Charleston Part I: False Ending, False Start
Charleston was the original destination for this trip. Most everyone I spoke to about Charleston said something to the effect of…”Oh, what a great city, it’s a good walking town, fabulous history, very cosmopolitan, you’ll love it, and they even have a french quarter”. I figured I’d spend the winter in Charleston…should be warmer than Martha’s Vineyard at least. When we arrived, I nostalgically put my sail covers on one last time and sadly wrote in the logbook, “1310: Trips over, anchored in Charleston with 120′ of chain in 25′ of water, M.E. secure @ 1174 hrs”.
The best thing I found in Charleston was the candy shop with free praline & candied-pecan samples. We stopped by there everyday for a free snack. We also got a free carriage ride, and free pizza lunch by suffering through a presentation about Festiva Vacations… 3 hrs later, they gave us vouchers for $130 worth of food and carriage rides. Eh, not bad.
We spent a week getting a feel for our new home, applying for a few jobs, seeing an old high school pal, and taking in the sights. But, it became clear, Charleston wasn’t the place to spend a winter. After coming all this way, I realized, Charleston is just too cold and there’s no work. Winter is the ’slow season’, just like Martha’s Vineyard. Clearly, we hadn’t gone far enough south.
We did however, have a fantastic time with our friends Chad and Nicole aboard Sabbatical, and Maxwell and Jen aboard Anastasia. We all celebrated Thanksgiving aboard Anastasia, a Baba 35. We enjoyed a wonderful meal to which we all brought something, and felt the warmth of family so far from home this time.
Seven days after we arrived, with a good weather window, fuel and water tanks pressed up, we passed Fort Sumter again, this time bound for sea. The winds were perfect, 15 kts from the NE, but I needed a little help fetching the southern breakwater. I went to fire up the Main Engine, it barely turned over, as if the battery was dead. Then suddenly I smelled that unmistakable smell of “burning electricity”. The smoke followed. Then, after I stopped pushing the start button, the engine kept trying to start. It would slowly turn over. I even removed the key from the ignition, but still, that starter, down on it’s knees, bleeding, kept trying to get that engine running. It was freaking me out actually…like the ghost of Yanmar’s Past. A few rotations later, it breathed its final breath and the pathetic cranking ceased.
There I was being set onto the breakwater without an engine, bound for sea to make the overnight passage to Florida. Without much thought, I tacked round and headed back to Charleston reluctantly. Past Ft. Sumter again. Soon the wind petered-out of course, and I was faced with the decision to either anchor and wait for the favorable current to carry me back in or get a tow from Daphne. I took a tow.
Re-anchored in the swift current of Ashley River near our newest friends aboard an AWESOME wooden replica of Joshua Sluocum’s Spray, Starbound, we began “Charleston Part II”.
Ben,
Sorry to hear about the engine starting problem. Is it a stuck solinoid on the starter motor? Luckily, we haven’t experienced that one yet. No doubt Charleston will have facilities able to fix the problem.
How is your internet connection on the boat? The temps here in Seattle are highs in the 40’s and lows in the 30’s! We’re glad to be land-based for the winter.
Dan
Sorry to hear of your delay heading south and having to tolerate the cold front that moved in. Good luck in wrestling with the electrical and/or diesel headaches … curious if it had anything to do with the recent alternator replacement?
You’re Thanksgiving on a Baba 35 had me fondly remembering back 25 years ago when my wife and I were enjoying life aboard our sailboat … a Baba 30.
http://is.gd/5ebty
How about a report on your new non profit? Dahons not Danforths??
Come on down to Florida Ben. Cape Marina in Port Canaveral is a great place to relocate (http://www.capemarina.com/). It is about less than an hour to Orlando. The port is growing by leaps and bounds and It is mid 80’s here today.
I second David Browne’s comment. Florida is pretty nice…
I anchored in the Ashley River and thought Charleston was a neat place, for about 1 week. Then it was boring and depressing. I lived in Melbourne Florida for a zillion years and thought it was a great place to live and work, although there is not much room to sail in the intracoastal. Its a pretty good hi-tech town. If I had to do it again, I’d probably aim for the west coast of Florida to live. especially the Ft Myers or St. Petersburg area.
Ft. Myers… I spent the entire winter anchored in a huge cove just behind Ft. Myers beach. There were at least a hundred boats there; about a third were liveaboards who were working ashore. There’s something to be said for clear, green, Gulf Of Mexico water. Lots of friendly people. Very casual. I walked and took the trolley everywhere. Very nice public library at Ft. Myers Beach.
St. Petersburg… The Vinoy yacht basin. Not as friendly as Ft. Myers, but job market is better, especially for hi-tech stuff. Must have job here, or the big city atmosphere will kill your disposition.
Don’t forget to check out Fernandina also. It’s right on your way. I rode out a hurricane here. Nice town but a little run-down in my opinion. A good job would have made the difference.
I have kept my boat in St Pete for the past 20 years (when she’s in the water!) and love the sailing on the west coast. Summers are often windless but from late Sept thru April / May its great sailing. The Tampa Bay area is a much larger IT / Technology market than Orlando. Jacksonville is also a strong technology market. If I could work from my boat–I work in software–I would pick Boot Key harbor in Marathon, no question!