Charleston

Monday, Nov 18 through Wednesday, Nov 20 -- Charleston, SC

From our last post, we arrived in Charleston after an overnight offshore passage -- badly in need of marina facilities with holding tank pump-out.  While we were outside the 3 mile offshore limit,  our own attempt to macerate to empty our holding tanks had been unsuccessful for both forward and aft holding tanks.  We had hoped to come in to the Charleston City Dock, on the Ashley river (west side of Charleston), so we headed to that side of Charleston and dropped the hook to make arrangements.  However, they were full  and said they could not offer pump-out service to boats not staying on their docks, and as we called around further, we found there was no pump-out to be had on the Ashley River side of Charleston.  In addition, the depth in that area was 30', the holding was poor, the current was strong, and a strong blow was expected!  So we did some further hasty cell phone calling and found the Charleston Maritime Center (also owned by the City) on the east side, Cooper River.  They offered free pump-out and had dock slips available -- so we went over there.  That turned out to be great!

After pumping out we arranged dockage for our stay in Charleston, which we had planned to cover 3-4 days.

One of our tasks in this port was to get our holding tanks pumped out and to fix the offshore macerator pump.  Fred lost the coin flip to get his hands into this...

Fred with his hand (blue gloved) in the forward holding tank, repairing the macerator pick-up tube, which had come completely unattached.  A truly unpleasant chore (witnessed by Fred's  not-so-cheerful expression).  But we got it fixed!

Meanwhile, Dorothy went to sample Charleston's shops, in search of a mother-of-the-bride dress to wear at Sage and Sam's wedding next spring, and was also successful!  It turns out that Charleston is very walkable and has free downtown trolley buses -- easy to get around.  The post office where we had had a battery-operated drill shipped to ourselves General Delivery was just a couple of blocks away.  After that stop, having discovered online that King Street boasts a good number of women's dress shops, Dorothy was successful in finding just the right dress in less than an hour!!  However, that seemed too good to be true, so I spent a couple more hours looking further and trying on other dresses, and consulting with and emailing photos to Sage, the bride, and my sister, Betty Thomas.  In the end, the first dress was the best, and I look forward to wearing it on June 14!  (Sorry, no photo allowed, yet).

In all that walking up and down King Street, Dorothy was surprised to spy the sign below:

Mary Oliver on wayside pulpit, right on busy King Street in shopping district

A wayside pulpit featuring this Mary Oliver quote could only mean one thing -- that a Unitarian church was lurking nearby!!  And indeed one was -- The Unitarian Church in Charleston!  Going through the passageway framed by the signs and brick walls above, you enter the church's cemetery (below).  This is not your typical cemetery!

Unitarian Church in Charleston cemetery

The cemetery is wild and lush with all variety of plants, with grave markers dating from the 1700s to the present, and benches on which to sit quietly and rest, reflect, or remember.  It takes up a good chunk of the block between King and Archdale Streets, where the church is located:

Unitarian Church in Charleston  at "A", cemetery behind and to the side.  Church next door also has a cemetery behind it.

The church is pictured below from the street side:

Unitarian Church in Charleston

This being the south, many of the historic buildings were built with the labor of enslaved workers, including this church -- an uncomfortable piece of history.  The church has constructed a memorial to the enslaved workers whose labor made construction of the church possible.

Memorial to enslaved workers who helped build the Unitarian Church in Charleston

The bird looking backwards over its shoulder symbolizes learning from our past.  May it ever be so.

With macerator repair, dress-shopping, and unexpected cemetery-visiting complete, we had plans to connect with friends, one of the most enjoyable aspects of the cruising life.

Ben Eriksen Carey and Teresa Carey, the wonderful delivery-training captains we had sailed with from Florida to Rhode Island last May, were doing a similar delivery/training with Marc and Jen Konesco, on their new Jeanneau -- s/v Adagio, and happened to arrive in Charleston shortly after we did.  We were thrilled to be able to connect for a delightful dinner together at the Hominy Grill (unfortunately sans Jen, who had flown back home).  The Konescos are planning to become live-aboards with their 3 young children in January -- home schooling on board to boot!  We look forward to seeing them all in the Bahamas...

The Hominy Grill in Charleston gave us a real taste of southern cooking.  We began with an appetizer plate of Jalapeno hushpuppies with sorghum butter.  Fred had shrimp and grits!  Dorothy had cheese grits with the southern vegetable plate including mustard greens, zuchini casserole and cornbread.  We shared an amazing dessert chocolate pudding.  Check out the Hominy Grill menu at:  Hominy Grill    YUM!

Back at our slip, we observed several large ships passing by, including car carriers like this one below:

The back of this ship has its own fold-up car highway bridge for loading/unloading:

Note also the life boat a la Captain Phillips!!!  We were told that there is a nearby BMW assembly plant, which supplied these car carrier ships.  

CHARLESTON  PICTURES

Charleston is a really beautiful city!  Our friends John and Laura Scott, who divide their time between their Middlebury and Charleston homes, had invited us to contact them when we came into Charleston, and fortunately, they were here.  John gave us a wonderful walking tour, and we all toured additionally as we went out to dinner one evening.

Charleston is a city famous for porches (here called piazzas - roofed and arcaded passageways).
Fred recognized this one from Beth Dow's pictures - and one of her screensavers...

 Charleston also has a beautiful park at the Battery, at the point overlooking the harbor entrance:

 Beautiful historic architecture:

A city of many beautiful churches :

 One of many monumental historic residences south of Broad Street

John & Laura Scott's lovely home in Charleston.  

John and Laura were wonderful hosts to us, giving us walking tours -- they have amazing historical knowledge of Charlerston!  We enjoyed an evening walk and dinner out with them -- the city is so beautiful in the evening...  We also enjoyed some "old home week" with them chatting about Middlebury matters... Thanks again, John and Laura!

Fort Sumter - at the ocean channel entrance...where the civil war started

Sailing out of Charleston...

A ship coming into Charleston as we were leaving;  they move fast!

 Below 90 seconds later: 

Container ship coming into Charleston Harbor

Back in the blue water -- a following sea on our overnight passage to Doboy Sound, GA