Charleston

 TRAVEL DAY 25 - Bennett Point to Charleston

March 31, 2023

6.42 Hours/46 Miles

    Our quiet anchorage was great and judging by the number of bugs flitting around the cockpit lights it's better to be inside than out. 

 

Charleston Waterfront

    The trip was pretty uneventful but we went through some pretty narrow cuts with very little water and we were thankful for our 3'4" draft and protected keel. At one point we came to a cut to see a dredge in the middle of the channel. The boat ahead of us called for instructions to pass. No answer on 16. We later found that although they should monitor 16 the preferred channel is 13.

Low water and long docks

    This particular dredge had an anchor out on either side of the creek secured with a steel cable. We watched the catamaran pass slowly and close to both the red channel marker and the steel cable. As we approached I called out the window to the dredge operator to ask for instructions on how to pass. He said "Your fine to go between the cable and the marker but don't go outside the marker there ain't much water there". We did as he instructed and slowly passed the cable and marker. Once clear and away from the dredge and the pipe we increased our speed and carried on, closely watching the center of the channel and the depth finder. 

Dredge in the channel

    About 2 days later we saw a post on Facebook about the same dredge, seems this guy was not so lucky as he somehow managed to snag the steel anchor cable with his props and tore his running gear out. Ouch! 

Dredge Anchor Cable

An expensive repair

    It was a long trip to Charleston and we were ready to get tied up to the dock at Charleston City Marina and back on land. 

Photo courtesy of the Crew of Liberty - A passing Looper

     

    We called the marina for docking instructions and were instructed to move into the fairway and turn around before the sign, then back in down the fairway for a port side tie. Backing a single engine boat is a challenge and like it always seems to happen, we had a stiff wind and 2 kt current to our stern blowing us directly down the fairway. Great. I did as instructed and wrestled the boat in a 180 degree turn to face both the current and the wind, then forward and reversing the engine to let the elements push us back to our slip. Nerve wracking but we did it. The guy in the boat we settled in behind had a pretty discerning look on his face wondering if we would crash into him. We didn't, but a day earlier another boat did just that.

Charleston Waterfront

    We spent the next 3 days in Charleston (pronounced "Chaaston") We took a 2 hour walking history tour and explored the beautiful city. Incredibly interesting and our tour guide, a native of "Chaaston" was fantastic. 

    I love the architectural features and old buildings. Charleston is very serious about their building preservation and that has kept this town looking the way it does. As buildings were allowed to be "subdivided" they have an interesting address system where buildings between whole number addresses can be 1/2 numbers and even zero! 

1/2 Addresses

Quite a few locks over the years

    Before the Battery Wall was built at the end and to towards the opening of Charleston Harbor, the city flooded. What I thought were hitching posts in front of some of the homes were actually posts to tie up boats. 

 

The Battery Wall

Concrete boat ties from when the original streets flooded

    The guide told us that Charleston was set up as a business venture and not a religious community and didn't have a church for 10 years. Not being a religious sort of community made it possible for many different faiths to build churches there without one church trying to stop the other from putting down roots.

Church Street

Another beautifully restored home

    We also learned that Broad Street basically divides the city culturally and economically. The houses get nicer and larger as you go farther south of Broad Street. If you are "South of Broad" you are an "SOB" and if you are north or "Slightly North of Broad" you are a "SNOB". 

Neat alleyways

    

One of the first houses to be saved from destruction by the early preservation society was on "Rainbow Row" where these homes were each painted a bright color"

"Rainbow Row"

    Two of Beth's sister's came the same day and we got to eat and explore together. I know it was special for her and she would have been disappointed to be so close to her family and not get to see them.

Time with Family

    We even got in some Pickleball as the courts were very close to the marina. In this college town the players were younger and we had a blast tuning our skills. 

Pickleball Y'all

    Later that last evening we met up with a fellow Looper at the dock and got to go to a "boat open house". Beautiful boat and the builder was a nice guy from New Zealand. This twin outboard diesel boat could be yours for a mere 1.5 Mil.

Most likely NOT my next boat

    A great time in this old city and we wished we could stay longer but the price to dock here is steep so we opted to move on.

An active waterfront

Bennetts Point to Charleston