Getting Closer

Holden Beach to Charleston |  22 Hours  |  145 Miles 

Saturday night was the coldest we have seen so far. We woke Sunday morning to find crazy numbers on our saloon weather station. The heat had been running all night to heat the air at ceiling level to a comfy 80 degrees. The temperature at our living level struggled to reach 65. The humidity had dropped to near zero. My cactus may have felt right at home, but I felt like my contacts were going to flip out of my eyes. A look outside confirmed we were still in the middle of winter. The dock was frozen over and icicles had reformed on our bimini and flybridge chairs. It wasn't until afternoon that our checks from the pilot house door revealed enough melting for us to venture out. First we cleared some ice off the decks, then we made a final run up to Lowe's Foods to get our elusive chicken and yogurt. 

Monday morning was clear and sunny. We took care of the paperwork at Zimmerman's then pulled out into the ICW, more than ready to make our way south. First, however, we needed to retrace our path north to the Cape Fear River. Along the way, My Cat fell back in behind us. We passed the newest lighthouse in NC, the non-descript Oak Island Lighthouse to starboard. The classic Old Baldy, NC's oldest lighthouse, stood guard to port. We exited the inlet and turned south. The morning's sun shone brightly before us.

It was a great day on the water and the sun warmed the pilothouse. Layers were quickly peeled and we both eventually changed into shorts and T-shirts to welcome our idea of perfect temperature. The afternoon passed quickly as we clicked off the miles. Around 5:00 as the sun was sinking low, I was at the helm when the spotted dolphins arrived. Two swam over and jumped into our bow wave. I called Barry to come take a look. More dolphin came to join the performance.

For the next half hour we were spectators to a dolphin dance recital. They bobbed and weaved, crossed over, leapt in the air, and dove deep. The most I ever caught in the frame at once was seven. There had to be a dozen of them. It seemed they were as excited to see us as we were to see them. 

The dolphins peeled off to go wherever dolphins go at night. The sun and clouds then took the stage to display their colors.

As the sun set we began our watch rotations. The night passage was easy with no traffic. Around 3:00 we began seeing the Charleston Harbor parking lot -- a dozen freighters anchored offshore waiting for the opportunity to come into port and unload. By 6:00 we were in the Charleston Channel, staying between the lighted buoys. We nailed our carefully timed arrival into the Ashley River and Safe Harbor Charleston City Marina (Megadock). At 8:00 we hit slack current and the marina office opened and called to get our dock assignment. Tied up by 8:30, I turned my attention to cleaning this filthy boat as Barry accompanied Don and Lynda from My Cat on the courtesy van to West Marine. The afternoon was gray and overcast. Our Gold Looper burgee was the only splash of color against the monochromatic sky. 

We are anxious to jump back offshore and move further south. Our next stop will be Saint Augustine, FL. These offshore hops are a great way to knock out a lot of miles at once. They are, however, dependent on a favorable weather window. We will once more have to hang tight and wait for that window to open. "Move and Wait" is frustrating and getting very old. We are, however, getting closer.