ANY PORT IN A STORM....NOT!

   As I write this we are happily sitting at a marina in Charleston, SC, but a couple days ago, well, we weren't so happy! Here goes....
   We left the picturesque town of Georgetown, SC last Saturday for a 2 day sail (OK, motor!) to Charleston. The wind had once again picked up and was blowing around 15-20 knots from the north, or directly behind us as we worked our way down the ICW. We had a basically uneventful day and made such good time we bypassed a couple anchorages with the intent of giving us a shorter sail the next day.  A note about geography is warranted here. This part of the country is not referred to as "Carolina Low Country" without reason. For probably 200 miles, the terrain is just about totally flat and anchorages are little more than small inlets off the channel with absolutely no protection from the wind. We arrived at our anchorage and even though there were two other boats already there, found plenty of room to drop our hook. Diane and I enjoyed drinks in the cockpit, ate a relaxing dinner and even played a game of Yahtzee (she is killing me!) before heading below where we even watched a DVD. Oh yea, I forgot to mention that when the sun went down, it was dark...REALLY DARK! With overcast skies the only light came from the anchor lights of the adjacent boats and a few tall towers. Very eerie to say the least. Well, around 9 pm the wind began to pick up and since there were no trees, buildings, etc. to protect us, our level of concern grew considerably! The winds peaked at around 30 knots (around 36 mph for you non boaters) and although our anchor was holding well, we both knew this would be a mostly sleepless night...and we were right! Diane finally turned in and I basically stayed in the main cabin and checked on our position every hour throughout the night.

OUCH!

We didn't budge but unfortunately, one of the other boats in the creek wasn't so lucky and when light finally returned in the morning, I saw that boat well up into the marsh, high and dry as the tide dropped. Luckily for him, he had already called a boat towing service and they would arrive to assist a bit before high tide. Still, Diane and I gave a word of thanks both to God and our superb anchor to keeping us in place!
  Diane and I were hopeful for a short, easy run the rest of the way to Charleston, but this coastal storm had other ideas...
  The marina we were going to has both a reputation as a superb place to take a break, but also is well known for the current which literally rips through it as high as 3 knots! That can make driving a sailboat with only one engine into a slip a real challenge! Diane and I discussed our options and waited for "slack" tide so the only variable we had to worry about was the wind. I'll admit to a modicum of skill, but it was mostly luck (and a bit of help from numerous dock hands) which allowed me to back our boat into a slip...and not hit anything!
  Even though the wind remained high over the next two days and yes, it stayed cool, we slept like babies in our slip! We've taken the trolley over the river to Charleston each day and marveled at the unique architecture, superb night life (we joined fellow cruisers Bob and Marilyn one night and painted the town red...well, how about hot pink!), and delicious food.
  Tomorrow we head out once again, still searching for the elusive sun and warmth. We've had a few snips of both so far this trip, but are looking forward to, well, looking forward!
  Till next time....