2006.12.06

I have just typed away on line on the blog and lost it all before I could post it AGAIN!!!! Some people never learn.

Anyhow we are still in Charleston, enjoying a bit of southern civilization …. We had pizzas delivered this evening to the mega dock which we shared with our co-cruisers, as well as a few bottles of wine…this was to reward Andre and David for having successfully done the oil and filter changes required after 100 engine hours

and Louise and I for cleaning up the oily messes on the boats once they were finished!

We have had some interesting times on the ICW … a few days ago we went through an area called “the rock pile” it is a “cut”, a very narrow and shallow channel with boat eating rocks on both sides and on the bottom.
I took over the helm while David was lighting his pipe and for some unknown, insane reason decided to keep driving through what is sometimes referred to as the worst part of the ICW.

I was following L’Equipe and trying to stay in the middle of the channel which was not easy as it was very windy.

Anyhow we got to the “Barefoot Landing swing bridge” and requested opening only to be informed by the bridge master that he could not open at this time as it was too gusty.

So we waited and waited, now for our landlubbers, a boat, especially a sailboat, is not like a car, you cannot just park and wait for the bridge to open… we had strong wind and currents pushing and pulling at the boat and it requires constant movements to keep it in position and all that in a narrow channel with very limited space to maneuver…

After a while we got tired of that and dropped our hook and waited some more…. The wind was not letting up and every so often one of us would VHF the bridge master and ask what our chances were and he would reply in his very charming southern accent “now, I really want to get y’all through but it’s gusting 35 knots and if I open the bridge I may not be able to close it” .

Eventually we had to make a decision as it was getting late, so we decided to turn back and drive through that “rock pile” again… the bridge master at the “Little River swing bridge” kindly opened for us right away and jokingly told us “y’all going to WRONG way”.

We arrived at the Coquina Yacht Club where we were greeted like family by the most charming couple, Sandy and Bob.

After a well deserved good night sleep and good shower we set off on a beautiful clear morning with NO WIND to do the “rock pile” for the THIRD time and finally get through Barefoot Landing Swing Bridge...

We went through some very unusual type of countryside, totally wild, deserted flooded areas with wonderful trees covered in Spanish moss…it reminded D of the film “Deliverance” .

We walked around Charleston, which is a very special city, with a lot of old Golferworld charm and most interesting architecture…. It got dark and the lights came on and it became even more magical.

We ended up at a restaurant on the other side of the peninsula where we had excellent shrimps and scallops.
Tomorrow laundry an provisions and then we’ll be on the road again.