So much to report since leaving Charleston, one of our very favorite cities. I spent almost the whole two weeks without Sally stripping and refinishing the teak on the boat, not a pleasant task, but paying someone else to do it wasn't pleasant, either. We left there on May 2nd and anchored behind Ft. Sumter. This seemed like such a great idea, as the winds and waves were forecast to be minimal, what could go wrong? Well, the tour of Sumter was fine, but boat traffic out the inlet there was heavy and lasted all night. It was one of our worst nights at anchor, and we have spent a LOT of nights at anchor.
The next day we went out in the Atlantic to the inlet to Georgetown. We hardly ever go outside, preferring the chicken route of the Intracoastal Waterway, but it was quite quiet and a quick way to qwell the need to move inside.
Then we went to one of our favorites, Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach, where we took on fuel and hung out with old friends for a day. Then off to an anchorage just on the northern border of South Carolina, where we dinghied in to North Carolina for seafood, then back to the boat for the night.
Then off to Carolina Beach Park Marina where we saw native carnivorous plants on the eastern side of the Cape Fear River. Then up the ICW to Mile Hammock anchorage, an interesting spot in a Marine Corps base where we can't get off the boat or we would presumably be shot. It was quite the place as several boats dragged anchors in the wind and one packed up and left because of the difficulty in getting theirs to hold. We slept well and left early the next morning.
We anchored out front of Swansboro, which had Sally's best yarn store, a quilt shop, lots of art and more friends. Tom and Melissa Goodman who are also Monk owners are the harbor hosts there, and brought us and others to their home for dinner and a tour of the town. We will definitely be back.
Anchored the next night in front of Beaufort and toured the town with other friends who were doing the anchoring thing with us. We left the next morning for Oriental, where there is a new free dock. I think I have always been albe to stay free in this lovely town.
And tonight we are at Dowry Creek Marina, a delightful spot with a pool, courtesy car, cocktail hour, power for air conditioning, water, laundry, fuel, everything a cruiser needs. And I got to help out with docking a sailboat that came in with no motor. It doesn't sound like much, but a big deal with the wind at your stern and no way to stop.
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