The Closing of Another Charleston Trip

We were up early on Thursday, and we were on the road at 6:30 am. We made great time up to Hickory. The purpose of stopping there was to get some grass planted on my father's property. We accomplished this with the help of a friend of Dad's named Ralph Jenkins. Ralph is a local Hickory man, and all around good guy. With his help, Dad and I got the seed laid down in good time. We checked in to the hotel, and settled in early.

Friday, it was up early again. We stopped at IHOP for a quick breakfast at six, and then got on the road so that we could spend the morning on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It was worth the side trip. We were just past the peak season for the changing of the leaves, but we still got treated to an amazing display of color and scenery. The land along the parkway seems to be untouched by modern society. The mountain top scenery is occasionally interrupted by a farm house or some pasture land. There are also one or two historical sites along the way as well. We took our time making frequent stops to check things out. We could have stayed on the Parkway for much longer than we did, but as scenic as it is, the Blue Ridge Parkway is not a great place to make time, and we had to get home Friday night. So we got off after a scenic three hours, and got back on track for the drive home.

Winding Down in Charleston

Sorry, no pic today!

Yesterday, the diesel mechanic came to visit "The Black Dog", and set to work diagnosing the problem, which turned out to be the exhaust manifold. The good news was that otherwise, the engine is in great shape, and Bob got some good tips from the mechanic on keeping it so. Afterwards, we made the trip from Beaufort to Charleston by car. It seemed ignominious to have a sailing trip torpedoed by a bad engine, but we were happy to have a couple of days of great sailing. Upon arriving back to Bob and Ronda's home in Charleston, we kicked back to relax a bit. The only task for that evening was to get Bob's car from the marina, for which occasion we used the MGB. I convinced Bob to detour through downtown, and I got to drive the MGB through downtown Charleston!

Today it was back to work for Bob, so I took Dad through historic Charleston. We visited Ft Sumter, met Ronda for lunch at Toucan Reef (where I had a great bowl of shrimp and grits), and walked around the South Battery and Meeting Street. We then stopped at a local fish market to get some locally caught fresh shrimp as part of a dinner we made for Bob and Ronda.

Tomorrow we say goodbye to Bob and Ronda, and head back to North Carolina to to do some work on one of Dad's properties, and then Friday we will start for home by way of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I hope that leg of the trip will produce some breathtaking photos to share.

In Port Repairs

We all had a good night sleep, and it was up early for us. Some of us earlier than others. Clive invited up to the Greaves household for hot showers. Not sure if it was a generous offer or a prerequisite for driving us into Beaufort, but since we could not run the engine to get hot water, we were happy for the offer either way. After a good breakfast at Blackstone's, Dad and I did a historic carriage ride through Beaufort, which was both entertaining and informative. After that, it was back to the business of the boat. Bob arranged for a diesel mechanic to drop by the boat, and Dad used his talents to fix the outboard motor for the dinghy. After completing some other tasks aboard the boat, Clive and Jennifer treated us to a very delicious home cooked meal with an evening of rich conversation. It was a night that will be long remembered by us.

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Tribulations

Today was a day to separate the men from the boys. I hope that we fell in to the former. We got underway early, and enjoyed some great sailing as we started from the North Edisto to Post Royal Sound. The winds were good. So good, in fact, that we thought we'd like to run out the spinaker. The problem was that the spinaker had a tear. Bob and I tried to patch it, but we seen to have on future as sail makers. The patch lasted about five minutes. We still had a great sail though, until we hit Port Royal Sound. We had to in under power, but discovered the engine had cooling issues. At one point, we could not restart it, but we were able to get it working to get to Beaufort under our own power. It was a trying day, but we had the right crew to see us to port. Fortunately, we had a berth available near where Bob's father lives, so we can get some work done on things tomorrow, as well as enjoy
some of Beaufort's many offerings.

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Under the Black Flag

We made great time to Charleston yesterday. After such a trip, it was nice to relax by the water before dinner. We attended a small dinner party thrown by Bob and Ronda, and were joined by Bob's parents and their two friends, and then we all got into costume and headed into Charleston. Sadly, I took no pix,, but we had a blast and saw many costumes, from Sara Palin to mermaids. Today it was up early for breakfast, and then doing the needful to get the boat ready to go. There was work to do for all hands, but we were underway by four, and the jolly roger was raised soon after. The winds were good so we chose to head out for a night sail. We lost the wind by nine, but as compensation we were treated to a stunning view of the Milky Way. We are now anchored in the North Edisto, and we are anxious to see where the wind takes us tomorrow.

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North Carolina

Yesterday was mainly a travelling day. We made good time to Hickory, about ten hours with two stops. Today, we are touring the Lefever Estates, and then do the remaining little bit to Charleston.

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A Waffler Wedding

Well, yesterday was the big day. Biker Bill walked down the aisle with Kori, and took her as his lawfully wedded wife. Tomorrow, they are off to the honeymoon in the Wine Country of California. There is now a majority of married men in the Wafflers, and everybody is lookin' at me (I dropped the "g" of the end for all you Joe Sixpacks out there). But I digress...

It was an outdoor wedding, and we could not have asked for a better day. I take it as a sign of good things to come. We got to Perona Farms early to do photos, and just before noon, there was a beautiful ceremony in which the vows were exchanged, and two became one.

After a great cocktail hour with many sumptuous appetizers, it was time for the reception. There would be great food, great music, and a lot of dancing. But to start it all off, we had two amazing speeches honoring the bride and groom, given by the Best Man (Dr. Bob) and the Matron of Honor(Karen). Because I have access to the speech notes Dr. Bob, and not out of any disrespect to Karen, I will recount the speech of the Best Man here:

"I 've got to tell you...actually I don't, but I would like to...how much it means to all of us that Phil, Bill's dad, was able to join us today. Sir, it is your kind of strength and character which you have instilled in your son that I admire so much as a friend, and Kori holds dear as a husband. Thank you.

A little over a hundred years ago, a golden spike was driven into the railroad connecting the established East with the new frontier of the West. Today we share the joining of two lives, Kori and Bill's, with the honor of witnessing their marriage symbolized by bands of gold.

Now, the economics of this union may not compare to the commercial prosperity of the Transcontinental Railroad, but something more important is happening. Bill and Kori have joined their lives together like two locomotives leading a single express train in which we are all fortunate to be passengers on. Imagine the wonderful times ahead we will all share with them as they explore and travel down the tracks of life together. I for one am looking forward to where the journey will take them.

One a personal note...Bill, in the past, when I have found myself low on steam and unable to see myself getting over that next hill, I have always appreciated you being there to stoke up a head of steam for me, and helping me get over that hill. I am sure that I can speak for all your family and friends when I say that if you or Kori ever need help stoking up steam to get over your next hill, you can count on me. You'll probably find me waiting for you in the bar car. In fact, I see some of you are already there, so perhaps you'll all join me now in raising a glass and toasting the marriage of Bill and Kori."

Great job Bob. And Bill, best of luck to you and Kori on your new adventure. May it be more exciting than all past and future Waffler adventures, without all the scars. Waffles Bill!

So We Got Sunburned

A truly great sail today. Unfortunately, conditions did not allow us to make Edisto, but that is how the wind is sometimes. With our back up plan also failing due to shallow water, we headed back to Charleston. So it was a good, full day under sail. And since Bill and I were not liberal enough with the sun block, we both have some red patches that promise to turn painful later on. As a bonus to me, Bob let me pull the boat into dock. Happily, I did ok, and Bob still has a very nice boat. Now off to Shem Creek to paint the town red, so to speak. We hope to numb the pain of sunburn...

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Waiting for Things to Blow Over...Literally

You might think Biker Bill and I were bored, and flew down to see Bob right when TS Hanna was going to hit, but you would be wrong. Bill and I are just lucky that way.

We spent Thursday night on the boat, and spent breakfast Friday morning deciding whether or not to sneak in a sail before the storm hit. Surprisingly, good sense prevailed and we took to securing the boat for Hanna's arrival.

Eventually, we made our way to Folly Beach to see if anywhere was open for hurricane parties. Of course there was. But first we wanted hit the beach to check out the doings. As you may have guessed, the surfers were out! I have to confess that even though I know in my head surfing during a heavy storm is risky, in my heart I would have been loved to be out there with a surf board. I can't explain it.

Now you may ask yourself, what is more crazy than surfing with a tropical storm/hurricane coming down? Kite boarding with a tropical storm/hurricane coming down! Yes a couple intrepid kite boarders were out there. I tried to capture a good image, but it was difficult due to the DRIVING RAIN!

After being thoroughly soaked, we retreated to a local establishment to dry out, and warm ourselves from the inside. Today we cast of, and if the winds are favorable, we will make it down to the North Edisto River and find anchorage for the night. Here's hoping!

A Full Stack of Waffles

Dr Bob is back in NJ! Or at least for the weekend. So we are packing as much into it as possible.

As to be expected, we all (Bill, Bob, Kory, and I) went to Yama Sushi last night for the "Bob Special". That is where they just make Bob whatever they want. But they have yet to put together a spread for us that was not top notch. They always get our vote for the best sushi in Morris County. Later on we retired to Bill's place for a scotch, and general relaxation. After Bill and Kory kicked us out, Bob and I retired to Fox Hill Rd for some DVD movie action before crashing.

This morning we had an early start, as I drug Bob to my tai chi class at Six Degrees of Wellness in Denville. Fortunately, Robert is always up for something new, and Gary is a great teacher, so I think Bob got a little knowledge out of the hour.

After a cup of tea at Nature's Enerqi for breakfast, we headed back up to see Bill, and start making a project list for "the boat". For those of you unfamiliar, "the boat" refers to a sailing dinghy that Bill and I purchased very inexpensively two years back. We got as far as christening it "the 3 S's", and did some light work toward making seaworthy again, but not nearly enough. So we put Bob's expertise to work, and now we have a more comprehensive list. We also managed to work in an expensive trip to West Marine, but we are more optimistic now about getting "the boat" in the water next spring.

Tonight, we all converged on Fox Hill Rd for a big cook out, where we were joined by friends Hou Li and Terry, and Terry's two boys. Bill did his usual bang up job on the grill with the chicken and shrimp, and Kory cooked up some really good Jersey Corn. We introduced Hou Li to gin and tonic, and we made Terry an honorary Waffler for the night, and the four of us enjoyed a round of Talisker (the ladies chose not to imbibe). We rounded off the evening with S'mores for dessert, which I think Max and Gavin (Terry's sons) seemed to enjoy, as did the rest of us. After much eating, drinking, and good conversation, the evening broke up, and I was sure glad of Bob's help in cleaning.

Sadly, Bob goes back to Charleston tomorrow. But we have for almost the whole day, so we'll do our best to wear him out so he at least sleeps well on the train!

The Local Haunts of of Charleston

We had a great day in Charleston. We spent a fair amount of time walking around at the South Eastern Wildlife Conservation Exposition, reading up on various efforts, and speaking with different conservation and rescue groups. It was an interesting afternoon, and tied well in with the book "PlanB 3.0" that Bob has me reading. For those who don't know Bob and Ronda, I would say that the Earth is their cause.

We spent the remainder of the afternoon looking at shops and historic homes. My particular favorite style is the Charleston Single House style of building.My understanding is that it evolved from the narrow yet deep lots that people had to build on in the city. The house usually appears from the front as just a normal house with a front door, but the front door opens on to a side porch that runs the length of the house, in order to catch the breeze.

After a brief stop for an ice cream cone at Kilwin's (a Charleston institution for the sweet treats), we had the Main Event. I love doing walking ghost tours in Charleston. They are fun, can be a little spooky sometimes, and are a great way to get to know the city. Most of the guides, in addition to knowing the ghost stories, are very knowledgable about the history, and will gladly share information about the city as they walk you between story sites downtown. So we had our fill of walking around graveyards from the 1600s, voodoo witch doctors who had dark dealings, the ghost of John C Calhoun, and phantom Indians. If you ever come here, it is something you should do. I will say that the later the tour the better, if you are travelling without young children.

We dined at a fine steakhouse called Oak, where we had a fabulous meal. They had a vegan menu for Ronda (unusual for a steakhouse), but Bob and I went to town with the New York Strip. It has been a long while since I had a steak that good. I also enjoyed an appetizer of clams casino, and finished the evening with a glass of port. None of this a part of the healthy life style I am going for, but if I was going to have an evening's indulgence, I was going to do it right.

And so I leave today, but having spent a great vacation with two really great friends. I hope to be able to reciprocate for them in the near future, and have them up for a visit.

The Sun Sets On Another Sea Voyage

Yesterday, sadly, was our last day of cruising. We awoke again to low temperatures, although it was six degrees warmer than the previous morning (46 degrees as compared to 40). This time Bob made the first move out of bed to make the coffee. For some reason, we decided that this was a good time to go for a swim to replace the zinc on the boat. Since Bob was the only one with a wet suit, we did not need to play paper-scissors-rock to make this decison. Bob bravely went forth and did the needful in 56 degree water, while I bravely handed him tools from the boat. Bob informs me that I am getting a wet suit for Christmas this year.

Afterwards, we had a good breakfast at Blackstone's in Beaufort, where they are well known for there omelets. They also have a collection of movie posters from all the movies that were made in Beaufort (such as "The Prince of Tides", "Forrest Gump", and "The Big Chill"). After breakfast. I dropped Bob back at the boat, and toured the marina in the dinghy, admiring many of the sailboats at anchorage there.

Bob's parents, Clive and Jennifer, motored out in their boat, the QEIII, and took me on a little tour of the Beaufort area from their boat. As beautiful as the view is from the Point out to the water, it is just as beautiful being out on the water looking back onto the land with also those magnificent mansions. It is truly a scene from the antebellum South. Later, we rejoined the Black Dog on her way to Cat Island Creek. She drooped her anchor outside of the channel, and we tied the QEIII along side her so that Bob and I could treat his parents to a lunch cooked aboard the boat. Afterwards, they took their leave, and we completed our trip to our mooring at Cat Island Creek. We tied up at 14:45, thus ending our epic voyage. As ever, we were sorry to see it end. Clive met us at the dock, and we off loaded our gear into Clive's car so that he could take us back to our car. We finished our evening in Charleston, watching Casablanca.

It was odd this morning to wake up in a real bed with a comfortable 65 degree room temperature. "Odd" is maybe not as accurate decription as "pleasant". Even better was taking a hot shower in a somewhat larger than 3 foot by 3 foot enclosure we had been showering in. Still, it was a great trip on the water, with some good sailing. The lack of creature comforts just enhances the experience. Hopefully, I will get my land legs back soon, and the ground will not feel like it is rocking. We are in anticipation of a good day downtown with a good dinner and interesting sights and activities.

Beaufort By The Sea

We got up this morning to 40 degree temperatures inside the boat, so we went back to bed for an hour. It did not significantly warm up in that time. I lost the coin toss, and got up to make coffee. Since the wind was poor, we headed to Beaufort anchor, and knock about there for the day. After dropping the hook, we took the dinghy to the local marina to have lunch at Hemmingway's. If you ever dine there, try the french onion soup. I thought it was great, and Bob informs me that it is every bit as good as that at Rue De Jean in Charleston, which I understand is noted for it's onion soup. Beaufort is like a quieter version of Charleston, so it was fun just looking around at interesting houses, and absorbing some history. We finished up are visit with a cup of coffee at the Common Ground. As we headed back to the marina, we admired a lot of nice sail boats anchored near us, and Bob took the
opportunity to quiz me on different types of rigging.

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Open Sea

We were up by 7 this morning for a quick breakfast at the Cobblestone Cafe, which I don't highly recommend, and we were underway from Savannah by 8:15 this morning. We made good time down the river, and were in the open seas by a half hour before noon! The wind started off light, but picked up soon enough, at we had a memorable sail. It got a little cold, and we had to navigate some rough water and a rain sqall or two, for which we broke out the foul weather gear. But cruising a long at eight knots makes it all worth it. We sailed back in to Port Royal Sound to drop anchor behind Hilton Head Island. A good 40 mile sail. Right now the winds are howling, and the temperature is supposed to be in the high twenties, so it will be an interesting night. But tomorrow promises to be another great day.

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Savannah!

We tied up at just about noon today at the city dock. After securing the boat and lunch at a non descript pub, we headed up to the muninciple building to pay the docking fee. We spent the afternoon roaming around town, as well as some boat maintenance. This evening, we headed to the Pirate House for a drink. This establishment is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, it has shanghai tunnels that were used back in the day, and were recently rediscovered. It was also the dwelling of notorious pirate Captain Fitch, who died there, and whose ghost is said to be one of many haunting the place. Local legend says that author Robert Louis Stevenson met the Captain there one night during a visit to the US, and that the Captain beame the inspiration for Stevenson's Treasure Island. Afterwords, we stopped at Churchill's Pub for some British fare for dinner. Tomorrow we will leave Savannah
against the tide, and run down the river to the ocean. We hope the winds are favorable for us.

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Weigh Anchor

Today was a great start. We left on the changing tide at just about twelve, which worked well in our favor. And although there was no wind when we set out, it was waiting for us at Port Royal Sound, at we made it from there to our anchorage under the force of the wind. The temperature is a little chilly, but we don't care so much about that. It is just good to be underway. Tomorrow, we will be off at first light, to take advantage of the rising tide. And them...Savannah!

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Just Sit Right Back and You'll Hear a Tale...

The charts have been consulted, the gear has been loaded in the car, and the provisions have been accounted for. This is no three hour tour.

I arrived in Charleston yesterday evening, after a bit of a delay at Newark Liberty Airport. I was very happy to step outside at Charleston Municaple Airport. There was a warm breeze blowing, and I always imagine I can smell the sea from there. Bob was there to greet me, and even though it was late, we headed down for a late dinner at 82 Queen, where I enjoyed a dish of shrimp and grits, which had long been on my mind. Afterwards, we enjoyed the evening just by walking around town a bit, and then heading to the Southend Brewery and Smokehouse for a libation (the night air being dry and all). The beer is all made on premises, and if you ever get there, try the Southend Brown. I can give this one a personal recommendation. There is also a ghost story associated with the place, however the barkeep with whom I spoke had no personal experience of the ghost.

Today we headed to a sale at West Marine, to stock up on some boating gear that we felt we might need. And afterwards, Bob, Ronda, and I returned to Downtown Charleston to walk about the historic district and visit a few interesting galleries. We stooped by the Blind Tiger Pub to rest a little before hosting friends Dennis and Annie for a hastily thrown together cookout. We may have put it together hastily, but the food was good and so was the company. Hopefully Dennis will be able to drive down and meet us in Savannah. Soon we will finish watching the traditional pre-sail showing of "The African Queen".

Tomorrow morning, we will get up early for a drive down to Beaufort, where the boat is currently docked. Our plan is sail down close to Savannah and spend the night at anchor, then tie up in Savannah Tuesday morning. We will knock around town for a day, and then leave Wednesday morning for the ocean, where we will do some deep water sailing, and spend our nights at a suitable anchorage. We plan to be back in by Friday evening, and are planning a good nights entertainment for Saturday night in Charleston.

I will update this as I can during the trip, so check back occasionally if you like. I hope to be blogging you all soon.

This All Seems Familiar Somehow

Back when I first started road biking, a good friend told me to get a bike computer with a cadence meter. If you don't know what cadence is, don't feel bad, I had to have it explained to me as well. In a nutshell, it is how fast you pedal. And if you already knew that, my apologies for back tracking. I got the cadence meter and was told, "Don't let your cadence drop below 80 RPM"

Now, my frame is what I like to describe as being of heroic proportions, and it was easier for me to pedal slower in a harder gear than to spin the pedals faster, so for later computers, I opted to save money by eliminating the cadence feature.

This fall, I got a trainer for the bike in order to try and get a jump on the spring season. Biker Bill was kind enough to let me keep the trainer set up at his house, and we committed to doing training rides twice a week. Bill shelled out for the entire Carmichael Training Series (Chris Carmichael was one of Lance's trainers. I know this because he casually mentions it several times each DVD). And low an behold, they are back to talking about cadence. I couldn't escape it.

So just before last nights trainer ride, Bill (graciously and without complaint) installed an inexpensive Cat Eye Cadence computer. It took about a half an hour, and I am quite sure it was the last thing he wanted to be doing. It made a difference in the ride. I can only say to all the big boys out there, learn to ride cadence. I can also say, "Thanks Bill!"