20. Charleston, South Carolina

Just before Charleston we anchored in Dewees Creek which is wide and deep with a swift current. It is very flat and open and meanders its way through grasses growing out of the water on both sides of the creek. This area is called the lowlands of South Carolina.

The lowlands have a beauty all their own. It was difficult to put down an anchor in the strong current but we’re pros at this now and have the technique down pat. There was another small sailboat that came into to anchor in the same area where we were. He dropped his anchor twice and still it dragged and the boat was pulled by the current toward us.

Roman had to sound his horn to bring it to the sailor’s attention. He was alone in the boat and found it difficult with the current to drop the anchor and then run back to the tiller to steer. On the third try, the anchor seemed to hold.

It was relatively calm at sunset before the winds picked up to over 25mph. And all night we were tossed about between the current and the wind. Roman was up several times at night to check our anchor. The next day it turned much colder and on went layers of clothing. The forecast was 25 knot winds with gusts up to 35 knots. It seemed much worse as we did not have any wind breaks at all and were wide open. The winds did not seem to bother the dolphins which swam and dived round our boat. We stayed put especially after I talked to the Charleston Maritime Centre where we were headed. The dock master told us their boats were being tossed around and suggested that the bridge just before Charleston might not open in these winds and that we were much better off where we were rather than trying to make it into Charleston.

This seemed a good day to bake. I checked out what ingredients I had and made date squares which turned out to be really fantastic. I made stuffed mushrooms, baked chicken breasts with herbs and a tomato and red onion salad. Just because you live on a boat does not mean that you do not eat well.

When we first entered Charleston Harbour we saw a mast sticking out of the water. It looks like one sailboat did not make it any further south. Look closely and you can see it to the left of the line of boats. We originally had planned to anchor near the sunken boat but we soon changed our mind when we realized that we had no idea just as there were no markings to indicate where the hull of the boat was located under the water. We then anchored not far from Charleston Yacht Club. The members are very active in the club which organizes many social gatherings. When we were there a committee was putting up Christmas decorations and invited us to have a spot of eggnog or a drink with them. They were very helpful in giving us directions and one member even drove us to a K-Mart. We took the bus back.

The tides are high in the area. Here you can see what the docks around the Yacht Club look like at low tide.



Charleston, South Carolina, is a sea of pastel houses with brick walled gardens with lacy iron gates and only the church steeples reach out to the sky. There are no skyscrapers at all. A city ordinance restricts the height of any building over eight stories. There are a few exceptions but they are very rare. An architectural review board even approves the colour with which you may paint your home. There is an approved palette from which you choose several colours and then one of the colours is accepted by the board.

Other city law states that anything over 75 years old must be maintained in the condition that it was at the time and that no changes can be made. The Catholic Church does not have a steeple as it did not yet have one when that law came into affect and now it cannot be added. Hurricane Hugo did extensive damage and one bank was destroyed except for the old wooden door. The new building that went up had to incorporate the door as it was over 75 years old.

This is an older structure that is being propped up while the new one will be built around it.

The Charleston Maritime Centre where we stayed for several nights was right in downtown Charleston and we could walk to the historic district, an immense supermarket and a scrumptious bakery that was only “a football field away” as we were told. Our boat is the second from the end of the dock extending from the right side of the picture.

We walked to the Slave Market which was not a place where slaves were sold as we initially thought (we saw that later) but a place where slaves came to barter and trade their wares after the Civil War. It was built on a tidal creek which was filled in. Charleston is on a peninsula and much of it is built on reclaimed and filled in land which is very prone to flooding. All homes are built such that the first floor is up a few steps and the ground level has openings on the sides so that water can flow through under the house. Needless to say there are no basements.

Here George Washington is smiling down upon us as we stop in George Washington park.

Charleston is a city steeped in history. I enjoy reading historical novels and it was very interesting to see the jail as well as the hanging tree which are featured in so many novels. The first shot of the Civil War was fired by South Carolina at Fort Sumter which was held by Union forces. South Carolina was also the first state to secede from the union and join the Confederates.

Here is a submarine that was actually used during the American Civil War.

We went on a carriage tour of the city and the waterfront. The guide told of much of the history and some of the folklore of the city. We heard about the pirate, Blackbeard, who stood 6ft. 4in. tall in a time where most men were less than 5½ft. He had an enormous black beard which he used to set afire to psych out his enemies before he boarded a ship. It is said that it took 10 men to kill him with knives. Beaureguard, the Gentleman Pirate, was hung with 40 other pirates on the waterfront, the Battery, and left to hang until they became skeletons to serve as warning to other pirates.

Alex and Christopher, this pirate was in front of the market where we got your pirate"change colour in the sun" T-shirts.

One of the homes that we saw on our tour belonged to the owner of the Piggly Wiggly Grocery stores. On his front lawn he has two statues of pigs which he dresses appropriately for the season. When we went by, the pigs were dressed up for Christmas with hats, coats and scarves. The pictures that I took from the carriage did not capture this wonder and we never had time to go back there. As soon as the American Thanksgiving was over in late November, out came the Christmas decorations everywhere.

The best tour we took in Charleston was the after dark Ghosts and Graveyards Tour where we heard stories of people being buried alive and of ghosts who still roam about the city. We actually saw what looked to be a ghost like figure on one of the church steeples. It was the way the lighting cast a shadow at a certain time of night. Ask us when we get home to tell you some of them, particularly about the first female serial killer story.

The third oldest church in Charleston is the Congregational Church which is an old round brick building with a graveyard attached. People were buried in crypts or mausoleums, in raised coffins so that bodies would not come up during flooding and in regular graves. It was the custom to bury several members of one family in one grave or raised coffin. Apparently one body was buried and covered with lye so that it would disintegrate quickly. When it came time to bury the next one, the first body would be covered with a shroud and the process repeated. The saddest tombstone we saw was one with several children dying close together indicating the year, the month and even the days the children lived. So many children died young!
At the Charleston Maritime Centre we met a very interesting couple, Don and Judy, from California. We found out that we had a lot in common, children and grandchildren and the time passed too quickly with them. We shall be sure to keep in touch.

We went out for dinner at AW Shucks Seafood Restaurant which had very interesting pictures on all the walls. The food was very good but the portions, as all portions in the United States seem to be, were huge. We could barely finish half of our dinner. We noticed that the lunch portions are what we would eat for dinner and the American dinner portions are twice that!