June 26-July 2

Prudent boaters move from port to port guided by the weather forecast and not a personal schedule. We monitor the weather using a variety of sources including Chris Parker, a marine weather forecaster familiar to many cruisers. Although we did not get a Sunday update from Chris, we felt confident with the reports we had to go ahead and leave Georgetown Monday. We left Charleston for Georgetown just after 6:00 a.m. expecting forecasted winds of 10-15 knots with 3-4- foot seas .Once we left the channel and entered the Atlantic Ocean we were surprised to get 20 knot winds with 25 knot gusts and six foot seas with a steep chop. Marco Polo looked like a Texan bucking bronco - with the bow rising up and then pounding the water as we came down from the crest of the wave. This slowed us down significantly. It took 13 hours to go 70 miles- three hours longer than expected. Needless to say it was a very uncomfortable day!

Despite the rough beginning, we enjoyed our stay in this quaint town with lots of personality! Founded in 1729, Georgetown is the third oldest city in South Carolina. Hazzard Marina, where we were docked is a short, shady stroll to the colorful commercial district, situated primarily on Front Street. We never tired of the fresh local seafood served in the restaurants we visited. I managed to browse through ALL of the shops at least once. South Carolina has some of the friendliest people we have come across. Tuesday evening we were sitting on the boat having a "sundowner" when a couple walked by the boat and we started chatting with them. Deanie and Micky live in the neighborhood. When I asked about grocery stores in the area, Deanie kindly offered to take me to the store the next morning as there was not one within walking distance. On Thursday evening we joined them for dinner at the Tuna House ( the locals gather here on Thursdays to avoid the weekend tourists). We had a great time and look forward to seeing them on our return trip,


It seems all the seaboard towns have pride in their historical ties to the sea. Georgetown as the state's second largest port is very proud of its maritime museum which happens to be free of charge. We spent a couple of air-conditioned hours visiting the South Carolina Maritime Museum learning about the area's history from the many displays featuring photographs, documents and other artifacts related to South Carolina's rich maritime history.

That same day, we enjoyed a very informative tour of the Rice Museum. During the mid- 19th century, Georgetown led the world in rice exports. The fertile low-country flats near the Sampit River were ideal for growing what was then known as "Carolina Gold" as well as the highly prized blue dye- indigo. At the time, nearly half of all the rice consumed in the U.S. came from this area. At the end of the tour we bought a bag of their special rice. We were told once you try it you will never be satisfied with ordinary rice! The Civil War and its aftermath followed by a series of hurricanes in the early 20th century put an end to the rice industry in Georgetown. It was replaced by the lucrative Atlantic Coast Lumber Company in the early 1900's until the Great Depression. In 1936
The International Paper Mill was built which to this day remains as Georgetown's industrial base.

Prosperous plantation owners built massive homes, many of which survive in the Georgetown Historic District. The Kaminski House (Georgetown Photo Album) overlooking the Sampit River is pre-Revolutionary War and one of over 60 antebellum landmarks in the Georgetown Historic District. On our way to town each day we walked through the neighborhoods admiring them. I particularly liked the homes with the inviting wrap-around porches.

We are slowly getting into a slower pace as we visit these small towns. Georgetown residents know how to maintain work-life balance. Many of the shops have abbreviated hours opening at 11:00 a.m. and closing at 5:00 p.m. I had hopes of getting a manicure/pedicure on Saturday morning- too bad ...all nail shops were closed!

For the cruisers on the blog list, Hazzard Marina is a very convenient marina having all the amenities needed for a comfortable stay. A word of caution, Pete sighted a huge alligator (at least 10 feet long) crossing the channel early one morning. After a smaller gator was seen in the marina, the local diver refused all requests to dive boats. A couple of days later we saw a dead alligator near our pier. The diver then cautiously cleaned our boat bottom with Pete on alligator watch!

If you are cruising by boat or car on the East Coast, Georgetown is a stop worth making!

Next port-of-call, Southport, North Carolina!

Cheers,

Barbara and Pete