"April 2001 - Crossing Charleston Harbor" Isle of Palms Travelogue by grandmaR

Sullivan Island light

We left Buzzard's Roost Marina and went through Elliott Cut and the Wappo Creek Bridge.

Then we motored down and across the harbor, and into the ICW on the other side. The Ben Sawyer bridge is over there, and it has fenders (wooden fences to keep boats from crashing into the bridge) only on one side. I assume this is because the water is too shallow on the other side. I heard the bridge tender pleading with someone not to go through the wrong side.

Saw black and white skimmers flying in pairs along the edge of the water with the bottom half of their beaks in the water. Saw human clam diggers mucking around in the mud.

McClellanville

We got to Isle of Palms on the other side of the harbor about noon after 16.6 miles @ 6.4 mph for a total of 578 nm. The boat dock guy was wearing flipflops and had a hard time getting us tied up. We were behind a big power boat and ahead of him was a huge Norseman catamaran. Later a big trawler named JANET ANN came in and tied up behind us.

On the other side of the dock were 2 sailboats, one with two dogs, and one with one dog. The dog spent its time lying on the deck, and when it wanted to go potty, it got off the boat using the stairs and trotted up the ramp, went, and then got back on the boat. Found that lady spent the winter here as she had family business to take care of.

We had cable TV, but the broadcast channels were so strong that they completely overlaid the cable channels, so we couldn't get the Weather Channel. The phone hookup didn't work at all, so I went up and used the connection in the office. We didn't even find the real bathrooms and showers until much later.

We got lunch (pork chops and chicken livers) at the deli, and ate dinner at the restaurant overlooking our slip. We both had barbecue chicken which was about $14 @.

The reason we stopped so soon was - Bob didn't want to spend another night in McClellanville tied to a fixed dock with an 8 foot tide. And McClellanville is the only place to stop between Isle of Palms and Georgetown.

Trawler from Montreal

JANET ANN left early, and then we left. We were passed by two other trawlers - STEEL MAGNOLIA and SUN CHASER. There was a third one GOOSE CHASE, but it never passed us although we heard them behind us on the radio. We passed a shrimp boat beached on the mud.

It's spring. Shore birds are mating on the mud flats.

As power boats would pass us, the laughing gulls would prospect their wake. Saw a bunch of gourds for birdhouses hanging on a stake like a big bunch of grapes. The wind is on the nose at noon, and there is current against us.

A sailboat named LUV IT passed us retty close. A boat with a big frame on the top came up and passed. It turned out to be a trawler from Montreal. There were several bikes and a ladder on top, and more bikes on the stern along with fuel cans. I took a picture.

Esterville car ferry

We came up to the ferry across the Mimms Creek Esterville Canal, and they waved us on through.

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