Yesterday, 11/7, we had a lovely motor-sail through the marshes and then behind Isle of Palms to arrive in Charleston in early afternoon. Tied up at the City Marina at a specified, long dock mainly occupied by mega-yachts. Our arrow looked like a sailing dinghy for some of these things. (We put a record 15.9 gallons of diesel into our tank, but we saw a couple of sales of 600+ gallons.) Anyway, we took the free shuttle to a grocery store to restock the boat, then had a very nice seafood dinner at a modest place next to the marina.

This morning, 11/8, we planned a near-noon departure to minimize adverse currents - tidal range here is about 5 ft, and it will be up to 9 ft in GA we are told. In doing maintenance checks in the morning, the Captain discovered about a half-pint of water under the Volvo shaft seal - a rubber gadget that lets the propellor shaft into the boat, but supposedly not the sea water. Perhaps over influenced by old-friend Evan's aphorism (in a different transportation modality) that "at the center of any traffic incident you will find a Volvo," the Captain feared that the seal was going bad. This would require a haul out to fix.

Fortunately there is a large Beneteau dealer next to the marina. The service manager there said, in Frenglish, that these seals do not go bad, the small leak likely is due to a fixed seal at the outboard end of the stern tube, and that this could be fixed at haul out next spring since a little water in the bilge never hurt anyone. In any case, the area remained dry today, and the Captain has mellowed.

When we left Charleston we ended up milling about the area next to the Wappoo River drawbridge for an hour while electricians tried to get the damn thing to open. Finally it lifted, and we motored south for a little over 3 hours to anchor in a pretty place that is a mixture of marshes and higher ground.

The Admiral wishes to report that it was sunny and in the 70's today, with light wind - no more longjohns or morning gloves, it is hoped.