The Good the Bad and the Ugly

The judges gave us a perfect ten on our Megadock dismount yesterday morning, and we waved goodbye to charming Charleston and the Atlantic Cup sailors about 8:00a.m.  Yes, we are learning to get a little later start some days, which was good because unbeknownst to us our first bridge was closed between 7:00 and 9:00.  After making our way across the harbor past Fort Sumter and northward into the ICW, it was perfect timing, gliding under the Ben Sawyer Bridge behind two Benetaus at exactly 9:00 without having to wait for the next opening at 9:30.  Arriving five minutes later would have made us tread water in the currents for twenty-five.   Pure luck!

Wind in the northeast, we were able to roll out the main sail for a little boost to our motoring average 6.9 knots.  Tide was high helping us snake cleanly through what the captain thought would be some shallow areas.  As some of you know, the currents would be with us for a while giving yet another boost of a couple of knots, then against us, slowing us down some.  After fifty miles in seven hours we arrived at our anchorage Minim Creek.  Later two other sailboats joined us for a quiet evening swinging among the crab pots.

Now for the bad and ugly.  First bad, the South Carolina green flies (small horse flies) are more prolific than the Missouri mosquitoes or Punta Gorda Noseeums.  Picture this, Aurora has the main sail up with wind about 9-12 knots, heeling about 10 degrees, Dennis manning the helm through the shallow water with one hand on the wheel while wildly swatting one pesky fly after another with his other, yelling, "Dirty rotten xxx xx a xxxxxxx."  More bad, I am limping from a bruised hip acquired when I pushed the island of sludge off the anchor rode two mornings ago.  Big bad and ugly, Dennis, upon inspecting the engine noticed a big pile of salt collecting on the mixing elbow, obviously a crack in it somewhere.  (This is the part of the engine that uses water to cool the engine keeping it from getting overheated.)  Our anchorage here is so remote we have no internet or we could have started last night searching, calling, getting a jump on the repair before we get to Georgetown, eighteen miles away.  Waiting for the tide to go up, means leaving here at 8:00, putting our ETA there 11:00a.m.   Last, the very ugly, but not sooo bad, when we tried to take Fritz to shore there was only one muddy bank and he refused to do his business jumping politely back into the dinghy with inch-thick muddy paws. Yuck!  So he has been sitting cross-legged ever since anticipating his dry grassy Georgetown walk.  Again, what a patient dog!

Down, but not out.  Mama said there’d be days just like this! 

Found out this afternoon the worst wasn’t so bad after all, just a plastic fitting.  Once we arrived at the Hazzard Marina in Georgetown I went to work on the engine since the mechanic never called me back.  After scraping all the salt deposits away from the engine parts I found a plastic fitting on the vented loop for the engine exhaust was broken and causing all the salt deposits.  Of course I could not find the part in the area so I ordered one on-line and it should be here tomorrow.

The afternoon was very restful when the rains came.  This evening we had a nice walk downtown and dinner at a local establishment, Buzz’s Roost along the harborwalk.  Hopefully the rains will end tomorrow  and we will be able to explore Georgetown.