Off shore and over night we go

Off shore and over night we go,heigh ho, heigh ho off on another adventure we go.  The first week-end of every month the Charleston Cruising club plans a over night trip.  This month (August) it was to Steamboat Creek.  There were two routes that could be taken to reach the destination one was off shore and the other was down the ICW, you will never guess which one Walter wanted to take, that's right off shore. So in Walters attempt to make sure this was a good experience for the me (the newbie) he monitored the weather at least 3 times a day, everyday take make sure the conditions were the best possible.  The night before we would set sail the seas were looking very calm as well as the winds but the winds were coming from the wrong direction but by Saturday morning the winds had shifted just enough that we would be able to put both sails up, catch a little wind and motor sail to our destination.  There were a few other boats making the trip and taking the same route (safety in numbers) which really helped put me at ease.  Soooo, 8am we pull the lines, leave the marina and with a out going tide we motored through the Charleston Harbor, we reached the jetties in no time.  We passed the first marker, the second marker, the third marker and before you know it we are 5 miles off shore in open water.

All in all things were going pretty good.  We put the sails up and started to head south.  After a short time my stomach was starting to feel a little uneasy.  I suddenly turned mute not talking and trying to focus on not taking my uneasiness to the next level (chum). In Walters attempt to distract me from how I was feeling he became a great entertainer. We could see land the whole time as well as our companion boats in the distance. Morris Island light house.

We finally arrived at the inlet by Seabrook to start our way in shore up the Edisto River to Steamboat Creek.

I forgot to mention that "plus1" came with us on this trip but she came along as a passenger this time tied to the bow of the boat.

Approx. 7 hours after we left the marina we arrive at our destination.

 

We found a place to drop anchor, put "plus 1" in the water and relaxed before we joined up with the other cruisers for a well deserved cocktail hour.  Walter decided to get a head start on the cocktail hour, he earned it from putting on a mini cabaret show to keep me entertained and distracted.

We got cleaned up, made a small appetizer to bring with us, hoped in "plus 1" and headed for the host boat.  It turned out to be a very nice evening filled with the swapping of stories and great conversation not to mention bottomless amount of rum.  We finally said good night to all and headed back to our boat.  By this time we were ready for some real food the snacking was just not enough after a long day.  While I was prepping some meat for the grill Walter was getting the grill ready.  You know when you here a sound, that sounds faintly familiar "kerplunk" well for those of us that have accidentally drop something overboard know this sound. Yep, it was the gas nozzle to the grill that had fallen off and was no doubt sitting on the bottom of Streamboat Creek.  Our eyes got hugh and our stomachs got hungrier.  Plan B, turkey sandwiches.

After dinner we relaxed and watched the sunset and then off to bed

Bed, it was a warm night and the breeze had calmed down just a bit, lets just say there was no spooning that night.

In the morning we had coffee, breakfast and talked about our return trip, off shore or ICW.  My stomach was starting to return to normal but not quit there yet so we opted for ICW, besides we had never been on that part of the ICW and thought it was worth checking out for a future adventure. So we pulled anchor and went on our way.

The trip up the ICW turned out to be hot and long so Walter kicked back a fired up a cigar.

Before you know it we are at the Wappoo Bridge, our timing was perfect we were there 10 minutes before the hour so we radioed in and requested an opening.  We were glad that we were getting close to home but there was a little hiccup.  We heard the traffic stop and the gates close but the bridge was not opening, still waiting and nothing was happening not even a call from the bridge operator.  All of a sudden the traffic arms open back up and the cars are moving again.  The bridge operator calls us to let us know that she could not get the bridge to open and would have you call a electrician for help.  Note: this is Sunday afternoon, where do you get an electrician and how long would it take (a hour, 5 hours, tomorrow). Walter and I looked at each other in amazement and then tried to figure out what we were going to do.  Do we hang around with our fingers crossed or go look for a place to anchor and settle in for the night?  But what I was really wondering is if we had enough ice to make rum drinks if we had to wait until the next day.  We got another call from the bridge operator telling us that she was going to try to open the bridge manually, so we hung out close by waiting.  Then with out warning the traffic stopped and the bridge opened.  We put the engine into high gear and got through.  Once passed the bridge we could see off in the distance the Ravenal Bridge, it was like a beacon to follow home.

So under the James Island overpass, through the Charleston Harbor, up the Cooper River and we were home.  Another great adventure to put in the books.