Beaufort to Charleston

Hi Everybody!

How are you all doing? We left Beaufort on the 17th of November and we arrived at the Charleston Maritime Center’s marina on the Cooper River on the 23rd. We are situated just below the sculptural Cooper River Bridge, which dominates the eastern skyline with its twin sails. This is a city owned and maintained marina and open only to transients in order to bring more tourists to downtown Charleston. The marina is in the heart of the historic district adjacent to the aquarium. Within walking distance is a multiplicity of art museums, fine dining, historic churches and homes, and best of all, family. Chappell and Betsy live nearby and Isaac will be joining us for the long weekend.

Our travels from Beaufort to Charleston brought us through Bogue Sound, the canal cut at Camp Lejuene, Onslow Beach, New River, Alligator Bay, Middle Sound, Snow’s Cut, Cape Fear River, Little River, Saucepan Creek, Pine Island Cut, Wacamaw River, Winyah Bay, Minim Creek and finally Charleston Harbor.

Traveling the ICW is sometimes peaceful and relaxing and at other times arduous and consuming. There are days when we are greeted by porpoises playfully leaping off Namaste’s bow and brown pelicans clowning around at the edge of the water. There are other days when I feel like Dorothy chanting “lions, tigers and bears, oh no!” Perhaps I am more like the scarecrow and my version of the chant goes “crab pots, currents and shoals, oh no!”

We have spent the night in places that vary greatly in landscape and ambiance. We dropped the hook in the little Hammock Bay past Camp Lejeune where helicopters chopped at the air above us all evening and we could hear artillery shells exploding in the distance as the marines practiced warfare. We spent one night anchored on Awendaw Creek in the middle of a vast marsh listening to the Laughing Gulls hiding in the reeds. We had a lovely night at the secluded, protected and accommodating Osprey Marina at the south end of Myrtle Beach.

In the larger perspective we have enjoyed the cruise down the ICW and we are glad to be greeting warmer weather here in Charleston. During our stay we have a few boat projects planned and some stocking up to do. We are also going to spend time with family and friends. We will be sharing Thanksgiving with Betsy’s family and Becca, Caitlin and Lynn Ward will be visiting us on Saturday. We also plan a trip to the aquarium, lots of walks along the water, we will be participating in the annual Charleston Turkey Trot and taking advantage of the museums and great dining available to us.

We think of you All often and miss your company.

Peace and Love

Deltaville to Beaufort

November 13, 2008


Hi Everybody,
How are you? We are doing great. We are sitting in the warm and cozy pilothouse looking out at a pouring rain. The wind is up and we decided to take an extra day here in Beaufort by the Sea.
Beaufort is a quaint sea town inviting sailors from all over the world. It is also full of history including the treacheries of Edward Teach, known as Blackbeard. Blackbeard ran his stolen ship renamed “Queen Anne’s Revenge” aground here in the inlet. He then absconded with all the treasure and lived a comfortable life for a while before he returned to pirating. His escapades took him from the Bahamas to the Virginia, North and South Carolina’s coasts. He held Charleston hostage for a short period of time.

We have had great weather since we left Deltaville, Virginia. While it has been on the chilly side the sun has warmed us each day. We left Deltaville on the November 7th after tensioning the rigging and waiting out the weather. We anchored in protected waters in Norfolk, Great Bridge, the Little Alligator River and Belhaven. We have traversed the ICW through the Chesapeake Bay, the Elizabeth River, the North Landing River, Currituck Sound, Coinjock Bay, the North River, Albemarle Sound, the Alligator River, the Pungo River, across the mouth of the Pamlico River down the canal and into the Neuse River.

At one time we are in narrow canals with little water on each side where you can see right into the nearby woods and marshes. At another time we are looking out across a wide stretch of water with no land in sight. We are both enjoying the meditative, vacation state of mind that is emptying. Emptying of should and must, need, desire and want. We are enjoying the visual delights as they reveal themselves to us each day.

Namaste is more and more becoming home. We are beginning to fully inhabit her. Searching sky and water from the quarterdeck, sunning on the foredeck, cuddled out of the wind on the steps of the side deck. She is a very comfortable and safe home.

We had our first (I hear everyone has at least one) grounding on our way into Beaufort. We were entering the very narrow Adam’s Creek. Chris and I had looked for all the markers and felt right on course. I just peacefully sat down on the quarterdeck steps to take in the sun. I looked out across the creek and said “What is that red marker way over there?” Dawn and awareness rise quickly but not in enough time to prevent the hard sound and feel of the thud as Namaste hit the shoal. Ah! We were hard enough aground that simple reverse was not enough. Chris put up the jib and she rolled off the shoal and floated. We held our collective breath as we watched the depth sounder move past the 5 foot 10 inches we need to float. We have watched as others go aground and hoped with them as they worked their way to deeper water. It is good to get that one behind us.

Chris is charting our course for the next several days. The ICW narrows with shallow water on either side between Beaufort and Myrtle Beach. We are looking forward to our arrival in Charleston. We have a good weather window for the next five days and hope to make Charleston by the later part of next week. And, the weather is not always as predictable as one would like. So we may be held up in yet another scenic location on the water.

Attached are some pictures of our trip from Norfolk to Beaufort.

Peace and love