Adventures in Charleston SC
Tuesday December 4, 2007
In early November I purchased an 8 ft hard shell dinghy from American Sail, a Charleston company ( www.americansail.com). They make two types of 8' hulls, a V shaped hull and a flatter tri-hull. They also sell a sailing model of the V shaped hull. I chose the flatter tri-hull which appeared to be more stable. All three products are named "The Dink". I planned to take delivery here to minimize shipping costs. It turns out the owner personally delivered it Monday evening with no charges. He brought it in the back of the company pickup truck and we easily dropped it the water and I rowed it out to the Mega Dock where Surprise is tied. Most events today focus on learning about this new boat and how to haul it onboard.
The dinghy motor mount has the marine StarBoard material outside the transom, but the inside is nice off-white gel-coat. The manufacturer recommends that rubber pads be used to protect the surface from the motor's mounting screws. Joe used the Charleston City Dock Marina van service to visit a West Marine store to purchase a rubber dinghy motor mount pad.
On Tuesday evening we joined Rosa's niece for dinner at the "Long Point Grill", a lovely little restaurant near where she lives in Mt. Pleasant SC. We really enjoyed the food and company. Thank you Frances.
Wednesday December 5, 2007
Our first walking tour of Charleston. The marina shuttle dropped us on King Street and we enjoyed walking through the narrow city streets with quaint alleys between homes. We toured the city market which was originally a slave market before the civil war and along Bay Street which runs parallel to the Cooper River.
Charleston has built a beautiful park setting where we were able to sit and enjoy the Cooper River scenery and several fountains.
Thursday December 6, 2007
Our second walking tour of Charleston. After walking around for an hour looking for an appealing restaurant, we had lunch at Sticky Fingers, specializing in southern barbeque. I enjoyed half a grilled chicken sandwich with coleslaw, French Fries (I tried not to eat them but half disappeared from my plate) and un-sweet tea. Joe had a baked potato stuffed with pulled pork and topped with melted cheese accompanied by a small Caesar salad. The kicker was the two glasses Palmetto, a locally brewed beer.
As we sat down in this restaurant, I felt we had gone back in time to the early nineteen hundreds. As I looked around, the wood everywhere was ornate and looked old even after being dressed up with layers of paint. The ceiling tiles were decorative tin and the crown molding was very wide and heavy. It obviously had several layers of paint as well. The walls were brick and their age called out to me. I sat there wondering what kind of tales this place could tell, “if the walls could talk”. I imagined it being a pharmacy with an old fashioned soda fountain back in the fifties.
Luck was on my side as a group of employees started rebuilding a retail display of prepackaged barbeque sauce available for sale to customers. Joe and I struck up a conversation with the manger. I asked her about the history of the building we were in. It dated back to the mid 1800’s. She was a true southerner eager to share what history of the area she could with us. The building has of course been through hurricanes, earth quakes, wars and fires. Most recently it was discovered the building started out as three separate buildings. It started out as a saddle shop and has been occupied by restaurants, bars and yes, a pharmacy with a soda fountain.
We also learned there are three apartments for sale on the upper floors and the owner has emphasized the most prominent architectural feature, the original brick walls. What a gem this old building is. Upon our departure we were invited back and given a discount card, good on our next visit. Was this Southern Hospitality or Good Marketing?
I am eagerly awaiting our next trip into the City. What else might I discover?
Friday December 7, 2007
Our tours of Charleston were great but I was anxious to test the dinghy. I mounted the motor and quickly toured the marina. As you see, this was an illegal action as the boat was not yet registered - no numbers yet.
We began installing the dinghy davit system Friday afternoon. Two stainless steel lifts will mount to the stern of Surprise. Each lift will sit on a swim platform plate and a plate will attach to the transom. The dinghy will hang from these lifts. Pictures to follow.
After measurements we carefully began to drill the bolt holes in the transom, but were interrupted when Surprise was hit by another boat. The captain of a boat that has been tied to the Mega Dock behind surprise left the pier in the same direction as the strong Ashley River tidal current, and was pushed by the current into Surprise causing us to be squeezed against the Mega Dock. Some minor fiberglass damage above the waterline where we hit the dock. Yes, accidents happen but this one could have been prevented by simply backing the boat into the current as we teach in Boat Smart and Seamanship classes. Strong tidal currents are typical in the southern ICW, and they are especially strong in the Ashley River where there's normally a five foot tidal swing.
Saturday December 8, 2007
Much of Saturday was spent worrying about the damage. We began the day by moving Surprise to a marina slip for the remainder of December. At that time we did not know the level of damage and wanted it away from the steady transient traffic on the Mega Dock, and also wanted to be positioned closer to the showers.
We enjoyed having Rosa's niece Frances and her husband Scott aboard Saturday evening for cocktails We then went out to dinner at a small café on James Island, just a short drive over the Ashley River. Our after dinner “treat” was a riding tour of the Holiday Light display on James Island at the county park. Discounting the wait to get in, it was a most enjoyable trip. The light displays were much more complex than those I had seen in past years at our local state park. Once we got into the park we found we were in a double row of cars slowly winding through the displays. Many displays were sponsored by local organizations and businesses and the displays were associated with local history, events or places. In addition to the customary religious displays there were the usual, Santa’s Toy Land and Candy Land displays. Animals local to the area were also represented.
After we got through the entrance we were treated to a curving drive around a small lake. The road was lined with palm trees on both sides and the trunks were wrapped in white lights spiraling up the tree. There had to be at least 300 trees along this drive. As we looked across the lake, we saw a replica of the new Cooper River Bridge in blue/white lights with it’s reflection in the still waters of the lake. It was huge and just beautiful. Suddenly, this light display went dark. In about two seconds another display illuminated in about the same spot. It was a replica of the old Cooper River Bridge illuminated in yellowish lights. We were quite impressed. The whole park presented a surprise at every turn in the road. It was quite a memorable experience. Oh, I wish I had pictures. Thank you Scott and Frances.
Sunday December 9, 2007
Monday December 10, 2007
Most of Monday was spent getting repair estimates for the fiberglass damage.
Tuesday December 11,2007
Friday December 28, 2007
We retuned to Charleston last night after a very nice trip home for the Christmas holidays. It was so good to be with our family, and especially important this year after missing our annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Our plan is to relax a few days in Charleston, do some sight seeing and take care of some chores around the boat prior to celebrating the New Year in Charleston at the City Marina. I guess we liked this marina so well because of their personal facilities which are among the best we have encountered thus far on our journey south.
F&M Marine completed repairing the fiberglass cracks on the forward starboard side of Surprise while we were home. They did an excellent job. I could not find where the repairs were done. We would recommend them for any fiberglass or gel-coat repairs.
If not for the birds Surprise would have been in great shape. They really did a number on our boat while we were away. Prior to leaving, Rosa had washed the boat getting rid all salt spray and other dirt. Well, birds love a clean boat. It looked like they targeted every difficult area to clean. I watched how they landed on the boat next to us and positioned their back side just so, then plop! They left their droppings in a strategic spot. This helped me understand why we literally could not walk around the deck without stepping into it. Joe took most of the afternoon to again clean the boat. He even had to scrub the chair covers as well as the cover on the upper helm
Saturday December 29 & 30, 2007
We completed installation of the dinghy davit system and finished measuring for the bridle system. The bridle will move the dinghy stern lift point about 8 inches forward so the engine be fabricated from 1/8" stainless steel cable.
Monday December 31, 2007
We were joined in Charleston by family on New Years Eve. Rosa's sister and her husband traveled from their home in Sylva, North Carolina to spend the holiday with us. We had an early dinner and then took a tour of the older neighborhoods of Charleston via car. We saw many groups entering homes apparently going to a party. We returned to Surprise for a night cap and said our “Happy New Year”. I would guess we were all asleep well before midnight.
Tuesday January 1, 2008
We started the New Year with a hot breakfast at the Courtyard Hotel were my sister and her husband were staying. It was a pleasant walk from the marina. .
We spent the afternoon touring Charleston. We walked past many of the homes
we saw the night before and appreciated the unique architecture of each. What I
love about Charleston in that every home and building is different from its
neighbor. The gates of Charleston have to be seen to be appreciated.
They all seem to have unique designs. My sister told us that if a garden gate it left open it means you are welcomed
to come in and look around. Sounds nice but I have a problem waking into
someone’s yard without a verbal invitation. Anyway, this lovely gate was
closed.
This is the pineapple fountain in the waterfront park. We sat to rest and were entertained watching a sail boat race. It was cold and windy, the beginning of the “deep freeze” which was coming to the east coast.
We toured one home which had fourteen bedrooms and fourteen bathrooms. It was built after the civil war by a blockade runner who put all in money in the Bank of England during the Civil War. We were told that at the end of the war Mr. Williams was the richest man in Charleston. The house had an interesting history and we appreciated the gardens architecture. Mr. Williams built a home across the street for his daughter. The veranda is rounded and it is reported she never had children of her own so every Sunday they would invite children from the orphanage and have ice cream socials on the veranda.
Wednesday January 2, 2008
It was wonderful to tour the city with someone who had lived there and had some local knowledge and had read up on local history. We said farewell to our family on the 2nd as they were headed to Mt. Pleasant to visit their daughter before returning home to North Carolina. Cindy & Cliff, thanks for making this a special time during our trip.
Thursday January 3 2008
An extremely day. We had initially considered resuming our cruise south but decided instead to wait until the weather is warmer. We used this time to do a little reading and planning for our departure from Charleston. Joe also finalized installing cleats on both the new dinghy and Surprise.
Friday January 4, 2008
Warmer weather but still a little to cold to travel. We took a trip into town and toured the Charleston City Museum. This was a very good end to a nice stay in their city.