Charleston to Beaufort

Boats ashore approaching our marina

We were hoping to get an early start but once again we were greeted with heavy fog that delayed our departure.  As we cruised southward, we saw increasing damage and it is clear that this stretch of the coast received the brunt of the storm.

Hanging out at the water cooler?

As you cruise this area, you can certainly see why they call it the ‘low country’.  Miles of large expanses of sea grasses with sporadic tree vegetation.

Look at the length of those walks!

The salt marshes and high tidal range force dock owners to build long extensions to get to deeper water and their boat lifts.

A master at work!

It was not a long day and we arrived at Lady’s Island Marina around 3:30pm.  Patsy and Stu met us at the dock and came on board for drinks.  We were invited back to their new home as overnight guests.  It seems as if they have been there for more than two months as their house is very welcoming and feels like home.  It is a lovely location on a quiet cul de sac and also overlooks a golf course.  We had delicious oysters both cold and barbecued as an appetizer with roast chicken on offer for the non-seafood loving Crew.

A friendly neighbour? 

The next morning after a leisurely breakfast we got all our errands done.  Most important was the stop at Bill’s Liquor to stock up for the winter.  As soon as we got in the store, Stuart grabbed two 1.75L Southern vodka for $40: “Praised in the field, admired in the ballroom and loved in the bedroom, Beauregard Dixie.  Man amongst boys.”  Don’t you love the south?  On to shopping at Publix and back to the boat to stow the supplies.  We needed two dock carts to carry all the booze! 

Catching up

After a quick beer / wine, it was time for a brief tour of downtown Beaufort and, of course, another stop!  This time it was Hemmingway’s, one of Stuart’s favourite bars.  This is a location favoured by Tom Berenger but, alas, he was not there.  After a quick libation, it was

Toasting the evening

back to The Taylor Inn, charge your glass, and hop on Stuart’s new yellow golf cart.  It was a good thing we chose white wine instead of red because it was a challenge keeping the liquid in the glass!  As we drove around the golf course and the neighbourhood, some houses had significant damage to their trees.  It was such a shame to see these old live oaks completely uprooted.  It will take years for them to regrow.  Dinner again was at our hosts’ – a delicious pork tenderloin with a side order of shrimp and grits.  We made it a somewhat early night as our hosts had an early flight the following day.