Day 10, Georgetown to Charleston

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We pulled up our anchor in the dark and headed out to the ocean. The long channel faced NorthEast, and we were taking 6 foot waves on the nose. It was a bit crazy. We knew that as soon as we got past the last marker that we would be turning 130 degrees to starboard, and the waves would be on our stern quarter. So, we pushed forward through some intense conditions, and after 20 minutes, we made the turn, and things calmed down. 

We got to enjoy a nice sunrise on our way to Charleston.

We saw some dolphins and other wildlife. A friend of mine refers to these bird caravans as the Jamaican air force.

We got an escort from dozens of sea gulls as we approached the inlet. They followed us for a long time.

The bridge you see when arriving in Charleston is unmistakeable. The Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge opened on July 16, 2005 and became the longest cable-stayed bridge of its time in North America and the tallest structure in South Carolina. The top of the bridge was visible to us for a few hours on our journey today.

Marinas in Charleston were sold out and regardless overpriced. We chose a nice spot to anchor and used our dingy, Nestling, to get to shore. Rather than viewing the dinghy ride as a hassle, we enjoy the sense of adventure it brings. For $5, you get 2 days of dockage for your tender at the Safeharbor city marina. From there it was a 20 minute walk to town. 

We brought Gimel and walked to town and had dinner at a regular place for us, Basic Kitchen with great vegan options for Ann and regular food for me. They have an outdoor patio where they welcome dogs.

As the sun was setting, we drove the dinghy back to Empty Nest. Gimel enjoyed the ride, as you see the big boat in the background. Always relieved when it's still there when we leave the boat at anchor.

Another advantage of anchoring is that you can't beat the views and the peaceful feeling you get.


Now, we're hanging on the boat to watch the Michigan/Purdue football game. Shame our dream season is marred by so much controversy. Anyway, Go Blue!


We are going to stay here two days, so I won't blog tomorrow. We found the recommended place to play pickleball tomorrow, so we'll dinghy to the marina and then Uber there in the morning. After P-ball, we have a lunch place picked out,  followed by the Ravens game. Then, we'll eat another nice dinner, and we'll head out Monday morning. We're still not sure where to on Monday. Probably Hilton Head, but we're still researching. We're also trying to figure out the best way to time the trip so that we get to Miami on exactly Nov 15. We'll study the weather and look at the best stops along the way. This is definitely the most spontaneous I've ever been.

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