We left Georgetown on a cold, frosty, but bright morning loaded down with our booty of seafood. Leeway was, one again, seeking her place in the sun (and warmer locations - you won't believe how cold it's been since we left home).

We were entering a region that would present greater opportunities for anchoring than was possible through the Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach) area. A strong high pressure cell was sitting right over top of us and this created bright, clear skies but accompanying it was a blast of frigid air (of course, the area TV stations were calling it a "Canadian" artic cold front) and so we bundled up and headed further south. We travelled throughout the day seeing very few boats and arrived at about 4pm at DeWees Creek at ICW mile marker 454.7 and threw an anchor for the evening. The anchorage was near an inlet from the ocean and a state wildlife refuge making both the scenery and the abundance of wildlife breathtaking (see the photo gallery). The only traffic moving through the area was a ferry that shuttles birders and other naturalists from the mainland to the refuge and so we spent a quiet night in idyllic surroundings.

The next morning was a little warmer and, once again, sunny and so we weighed anchor early and set off towards Charleston - our next stop.

We travelled through a rather narrow channel, under a bascule bridge that required opening, and into Charleston Harbour where we promptly ran aground. Fortunately we easily extricated ourselves from our temporary love affair with dirt and we ran the huge ocean-going ship channels through the harbour and found the City Docks near downtown Charleston. They call the City Docks - the "Megadock" and you better believe it's just that. The face pier is over a quarter of a mile long and you guessed it we found ourselves assigned a spot at the very end and, boy, was it a long, long walk to the office and washrooms. The mega yachts parked there were absolutely amazing and were just a prelude to the kind of wealth that we found prevalent throughout our stay in Charleston. But, the first afternoon had to be dedicated to changing the engine oil, an alternator belt, and transmission fluid before we could go sightseeing because maintenance schedules are a cruel master.

We decided to leave our tour of Charleston until the next day and shortly after breakfast we were off to see this fascinating city. Charleston is draped with history like the palmetto trees are draped with Spanish moss. Everywhere you turned were astonishingly beautiful antebellum mansions, historical sights that dated back to the civil war and beyond, gorgeous modern parks, and friendly inviting people. Charleston is the place where the civil war began at Fort Sumter (which is located in the harbour) and has been continually occupied since Neolithic times.

The city's connection to the confederacy is not only well documented but proudly preserved, and monuments and preserved historical sites abound everywhere. Truly it seemed we were walking through a history book.

But, to pretend that Charleston, is merely a footnote in history does this dynamic city a serious injustice. It is today a modern, clean and forward-looking international city that provides first-class facilities to international maritime shipping companies and the cruise-line industry as well as a destination of choice for both international and domestic travellers alike.

Truly it was a most enjoyable day spent immersed in history with first-class facilities right at hand. If you ever get the opportunity to visit Charleston don't pass up the chance you'll truly regret it. This is indeed a most unique example of a gracious southern city that seems to provide a genteel serenity for all who visit.