular

The rally kids had fun celebrating Halloween demanding Trick or Treat.

The largely desert island of Boa Vista was a great contrast to the verdant St Antao.

We were lucky to get presidential authorisation to anchor off the Presidential Palace in Dakar and the Sofitel Hotel gave us free access to their suberb facilities - these included use of their small secure beach to beach the dinghies, use of the beautiful pool and free WiFi - a real luxury.