NORTH CAROLINA - WILMINGTON AND WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH

South Carolina was fun, but we were done with the bugs.  So, after a nice rest at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club, including a luxurious dip in their pool, we moved on to North Carolina.  Our first stop - Wilmington.  Unfortunately, I had to travel for some business, so we did not get to see as much of it as we would have liked.  Brenda stayed with the cats and the boat, and hung with Barry and Jodie for a couple days while I was gone.  I'm not entirely sure what she was doing those 72 hours, but the boat was sure clean and there is even a picture of her eating sushi.  Sushi?  Yes, sushi. 

Wilmington is about 14 miles up the Cape Fear River.  You pop out of the ICW near the town of Southport and then the water gets really wide and quite deep as you head essentially west.  You can really feel what happens when the wind opposes the tidal current.  It was quite bumpy all the way up.  Then, just to make matters more interesting, we had a tanker show up on our tail most of the way up the river.  I got the skipper on the radio and we agreed I would just stick to the green side and allow her to pass. Well, she never did.  She had to slow up once she got to the Wilmington area.  We had made arrangements to stay on the city dock, but since they have no pump out service, we had to go another mile or so up the river to another dock where they did, before tucking in for the next couple days.

This is the ship that "chased" us up the Cape Fear River to Wilmington.

The city dock is in Historic Old Town Wilmington right across from where the USS North Carolina is permanently docked as a memorial to all those soldiers and sailors who died serving their country who came from North Carolina.  The old town area is really nice.  There is an abundance of restaurants and bars and shops.  I did not realize it until later, but the Wilmington area is quite large.  It is also the home of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.  It makes sense that the historic downtown area is not just for tourists, but also for all the folks who live there to come and party.  It would seem they too, like so many of the towns we have visited, have a celebration a week.  As such, there is a lot to do in the area.

\

 

One of the coolest things I have ever seen is right there in Wilmington - a Serpentarium.  This serpentarium is a herpetologist's dream come true.  The folks who put this place together have managed to accumulate in one place some of the world's most interesting and deadly snakes, as well as a variety of other reptiles.  We had an interesting time touring this place.  This place would be the thing nightmares are made of, but for the great ice cream we found after we left.

The King Cobra - approximately 16 feet long.

Whoa Daddy!

Now if images of this fellow don't keep you up at night.......

Unfortunately, not unlike most city docks, the Wilmington City Dock was located in an area where some might say there is a crime problem.  There is this picnic ground right behind the Visitors Information Center, which is right next door to the Federal Building, where a lot of homeless folks camp out.  The person who came down to the dock to meet us from the City told me there was security at night and that this was not a problematic neighborhood.  Unfortunately, Brenda's bike was stolen.  Moreover, Love Shack, docked right behind us, had an intruder on their boat during the night, as evidenced by the big black footprints they had on their deck and stairs leading to their fly bridge.  Not only that, but the constant commentary from the homeless folks who were insistant we should take them for a ride or take them fishing, and the cat calls and hoots and hollars when Brenda was at the helm as we left.  I've got a rope and a cinder block for that guy.  When we left, I contacted the dockmaster and let him know that, while we enjoyed our stay for the most part, there were some issues they need to deal with if they really have an interest in attracting cruisers to their little corner of the planet.  It should go something like this:  Memo to Police Chief:  clear the homeless out of the Tourist Information Center, and put up a gate with a lock to keep rif-raff off the docks.  Let me be clear.  I don't know who stole Brenda's `bike, or who wandered onto our friends' boat, and certainly, even the homeless need a place to go, but tell me when I get there so I know whether or not this is a "lock it or lose it" place.  By the way, Brenda's bike was locked.  Anyways, the City was nice enough to offer us our money back and of course we accepted.

Later that day, we threw off the lines and headed down to a place called Wrightsville Beach.  It seemed like a good enough place to go for the holiday weekend.  Of course, when you go up a river to get somewhere, you generally have to go back down the river, too.  So we did.  There is a charted cut leading from the Cape Fear River to Snows Cut.  The chart shows plenty of water in this otherwise well marked cut.  So, we're cruising along and the depth looks really good - 16' for most of the way.  Then as we get to the mouth of snow's cut, it goes from 16 down to very little, right in the middle of the marked channel - and we were 2 hours from low tide! So we bumped and got stuck. Oh well, so we placed a kedge and waited for the tide to change.  In the interim, and notwithstanding the placement of a kedge, inconsiderate folks continued to blast by causing a wake that we believe pushed us further into the mud.  So, even though the tide was shifting, we were not floating.  So, eventually, we bit the bullet and called Towboat US and they cam and pulled us off.  No harm, now foul.  I'll tell you what.  Pretty soon we will be done with this Magic Magenta Line thing, and have to rely on charts to tell us where we can and cannot go, and my confidence level in NOAA's charting is not at an all time high. 

We found a really nice anchorage very close to the town where there was a very convenient dinghy dock.  We had a nice time here getting some chores done and also some shopping.  We finally found those cool beach chairs that fold up and have back pack straps.  So we went to the beach, after it stopped raining, of course.  The beach is absolutely beautiful and the water is warm. It rained most of the day, but that didn't keep us from going out for a long hike and doing other things around the boat.

There are a lot of young folks here.  There are a lot of people here, period.  It figures since this is a holiday weekend in a university town. 

These boats are all stopped on an exposed sand bar for a party.

Sitting on the beach in the late afternoon and early evening was really nice.  So many people out having a good time with their friends and families.  I had a realization while sitting there looking at the people and the water.  I have always said that, if I had it to do all over again, I would not change a thing.  I am hereby recanting that.  That is not to say I have any regrets, because I really don't.  However, having seen almost 3000 miles of this country's coast line, I am now firmly convinced that there are places I never imagined that have more to offer than I would have ever known.  People are all the same whereever you go.  And one thing is true regardless of what color you are, what race you are, what God you believe in, what socioeconomic class you live in - the young boy will always manage to find the kelp on the beach and throw it at his older sister.

Cheers, y'all.  Next stop?  I'm not sure yet.  We'll figure something out.



CAPERS ISLAND, GEORGETOWN, MYRTLE BEACH YACHT CLUB

Abreojos is a slow boat.  We typically run at between 6 and 7 knots - that's approximately 7-8 mph to a  landlubber.  So, you get the idea that it takes all day to run 40-50 miles.  Add to that the issue concerning the tides and you have even less running time during daylight hours.  As such, each day, we stop for the night in some new place.  At the end of our first day out of Charlestown, we found an extraordinary spot to anchor for the night and discovered a great hike on Capers Island.

The anchorage is just off the ICW.  You basically turn left up this creek and drop the hook before the bend, in about 10 feet of water.  Then drop the dink and cruise it about 3/4 of a mile to a pier at the end of Capers Island, a barrier island.  Then you follow this trail that leads past an "impounded" lake full of gators (allegedly) and through the scrub, the pine trees, the oak hammocks, and finally the beach on the Atlantic Ocean. 

We got to the beach at low tide and it was quite a sight.  White sand as far as the eye could see, scattered with exposed oyster ledges.  What was most strange looking however, was the trees.  It looked as though some force had come through there and really tore the place up.  It looked like a post war landscape on the Normandy coast.  It was spectacular.  We spent the afternoon walking the beach and collecting a backpack full of conch shells.

The following day, we left for our next stop on the way to Georgetown - another stopover anchorage called Minim Creek.  I have no photos of this place.  I couldn't get out to take any because of the bugs.  We stayed in buttoned up tight and left as soon as we could.  It was amazing.  On the sunny side of the boat, there were Dragonflies lined up every 6" on the lifelines.  Then, there were piles of dead mosquitos on the gunwales under the same lifelines.  I think the dragons eat the mosquitos!  Anyways, on to Georgetown.

Georgetown was a nice surprise.  It lies at the confluence of the Great Pee Dee River, the Waccamaw River and the Sampit River just north of Winyah Bay.  It's a cool little town with lots of nice restaurants and bars, antique shops, theatres, hotels, B&B's, and gift shops.  So many of these little towns like to emmulate towns like Savannah and Charleston with all their historic landmarks and dedicated historic homes and other monuments.  It's almost funny when you read a sign that says, so and so entertained "Washington" here in 1775.  Note I did not say, "George Washington", just "Washington".  It could have been Bob Washington for all anyone knows, but someone named "Washington" was apparently lavishly entertained. 

 

The town has revitalized over the past few years and the main street is very pretty.  There are fresh flower beds and planters, herb gardens, and a very nice waterfront boardwalk.  The town hosts several festivals a year that attract mostly motorcycles.  However, the waterfront is very cool and there are several very small marinas to chose from.  Or, you can do like us and anchor out right in front of the clocktower.  We didn't cook at all while we were here.  It was really warm and humid out so we dined in town with our friends on The Love Shack.  There is a great bakery here that produces some of the best bread I have ever had.  I would love to know their secret.

Ater leaving Georgetown, we stopped for the night at a place we refer to as the "Oxbow at the 375.5".  It was a beautiful spot.  The water was deep enough and wide enough to make anchoring easy, and the area was surrounded by green and tall trees.  This area on the charts is denoted a cypress swamp.  Beautiful.  We saw aligators there, too.  The water is very very tannic and coffee colored.  This place is on the Waccamaw River.  As such, the cruising guides recommend use of a trip line on the anchor because of the likelihood of hooking something untoward, such as a tree stump.  So, I did.  I put a small buoy on the end so I could hook it with a boat hook when retrieving the anchor.  It was interesting to see how the boat behaves on its anchor depending on the wind, current, and tides.  We dropped the anchor, backed down as we let out approximately 90 feet of chain, set it well, and then shut down.  The next thing we know, the buoy is basically sitting right next to the boat.  It stayed there all the time.  There was absolutely no pull on the anchor whatsoever.  We slept just fine that night.

So, after spending a few days battling the bugs, the heat, and the humidity, we decided to stop at the Myrtle Beach Yacht Club.  We found them in the cruising guide and it was indicated that they had a pool.  Also, they have probably the lowest price for diesel on the east coast, and, they were only $1.45 per foot for dockage.  So, we cut our day trip short and stopped for the night.  Tomorrow (or later today, I should say) we will be heading for Wilmington, North Carolina.

ASHEPOO, STONO, AND CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

We left Beaufort under cloudy skies, but the wind was calm.  Some of you saw the photos of the guy who also tried to leave Beaufort but kinda got caught not paying attention. 

It can happen to anyone.  They key is to use all the tools you have and not make stupid mistakes due to lack of focus.  He was stuck there for many hours while the Towboat US stayed attached to him.  He was leaking fuel all over the place and even from that distance, the smell was virtually intolerable.  Unfortunately, there was simply nothing that could be done but to wait for the next high tide to float him off.  Patience is a virtue.

Anyways, our destination for the first night out of Beaufort on the way to Charleston was an anchorage on the Ashepoo River.  It was not that far, so we took our time waiting for the right tide to leave and had a nice journey there.  Nothing terribly exciting to report.  It was quite beautiful there, but the horseflies really became an issue.  So, we had to stay inside most of the time and had to keep the screens on the back deck buttoned up.  This was really unfortunate because, as I said, it was really beautiful. 

So, we developed a new game.  It's called "Horsefly Bingo".  It's played just like regular Bingo, except that, instead of a rolling bowl of balls, the numbers come from horeseflies landing on a pre-made grid hung on top of the big screen across the back deck.  Each player has a card.  When a horesefly lands, you simply determine where on the grid it is and then that's your number - i.e., b-23, g-11, and so on and so forth.  It's one stupid way to entertain yourself.  Here's the twist, however.  If a fly (aka "game piece") gets inside the enclosure, and thus behind the grid, he dies, because that's when "Leon" is activated.  Such unruly "game pieces" simply cannot be allowed to remain part of the game and they are dispatched with a snap, crackle, sizzle, sizzle, pop!


We hoped in the dinghy to go check out this supposed waterfront seafood place about a half mile from where we were anchored called B&B Seafood, just a short jaunt up the Mosquito Creek.  It was really funny.  After battling horseflies all the way there, we found a dock with a large shrimp boat tied to it.  So, we tied up and went ashore.  We found no seafood place, but we did find a small office in the building so we went in.  We were greeted by two very nice folks, definitely locals.  This place was really out in the sticks.  We asked if there was any place to take a walk, and we were told, "Well, you could walk up that there road a spell."  So that's what we did.

The main road in this little enclave was dirt.  There was nothing there but this little place, a couple trailers scattered out in the tree laced fields, a volunteer fire department whose insignia was a mosquito with a fire hose nozzle for its nose, and some research facility that appeared new, but otherwise abandoned.  So, we asked about some fresh shrimp, and were told, "There ain't none on a 'cause of the freeze this year."  I was tempted to buy some frozen shrimp - you know, dump a couple bucks into the local economy since they were nice enough to let us use their dock to come ashore, and all that.  But, I realized their five pound boxes of frozen shrimp were probably bait.  So, we politely said we were going to take a walk and pick it up on our way back. 

It was pretty buggy out there, so we didn't walk far.  Do you remember the movie "Phantasm", and that really tall, scary looking dude who basically hung around the mosoleum stuffing aliens into barrels?  Well, I'm convinced this guy was here driving a little red Subaru outback back and forth, back and forth, back and forth, up and down this dirt road.  He must have passed us in both directions several times.  It was pretty funny.  Finally, we had had enough of swating at bugs on the road, so we headed back to the boat, and yes, we bypassed that wonderful offer to purchase five pounds of frozen, peel and eat, bait.

It would seem we picked up a passenger somewhere along the buggy line - a 3" Palmetto Bug.  This nasty bastard, all red and shiny, made his presence known at night when we were going to sleep.  Brenda noticed something was up because the cats were "hunting" in our bed.  Not a good sign, right?  Then, this critter ran over the top of my shoulder and then hit the wall and dove for cover under Brenda's pillows.  Needless to say, Brenda was not pleased.  She moved pretty fast.  In fact, I cannot recall ever seeing her move faster.  In fact, she moved faster than a prairie dog pickin' up scraps under the popcorn cart at the county fair. 

So, then, this bug, large enough to saddle, wedged itself in the wood trim on the side of the bed closest to the hull.  We must have looked pretty funny trying to find this thing.  Pillow, sheets, the half matress, all of it, flying off the bed, and there's me, with a flashlight in one hand and a fondue fork in the other, going after this thing from hell with a true vigor.  Unfortunately, the grimey little gamester got away and slipped into the space under the bed where the starboard side water tank and the exhaust line live.  At that point, Brenda declared she had had all that she could take, picked up her pillows and, for the next 3 nights, slept in the wheelhouse. 

(Ultimately, we did kill that Palmetto Bug from Hell.  We found it snacking in the galley on the crumbs of some croutons I had made.  He died under the spine of a book.  I sure hope that was the only one.  It's not like you can identify them from their license plates, although they are big enough.  I know, you are probably thinking that this guy loves to write about insects - like he is some kind of entemologist, or something.  The truth is, if there were a way to rid the entire planet of all bugs, I'd vote in for sure.  We thought the bugs would be bad in Florida.  Well, welcome to South Carolina.)

Next, we continued our journey to Charleston with a brief stop on the Stono River, just short of Elliott Cut.  We were only a few miles from Charleston but we had a reservation for the Mega Dock, which was for the following day.  We also wanted to get through Elliott Cut on the right sort of tide.  So, we anchored outside of this place called Harbor Yacht Basin.  They allowed us to tie up the dinghy and we did so and went in for lunch at the snack bar on premises.  They have a wonderful pool and the service was good.  The food wasn't bad either.  We didn't do much there as there was nothing to do.  This stop was basically a staging point.  So, in the morning, when the tide was right, we departed for the short run to Charleston City Marina, home of the Mega Dock.

Going through Elliott Cut was one of the most ......... well, interesting rides.  The tide was going out and, unfortunately, was really ripping through there.  I guess we should have left a half hour earlier.  I have been white water rafting.  That is fun.  Now try it on a single screw, full keel trawler.  That was quite a ride.  Many of you know that when you are moving down stream like that, you have no (or very little) control. To make matters even more interesting, it was a slow speed, no wake zone.  So, while I was in basically idle, I was still moving 10.5 knots in the stream, and only applying power to keep the nose of the boat pointed in the right direction.  I would have loved a water cop to stop me for speeding.  Didn't happen, so all's well that ends well.  As you can probably guess, that you are reading this is evidence we didn't have any problem getting through.  A couple bends and a bridge or two and then Charleston came into view.

I'm certain there are few enough words to describe Charleston.  The first that comes to mind, however, is "vibrant."  This town is colorful, tasteful, delightful, wonderful.  It is old and it is new.  It is easy to negotiate.  It is easy to do. 

The city is actually located on a penninsula with the Cooper river on the north/east, and the Ashbury River on the south/west.  Thus, it is obvious that the city had important logistical and strategic purposes when it was established many, many years ago.  This city was here before America was America.  There are fabulous parks where you can look out over the water, see beautiful bridges, and view Fort Sumpter, the place were the first shots of the Civil War were allegely fired.  And, because it is on the water, and surrounded on two sides by water, the climate is well moderated and the weather was perfect.

The Charleston City Marina was very nice.  This place is the home of the Mega Dock - it's over 4000' long and can take anything from small boats to very large ones.  In fact, David Copperfield's boat, "Magic" was there.  It's only about 150' long.  You would think that such a grand magician would make his boat even bigger.  The staff are numerous and all very helpful.  There is a van that will take you pretty much anywhere you want to go and then pick you up.  Taxi's in town, however, are quite inexpensive.

We toured around in Charleston for 3 days, and as far as I am concerned, I absolutely love this city.  I would come back.  I would stay here for a long time.  This town has absolutely everything.  It figures.  It's a university town.  USC (University of South Carolina) is nearby.  The MUSC (Medical University of South Carolina) is there.  Charleston College is there.  The Citadel is there. There is a large technical college there.  And, Clemson is not that far.  In other words, there is an abundance of things to do, festivals every weekend of the year, and other events which serve to entertain and inspire the more than 120,000 university folks (faculty and student body) that come to town.  I have always thought that university towns are more alive than others for the very reasons you can certainly anticipate and appreciate.

The real bonus to our visit to Charleston was our chance to visit my friend Albert.  Albert is the older brother of my best friend Norman.  They both grew up around the corner from where I grew up, and we all became friends nearly 40 years ago.  Their parents are like my parents and they have always been super good to me.  I cannot say enough wonderful things about all the great memories and experiences growing up in their home.  So, we, (Brenda, Albert, and I) had a lot of laughs and recounted some funny memories and stories from the days on Calhoun Street and Albers Street.  Albert was a great City Host and took us to some fine eateries and and on some great walking tours.  Our friends on Love Shack were also in town and so the 5 of us went out and laughed hard over dinner and talk of Pugs.  So, to my friend Albert, I say, thank you very much for a delightful visit.  We will miss you.

BEAUFORT (PRONOUNCED B-YOU-FORT), SOUTH CAROLINA

It was a relatively short cruise from Hilton Head Island to Beaufort. We left Skull Creek and then ran up some sound for several miles before turning left onto the Beaufort River which took us right past Parris Island which is a Marine Corp base where they train thousands of young men and women to be marines. It was interesting that there were several water towers on the base painted white with red letters that said, “1-800-Marines”. The City of Beaufort lies just around the bend. I think I have mentioned before how anchoring in a river with a 1-3 knot current involves more than pulling into a nice calm cove somewhere and dropping a hook.  Big boats tend to lie to the current as opposed to the wind.  So when you pull up into an anchorage in a river, you have to look carefully to see how the other boats are lying.  Sometimes, it would appear that their anchors are behind them, but they are still pointing away from the wind.  Very strange and it takes some getting used to.  Plenty of all chain scope really helps take a lot of the guess work out of this.

We anchored just north of the ICW and just west of the Beaufort Downtown Marina, dropped the dinghy in the water, and went into town for lunch, both of us suffering from a lack of greasy food over the last several days. So, we went in search of a cheeseburger.

 

The city affords visiting boaters free use of their courtesy dock. Dinghies tie up along the back side. Then, you are basically right in the center of downtown Beaufort. First, let me clarify something: There are several towns around named Beaufort. However, it’s how they are pronounced that, among other things, I’m certain, distinguishes them. For instance, here, in South Carolina, Beaufort is pronounced “B-you-fert”, as opposed to Beaufort, North Carolina, which is apparently pronounced “B-oh-fert”. What else is nuts about this place is that the fine for violating a “no wake zone” is almost equal to the fine for driving under the influence. Actually, you have a choice for violating a “no wake zone” - you can pay the $1200 fine or spend 30 days in a nicely appointed Beaufort jail. You might only spend a night for a DUI. Whatever……

Back to the town. We went in search of cheeseburgers.  We walked right down main street.  It was very quaint and southern.  There were not too many choices for cheeseburgers, but, low and behold, we found Luther’s, home of the best cheeseburger in Beaufort. I had mine crusted in pepper and garlic and topped with blue cheese. Knockout! Well, then it was back to the boat - nap time. We did go into town later in the evening.

When we went back later in the afternoon, we walked up and down different streets and discovered much more of the town.  We found a whole row of churches and cemeteries. In the fading light of the afternoon, these places were spectacular. The walls, steeples and buildings are very old and the trees are very tall and dripping with Spanish moss. There were very old and very new grave sites. Interestingly, in light of the upcoming holiday, there were many flags planted next to the grave sites. There were American flags, Confederate States of America flags, and even a couple English flags. Yes, English flags standing next to the graves of some English soldiers who died here during the Revolutionary War. Also of interest were the military insignia placed at many of the sites. There were insignia from the Korean War, the Viet Nam War, WWII, WWI and even the Spanish American War. It really is striking just how much history is crammed into a little place like this. I know there is lots of great history in Southern California, but it all seems to get lost in the shuffle and loses its visibility. Granted, Southern California is simply not that old, but there are people there who hold the keys. We just don’t see and appreciate them the same way we do when we can stand in a cemetery where there remain markers from prior to the time this land became America.

This is a very nice town.  It is very neat and clean and orderly, almost too so.  There are some really beauitiful homes demonstrating wonderful archetecture.  It would seem you could buy one of these beautiful homes for pretty cheap.  Unfortunately, you would spend your last dollar rennovating them every time the wind blew the siding off one side or the other.  It would really have to be a labor of love. 

We really wanted to get out and explore a little more.  Unfortunately, there is no public transportation in Beaufort, and many things were simply outside the reasonable range for bike trips.  That's too bad.  Brenda's sister is a Marine who did her basic training at Parris Island.  There is a museum at the recruiting depot that we wanted to see.  So, we called to find out where it is and if there was a way to get there.  The bonehead (not Jarhead) on the phone was not polite and was in fact rude.  This was completely anathema to what we have otherwise experienced here in "the south".  So, I guess the base will not get our money.

Check out the dates on this headstone - 1779!!! - and English flags, too.

Seeing a Confederate flag here in the south is far more interesting than seeing one in Southern California.  I never learned this in school, but during the civil war when the southern states suceeded, they called them selves the Confederate States of America (CSA).  And I'm still not sure whether California was a northern state or a southern state or whether or not it was the subject of concern as were many other states coming into the union during the 1860's. I am aware, however, that there is a barracks on Catalina Island at the Isthmus that was built and used during the Civil War by Union Soldiers for training and to watch for pirate activities.

Then we had supper at a terrific Tappas and Wine place. The food was excellent. That evening, we strolled along the waterfront stopping for a cocktail and enjoying the sunset.

The next day, we crossed the Beaufort River and went for a long stroll on Lady's Island.  We discovered a very cool antique mall.  However, I wonder where the line is between antique store and garage sale.  The cool thing about antique stores in small towns is that they hold a lot of evidence of days gone by; what folks were into, what they did, what they liked, their styles, their lives in general.  In a town so close to a Marine base, it is no wonder we found several booths stuffed with military memorabelia including uniform buttons, ribbons, medals, photographs, hats and other articles of clothing.  Again, local small town antique stores can and do tell many stories. 

We had a nice day of it and ended it at a wharfside tavern where we enjoyed cool drinks and excellent deep fried pickles.  Yes, deep fried pickles.  These are so good!

This is a house where something happened.  :}

Have you ever had one of those days when you just didn't even want to go out?  When you just want to stay in your pj's all day and do nothing?  That's exactly what we did yesterday.  We drank lots of coffee, and talked.  Brenda knocked out a puzzle and a half and I read an entire novel.  We then enjoyed a wonderful sunset and a nice dinner followed by a movie.  It may seem strange to some, but what we are doing is quite exhausting.  Not so much the heat, the humidity, the constant hiking, and climbing of stairs, but it is quite mentally fatiguing to be in a new town every couple of days trying to figure it all out; constantly learning, studying, and gathering information, all the while trying to make sure the boat starts, doesn't catch on fire, sink or run aground.  It's a wonderful challenge, but now it makes sense why students need a break in the winter, spring and summer.  Learning is hard work and when you are doing it every day, you get tired.  I'm not complainin', I'm just sayin'.......

We are leaving Beaufort today and heading about 22 nm up towards Charleston.  We plan to anchor in the Ashepoo River and just chill a day or so out in the wilderness - make bread, watch birds, look for gators, listen to music, read, you know.  We plan to be in Charleston on Sunday.  I'm hoping to find a bottom cleaner there that is not a total cruiser gouge.  Some guy in Savannah tried to tell me he charged $4/foot to clean the scumb off the bottom of my boat.  Hell, why did I bother to go to law school when I can make money like that?  I sure miss my bottom cleaning service back home -- hear that Michelle?
 

We're out there somewhere.