We had been looking forward to our visit to Charleston for pretty much, well, forever. Who doesn’t? Characterized by laidback gracious hospitality and historic homes, Charleston is magnetic. Arriving by boat made it just that much more à point. Continue reading From Lowcountry Muddy Waters to Sophisticated Charm and Grace
Our visit to Georgetown was a quick one-nighter but we loved it and will probably return on the trip home. Delightful spot. We topped it off with a pleasant morning walk with the pups and coffee and cinnamon buns at the Coffee Break Cafe, then cast off to head out into the fog towards Isle of Palms. Continue reading Flooding, Scenery and Shallows
Yesterday, from Southport to Myrtle Beach, there was astronomical coastal flooding but no rain. Today more astronomical flooding was expected, but the forecasts were peppered with rain, tropical downpours with more than 3″, plus thunderstorms, hail and and even threats of waterspouts. The worst of it was well away from us. What’s a little rain, we thought? So off we went. Grand Dunes had been a convenient stop but otherwise there was no reason to stay. Continue reading A Closehand and Painful Glimpse at Flooding – and Historic Georgetown, SC
We woke up on the day after Thanksgiving to a beautiful clear, crisp day, much like Thanksgiving Day had been. The morning temperature was 38, so we were glad we were dockside where we could plug in to have heat (that pesky battle with our diesel hydronic heat, which would provide warmth without a shoreside connection, continues). After our very pleasant Thanksgiving Day, we were ready to continue our trek southbound. Continue reading Let the Flooding Begin
Being on this cruise, a big adventure, our first trip down the ICW, is very special. We have a lot to be thankful for. We wanted to take this Thanksgiving seriously and celebrate our good fortune together.
We had the turkey on board, and with a little luck it would fit in the oven of our Force 10 propane stove. It was the same stove we had on our Sabre, but we had never cooked a turkey in that one either. Continue reading Our First Thanksgiving On Board Esmeralde
Have I ever said we cruise without a plan? Well, yes. We cruise without a plan. No plan can make daily planning frustrating at times, but that is how we roll. Our only short-term goal was to find a place to have some heater parts shipped for arrival within a few days after Thanksgiving weekend, hopefully in a place we might want to spend a few days so we would have repair/parts flexibility. That was all shaping up to look like Charleston after Thanksgiving weekend. We had no need to move fast. Continue reading On to Southport for a Day or Three.
We pulled out of Swansboro on a gorgeous day, blue skies, light northerly, morning temps in the mid-40s. Crisp and refreshing made for a delightful start. We liked it. We were headed for Wrightsville Beach, which promised activity, maybe a bit of congestion and some shopping. Thanksgiving was approaching fast and we needed to get prepared. Continue reading On Firing Ranges, Dashing for Bridges, and Thanksgiving Shopping
