After leaving the oxbow anchorage (we have a special affinity for oxbows) our plan was to make a slow trip to Charleston where we’d provision and depart Thursday morning for an overnight into St Mary’s (Fernandina) or perhaps St Augustine 40 miles further. Skip Georgia? You bet and half of SC too.

We stopped in Georgetown, nabbing a spot at their free town dock for 3 hours. Sunday is not the ideal day to stop, which we knew, but that’s how it worked out.

Free municipal docks are not uncommon in towns along the ICW

A yummy lunch was enjoyed at Limpin’ Janes, a comfortable farm to table eatery on the waterfront. Independent Seafood and Kudzu Bakery were closed and Morsels Marketplace was now Crazy Fish restaurant (would definitely try it), so except for lunch and the free dock we stuck out big time. Getting into Charleston Maritime Center became super important now.

Jane’s front door. The back opens to the harbor walk and outside dining

The day’s forecast included late afternoon and evening isolated T-storms, to which we barely gave a second thought. I’ll bet you if this had been Nov 2010, I would have way more concerned. Feels good to not worry every weather event and yet still not become complacent. Our chosen spot for the night was – nope- not a creek but a river- did look like a wide creek though. Couldn’t have been more than an hour after we left Georgetown when Russ tells me about a m/v looking for a slip at Harborwalk Marina in GT. I didn’t hear the call myself because I was sitting on the roof enjoying the sun and light breeze- what storm? The captain sounds worried about the T-storm tonight and also asks the marina what they get for a storm surge?  Sandy on the brain?

Sunset over Charleston before the T-storms

Between 5:30 and 8p.m. we experienced a lighting show like I’ve never seen along the ICW; it may have rivaled the one in Hope Town. A light show on three sides, with cloud to ground bolts that looked like fuzzy pretzels rods. The sky lit up time and time again; the switch on, off, on. Nothing was closer than five miles and we had some rain and a bit of wind and thunder too.  I did note that a dark purple (bad stuff) center of one of the cells went right over Georgetown. Yes, that captain was right to be worried; he ended up right in it!

We spent two chilly nights in a real creek a few miles north of Charleston. We are weary of the cold and running the genset so we can have heat going in the morning. In fact, we’ve sent the cold up north and if it becomes a nor’easter please don’t blame us :-0

Meal time at Inlet Creek for the local Ibises