It's October and Time to Sail Again!

It seems that fall in Charleston is a good time for the Wafflers to gather and go sailing. And it is great to have the full compliment of Wafflers (Bill, Bob, and Jay). It has been about two years since the three of us have been on the boat together, although we have been sailing in groups of two. 

Before we left the house today, Bill whipped up a batch of chili, and a batch of jambalaya to reheat on the boat for meals. We will additionally do some grilling of steaks and chicken while we are out. We always manage to eat well on these trips. 

The winds did not favor us today, even though the weather was great. We made a quick stop for fuel, then motored north in the ICW. While crossing Charleston Harbor we were treated to the sight of S/V Dennis Sullivan, a fine three masted ship. we love the Black Dog, but it sure would be an experience to do a trip on such a ship as that.

The trip north was largely uneventful, which is how we like it (although we never shy away from a challenge). One thing to note on this voyage is the absence of the chart plotter. We spent some time trying to get it to function, but the previously trusty Garmin seemed to have finally given up the ghost. we are not concerned because we do have a full set of charts for the area, and the depth sounder is working well, so feel hat there will be no issues. It is like our first days with the Black Dog when we were using paper charts. It is a good exercise for us to keep in practice.

We found anchorage early, and dropped anchor at around 4:30 just off the Isle of Palms. We sat in the cockpit enjoying gin and tonic, and discussing deep philosophical topics. The sunset was amazing, and once the sun was down we struck below decks to enjoy the chili that Bill heated up.

Tomorrow we will head to McClellansville, and make a decision to either stay in the ICW, or to head out for open waters. It all hinges on the wind...