Location: Chatleston, SC
Dad and I got up around five to leave the creek, but decided it was too dark. We pulled up the second anchor, hauled the dingy out, and organized the cockpit to kill time. Once it got light enough we left the inlet without a hitch. The sunrise was gorgeous, the most beautiful we've seen yet. Just after we left dolphins came so close to the boat that I could have jumped overboard and ridden on ones back. So it was worth getting up early. We were definitely beating the storm to Charleston at this point. The weather was still gorgeous. But nine o'clock found us waiting at a drawbridge for rush hour to end. Two other sailboats were waiting as well. There was plenty of room for all of us to wait in the channel there. However there was barely two feet of water under the keel everywhere you went. We listened to the depth sounder alarm for about thirty minutes before the bridge finally opened and we were off once again. The canal emptied out into Charleston Harbor. All three boats put up their mainsail at this point. The harbor leads to the ocean, making choppy waves. The slow up at the bridge didn't help and the storm was catching up to us. The mainsail steadied the boats as they rolled over the waves, adding some much needed pace. This enabled all three boats to get out of the open water before the storm really fell on us. A single barge was anchored in the middle of the harbor, waiting for the tide direction to change. A cargo ship was making its way into the harbor. We all made a mad dash for the opposite shore, trying to get across the channel before the ship. Cargo ships do not stop or change course for simple worries like sailboats. She could crush us without loosing a knot. All three sailboats gave up the race, unwilling to risk it and cut across the ships stern.
On the far shore of the harbor some nut was sailing a moth boat in the strong wind/current. It looked like he or she was having the time of their lives, though they must be soaked. I would love one of those boats, but I really have to master the wind surfer before I move on to a second summer sport.
We were by no means the largest sailboat out of the three of us but we managed to beat the other two around the bend and into the designated anchorage. Here we pulled into the Charleston City Marina. It was still calm enough to tie up without much difficulty. Dad was not happy. On the phone the marina had said that we would be on the inside of the face dock. When we arrived they said that our spot was no longer available and we were stuck on the outside with all the large powerboats. And by large I mean huge. There was one mega yacht named Turmoil that was two hundred and twelve feet long. Two hours after we arrived it started to get really rough. I had to bail out on the boat for awhile because I was afraid I was going to be sick... Yes on the dock it was that bad. The Megadock that we were on was 1,500 feet long, it was more that a quarter of a mile walk to put your feet on land. We were at the very, very end of the dock. The first walk down didn't seem that long, but it got old fast. Needless to say it was not a good start to the trip.
What we ate: BBQ chicken, broccoli
Spotted: private marble sidewalk
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