North Carolina was a pretty long stretch of coast. Took us some six days to get through it not counting time lost from waiting out the storm and going up the wrong creek by the Marine training ground. We were happy to get to South Carolina though I must confess it looked much like North Carolina at first.
We sailed in to Charleston Harbor in the evening and passed close by Ft Sumter, the site of beginning of the Civil war. Charleston had an old vibe to it especially by American standards. The harbor almost felt European. We spent the night at anchor and headed south for Beaufort the next morning.
Fighting a strong tidal current we fell short of Beaufort and wound up anchoring up the Bull River. We had it all to ourselves and it was a memorable sunset. I busted out my guitar for the first time on the trip and felt like I was really getting away.
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| Sunset on the Bull River, had the whole thing to ourselves... |
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| Charleston |
We cruised right through Beaufort, across Port Royal Sound and right by Hilton Head Island. My crew was running short on time as he had to pack up his apartment in Manhattan. We had some engine trouble by Daufuskie Island and decided to stay in Hilton Head Island for a month. The crew departed after a few nights of watching dolphins surface inches from the gunwales. They would wake us up in our sleep and run around in gangs. There were even offspring - I understand it is a breeding ground for them and there are many tours for humans to see them up close. Being a huge fan of these brilliant, intelligent beings I felt that if Hilton Head Island was good enough for them it was a good place for me too. Exploring the beaches and forests of Hilton Head reminded me of Aspen, CO in terms of cleanliness. The parks almost seem fake they are so pristine.
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| Leaving Charleston in our wake |
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| Tucked in to a slip in Palmetto Bay Marina |
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| Cetaceans at dusk |
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| Last Launch of Space Shuttle Endeavour |
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