Waccamaw RiverDeparting anchorage south of McClellanville, NC
Heading to Charleston in the fog
Fort Sumter - first shots of the Civil War
Charleston, SC
Elliot Cut (current does not look extreme)
Buoy by Elliot Cut showing current
Reluctantly, we depart the Osprey Marina and enter the scenic Waccamaw River (some of the loveliest miles on the ICW). Somehow we are able to spend the day by ourselves. Much needed privacy after the hectic day yesterday. Tidal currents are with us for most of the day, so we make good time and pile on some additional miles before anchoring just past McClellanville, NC.
On Thursday (13 Nov), we head into Charleston harbor after a morning of fog; passing Fort Sumter as we cross the Cooper River. As we enter the Ashley River, we pass "The Battery", the historic area of Charleston. Making a turn to port, it is into the Wappoo Creek with the current increasing against us (ebb current). Past Wappoo Creek-James Island Bridge is the narrow and short Elliot Cut (1/4 mile). With the engine at 1800 rpms (our usual for running at 6 knots), the "Star is barely inching forward at 1.3 knots. Bobby is working hard at the wheel keeping the bow in the middle of the cut as the current swirls past at its peak, and two vessels behind us ready to enter. At this rate, it will take a long time to clear the cut - "Bobby, why don't we try increasing our speed (rpms) to get through here faster and easier", asks Jenny? "Oh", he replies. Sure enough, at 2000 rpms, hull speed is up to 2.3 knots, and we clear the cut 9 minutes later. There are places to anchor on either side of Elliot's Cut to await slack tide (time between tidal changes when currents cease or reduce significantly in strength). We would recommend waiting for the slack, especially if your vessel engine is small.
We spend two nights anchored out before we arrive at Beaufort, South Carolina. The current is strong on the Beaufort River, so we turn the boat into the current to dock. As we are heading to Beaufort, the inverter we plug the navigation laptop into for AC power dies (under engine power we only have DC current, hence 2 sets of lights around the boat for AC or DC power). Another reason to keep paper charts out in addition to the electronic screen display. No worries, we are staying here for two days, the marina has a courtesy vehicle, so we will be able to purchase a new inverter.
Bobby was at a Charleston shipyard with an Army landing craft (174') from Panama in the fall of 1994. Jenny hopped an Air Force flight to visit for two weeks, with her Mom and Aunt Heidi
flying in from Seattle. Part of the tourist agenda was a visit to Beaufort for a historic tour carriage ride. Back then, Beaufort was a sleepy Southern country town near Parris Island (Marine Corps recruit training base) with chain stores/restaurants out on the highway. The chains remain out of town, but downtown historic Beaufort is wide awake now! A lovely waterfront park/promenade is a wonderful addition to the revitalized town (lots of shops and restaurants). Traffic is constant heading over the bridge to life on the islands. As everywhere else, growth has also occurred here. We once considered retiring in Beaufort, but no longer. Jenny enjoyed a few days of sunrise running through the residential historic area (including where "The Great Santini" and "The Big Chill" were filmed). We partook of fabulous meals of breakfast and seafood at Blackstone's and Kathleen's, respectively. After changing the engine oil and resealing the plastic windows of our cockpit enclosure from UV rays, it is time to wait for the slack between tides (noon) and four boats on the inside of the T-dock to depart before we can swing the stern around to head on our way.
On Thursday (13 Nov), we head into Charleston harbor after a morning of fog; passing Fort Sumter as we cross the Cooper River. As we enter the Ashley River, we pass "The Battery", the historic area of Charleston. Making a turn to port, it is into the Wappoo Creek with the current increasing against us (ebb current). Past Wappoo Creek-James Island Bridge is the narrow and short Elliot Cut (1/4 mile). With the engine at 1800 rpms (our usual for running at 6 knots), the "Star is barely inching forward at 1.3 knots. Bobby is working hard at the wheel keeping the bow in the middle of the cut as the current swirls past at its peak, and two vessels behind us ready to enter. At this rate, it will take a long time to clear the cut - "Bobby, why don't we try increasing our speed (rpms) to get through here faster and easier", asks Jenny? "Oh", he replies. Sure enough, at 2000 rpms, hull speed is up to 2.3 knots, and we clear the cut 9 minutes later. There are places to anchor on either side of Elliot's Cut to await slack tide (time between tidal changes when currents cease or reduce significantly in strength). We would recommend waiting for the slack, especially if your vessel engine is small.
We spend two nights anchored out before we arrive at Beaufort, South Carolina. The current is strong on the Beaufort River, so we turn the boat into the current to dock. As we are heading to Beaufort, the inverter we plug the navigation laptop into for AC power dies (under engine power we only have DC current, hence 2 sets of lights around the boat for AC or DC power). Another reason to keep paper charts out in addition to the electronic screen display. No worries, we are staying here for two days, the marina has a courtesy vehicle, so we will be able to purchase a new inverter.
Bobby was at a Charleston shipyard with an Army landing craft (174') from Panama in the fall of 1994. Jenny hopped an Air Force flight to visit for two weeks, with her Mom and Aunt Heidi
flying in from Seattle. Part of the tourist agenda was a visit to Beaufort for a historic tour carriage ride. Back then, Beaufort was a sleepy Southern country town near Parris Island (Marine Corps recruit training base) with chain stores/restaurants out on the highway. The chains remain out of town, but downtown historic Beaufort is wide awake now! A lovely waterfront park/promenade is a wonderful addition to the revitalized town (lots of shops and restaurants). Traffic is constant heading over the bridge to life on the islands. As everywhere else, growth has also occurred here. We once considered retiring in Beaufort, but no longer. Jenny enjoyed a few days of sunrise running through the residential historic area (including where "The Great Santini" and "The Big Chill" were filmed). We partook of fabulous meals of breakfast and seafood at Blackstone's and Kathleen's, respectively. After changing the engine oil and resealing the plastic windows of our cockpit enclosure from UV rays, it is time to wait for the slack between tides (noon) and four boats on the inside of the T-dock to depart before we can swing the stern around to head on our way.
View of ICW from Beaufort, SC
Just one of the large oaks in Beaufort
Home where "The Great Santini" and "The Big Chill" were filmed
