Charleston, SC to Savannah, GA

As I mentioned in the previous post, we intended to leave the Charleston Maritime Center Sunday afternoon, October 12th, but the weather was just too nasty so we finally decided to stay another night. That evening we walked to La Hacienda on King Street for dinner and had some great margaritas and good, inexpensive Mexican food. The rain finally ended that evening but it was still quite windy.

Our new friend Rusty, the goodwill ambassador of Hyman's Seafood restaurant in Charleston, where we had a most excellent meal Saturday evening.


We pulled away from the Maritime Center dock about 1:30 p.m. Monday and arrived at Tom Point Creek four hours later. The tide was slack to rising but the current was against us most of the way so we only covered 30 miles. But we were finally out of the wind and it was a beautiful, calm evening at anchor.

Tuesday we travelled about 35 miles to Brickyard Creek. Along the way Todd struck up a conversation on the VHF radio with Alan & Mary aboard "Nomad." They were also planning to anchor at Brickyard Creek that evening, so we made plans to get together for happy hour aboard "Life's2Short." Alan & Mary have been boating for 28 years and have decided it's time to sell the boat and become "dirt dwellers" again.

While we were visiting with Alan & Mary, Todd spotted "HuckleBerry" coming down the waterway about 6:00 p.m. They also anchored at Brickyard Creek but after a couple of back-to-back 70-mile days, they were ready to just chill for the evening. We originally met Tim & Sue in Thoroughfare Creek on the Waccamaw River and, more recently, on the Waccamaw as we were leaving Conway and they were on their way to Conway.

We went another 35 miles on Wednesday and anchored in Bull Creek, the place where the electrical meltdown of September 11th occurred. It was a warm, sunny day with almost no breeze. Our travelling companions, "Nomad" and "HuckleBerry," went on to the Savannah/Thunderbolt area so we spent a quiet couple of days alone in the anchorage.

This is one of the local tour boats that brings passengers through Bull Creek.


Colorful sunrise photos at Bull Creek, courtesy of the Captain.




Friday was another beautiful day with temperatures in the 80's and we were tied up at Hinckley Yacht Services by noon. Then light rain moved in early Saturday morning and the weather turned chilly. We hibernated on the boat until 6:00 p.m. when Howard & Sue Berriman came to pick us up for dinner to celebrate the Admiral's birthday.  After stuffing ourselves with Chinese food, we stopped by the Neighborhood Market where Howard & Sue bought each of us a decadent dessert from the bakery counter before returning us to "Life's2Short." Thanks for everything, Howard & Sue!

The weather continued to be cold and windy on Sunday so we didn't stray far from the boat. Monday was sunny and warmer, at least during the day, so Todd lightly sanded the teak on the bow and we applied a coat of Cetol to it. He also made arrangements to have the outboard for the dinghy repaired and to have a zipper replaced on our sundeck canvas. All-in-all, a productive day!

There is always lots of wildlife scouting for food along the shore opposite the dock at Hinckley.




That evening, another couple on the dock invited us over to their 50-foot Ocean Alexander named "Shangri-La" for happy hour. Dave & Laurie have a house (for sale) in Naples, FL but have been living aboard for a number of years. They plan to winter in the St. John's river near Jacksonville. We talked boats and boating, as boaters do, and then invited Dave & Laurie join us on "Life's2Short" for happy hour on Tuesday.

Laurie, Dave and their dog Shadow aboard "Shangri-La."


Tuesday's weather was much like Monday's, so Todd put another coat of Cetol on the bow while I prepared a dip for our happy hour guests. Dave & Laurie came over about 5:30 and we sat on the sundeck chatting and enjoying the warmth of the setting sun.

Today is Wednesday, October 22nd, and we plan to pull away from the dock this afternoon at high tide, when the current is slack. We are on the inside of the dock with three other boats behind us and will have to back out of here in a fairly narrow channel, so we're hoping for no current, no wind and a little bit of luck as the Captain puts his maneuvering skills to the test! As we prepare to leave, we want to say thanks to Mike, Nancy and the Hinckley crew. We've enjoyed our time here and appreciate all they've done for us this summer. Thanks for everything, guys!

Tim (left) and Mark (right) hard at work.


Michel pauses to smile for the camera!


A group shot of Tim, Michel and Mark. Tim and Michel are the electricians who so adeptly repaired our wiring after the electrical meltdown in September.


Our buddy Bob, the first guy we got to know at Hinckley. Thanks for the pecans and fresh venison, Bob!


The Hinckley crew at their morning break enjoying the Admiral's fresh-baked treats.


Tonight we will anchor about 20 miles south and then go on to Bob & Stephanie's house in Midway, GA Thursday afternoon. We met Bob & Stephanie aboard "September Song" in Beaufort, SC where they invited us to spend a few days at their dock on our way south. They also told us about a great anchorage near where they live and have agreed to join us there for a few days. If it's as beautiful as it sounds, we should have some great photos for our next blog update!