Knots Upon An Ocean
Summer in New England is on its way. Boats from the islands south are migrating north for cooler waters. I decided to abandon my jobs and family for a week with one of my best friends helping to deliver her boat on the journey north.
She was returning to Rhode Island after spending the winter in the Bahamas.The trip would be from Jacksonville Florida to Georgetown South Carolina. This would be like old times, as we grew up together in a sailing community, spending years on the water in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island Sound and beyond.
After leaving Jacksonville we stopped in at Kingsley Plantation for a little bit of history, after we ran aground of course. In the waterway the currents can be swift and often move the channels!
Docked at Fernandina for a couple nights.
Our floating monkey fist key chain has seen a lot of miles and island sun.
We spotted a couple of these ocean rowing vessels in town and got a good look at these incredible machines.
Stopped by one of our knot customer's shops, Watanut, had a chat and bought some peanuts.
Got ourselves to Fort Cinch to do some shark teeth hunting. Not much luck. But found a shop in town, The Ship's Lantern, that had jars and jars of teeth.
Accessing the haul during lunch.
Next stop is Charleston, SC. We decide to leave the Intracoastal Waterway and go offshore for a couple days.
Heading out, found time for a photo session with our stripe sailor bracelet and red stripe whale tail bracelet.
Lots of dolphin, a turtle and many flying fish. Pretty sure I saw a shark slide under the boat too, twice!
As the sun got lower we prepared for some night sailing. During the night we navigated through plenty of ship lights. We saw a strange red port light behind us and it appeared to be rising up. What the heck! Turned out to be the Star Link launch from Cape Canaveral. It was so cool we forgot to attempt a photo of it.
We were approaching the marina in Charleston when an out of control cargo ship was sliding through the channel, similar to the ship pictured above. It was stuck in forward and going 17 knots. We just missed being in its path. The pilot did an incredible job of not hitting anything. The wake though did disrupt some docks and swamped a small boat at the harbor entrance. Phew!
Charleston is a big shipping port as well as a great historic town. Restaurants, museums and galleries. Learned a lot about the growing of rice back in the day and about the indigo industry.
The Vendue Downtown Art Hotel had a lobby filled with art!
Back in the waterway with an early morning start to McClellanville.
Lots of homes along the way with huge docks.
In the waterway, here and there lots of small motorboats usually at full speed.
Lots of shrimp boats in McClellanville. Super friendly people and we saw an alligator in the channel!
The Deerhead Oak Tree, is an evergreen oak native to the southern United States and could be about a thousand years old!
Back in the waterway and on our way to Georgetown. The rainbow anchor wrap can be an anklet or bracelet and even a necklace.
Lots of nifty ways to navigate these days.
Saw a lot of these rice trunks, wooden sluices installed in “banks” or dikes of rice fields for irrigation or flood control. These were used hundreds of years ago on the rice plantations and now used to control wildlife management areas.
Georgetown, an active paper mill and a steel mill in Limbo.
Our bartender, who happened to be a new Dad, liked our coasters.
End of the day, this salty dog and his friends are heading back to their boat.
captain, crew @sv_essence
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Christine Ruggieri
September 04, 2024
Wow Sue and Deb! You both are amazing sailing that ship back.!!
I’m so glad I found this.
I can live vicariously!
I could never do this! Good for you guys!!🐬🐬🧚♂️🧚♂️🧚♂️