I can't tell if it's Beaufort NC or Beaufort SC
Beaufort Museum, SC
Beaufort, SC
So we’ve entered Georgia, land of no-see-em’s but yes-swat-ems. This state’s ‘what’s in a name’ award goes to the Hell’s Gate passage, Blackbeard’s Wildlife Preserve, and the Runaway Negro Creek (which appropriately traverses the Isle of Hope). Speaking of which:
Knock knock!
who’s there?...
Isle!
Isle Who?
Isle of Hoped to have gotten to the Bahamas by now.
As luck would have it, a marina employee knocked (?) on our boat last night, beer in hand, asking us if we knew the French word for door - which is porte (as opposed to starboard). What more credible source could we hope for to obtain bus schedule information to Savannah? Well, our hunch served us well...the bus did arrive at his specified location at the 7:15 a.m. time he identified - only, Tom was up the road at a nearby early morning Baptist church meeting – confirming these directions, that is. Although the church men couldn’t help with schedule information, Tom was just about to accept their offer of a ham and eggs breakfast, when we went back to retrieve him. No worry, the bus driver had provided me with the December 2003 schedule and the reassurance that another bus would arrive within 25 minutes. 40 minutes later, one of the church elders drove by, took pity on us standing in the rain at a bus stop (Annapolis déjà vu), and offered to shuttle us to the next, more frequented stop. Well, one thing lead to another, and his help took us all the way into downtown Savannah, then through the city on a historical tour, finally depositing us at the door of the Visitor Information Center. During which time he called his wife to explain that he got tied up in church...When we asked at the Tourist Center about return bus routes, a most helpful woman told us she wouldn’t know, but her maid probably would. We also asked her if she knew where we could find Roger – we had heard so much about him on the marine radio.
Anyway, Savannah is quite a city – although I think I preferred Charleston – well preserved historic buildings (with a limit on new construction not to exceed the height of their city hall), and beautifully landscaped squares (that are circular) with fountains and monuments. The city was founded by James Oglethorpe, bestowed with the honor of being the namesake of the Oglethorpe Mall. When his fellow colonists were victimized by illnesses, Oglethorpe allowed a boat of Jewish doctors to settle (- he turned back the lawyers and accountants). Some landmarks included the birthplace of Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts – hundreds of girls had previously registered for the Boy Scouts as boys but were found out when caught multi-tasking), Mercer mansion (where ‘Midnight in the Garden of ...’ was filmed), and the waterfront park’s Waving Girl statue - commemorating the lighthouse tender’s sister who waved at every ship (reminiscent of that guy in New London) as she awaited her sweetheart’s return (I think I saw her on 42nd Street once). I sampled fried green tomatoes (served with a side of moldy bread and sour milk), and even found a coffee shop that provided Jonas and Elias with a crate of legos. I believe this is where Elias left his daily brought and lost animal toy – which if continued at this rate, will help to free up some boat space. While picnicking in a circular square, we received a call from the marina where we left the dinghy – whose manager conveniently told us that the $7.50 fee noted in Skipper Bob’s was outdated, and if we gave her our credit card number, she could charge the $20 to it. Upon our return walk from the bus to the dock, a very friendly woman in a golf cart offered us some day old bread, and an invitation to dine with her family for Thanksgiving dinner (if we didn’t mind month old turkey).
pirates beware!
Mercer Mansion, Savannah (Midnight in the Garden filmed here)
fountain in downtown Savannah square
Mapquest
Savannah streetscape
Window Shopping
We have no service – anchored in a remote creek. For one who had to be dragged into the cell and e-mail generation, I admit it’s reassuring to be connected when anchored alone amidst marsh grasses, not to mention being able to keep updated on the Day’s latest “news” edition. I figured I’d better write this on Word while I still remember it - these creeks are starting to blur together in my mind, as are some of the quaint historic waterfront towns. Lately I’m taking the advice of a world traveler flight attendant friend…I’m not trying to do everything at every port, but rather, get a flavor for each place.
The weaving and bobbing channels make a sailboat’s course appear direct, in comparison. Following the chart resembles a treasure hunt, and just when you think you know where you’re going, you look up from the chart to the water to find no resemblance – with the benefit of special additions, such as the pole with the “danger” sign (which you need to approach to read). Monthly shoaling developments need to be updated from a website, and don’t travel at low tide (to avoid grounding) or high tide (when surface shoals are hidden). Red markers/buoys are on the right/green on the left, except when they’re not, and don’t confuse them with the ones that are marking a harbor entrance instead of the ICW, and don’t follow the buoy if there are also range markers, which you try to visually line up on top of each other. Eeny meany miney mo is the suggested technique for selecting which of the three books has the uniquely correct route description, none of which show that 39A red buoy in front of us. But don’t look away from that source of choice to check the contrasting and quickly descending depth meter, and risk grounding. Okay, all is under control, until you think maybe you should adjust those sails before the day is out, that wide load barge wants to pass you on the one lane only passage, the bridge tender contacts you on the marine radio to spell Missa Gaia, Jonas is reminding you it’s afternoon snack time, and Elias calls from the bathroom “Mom, need you!” Alright, one more quarter mile successfully navigated. Reading Odysseus’ Adventures with Jonas has helped to put our navigational challenges into perspective – no Sirens, Cyclops, or Scylla (6 headed monster – although Mom might sometimes resemble one).
On the other hand, I think about the ease facilitated by some of the equipment (roller furling which allows you to unwrap the sail while sitting in the cockpit, windless anchor whereby pushing a button pulls up the anchor, GPS to know where you are on your route, where to go and how long it will take, autotiller to steer along a directed course) – it almost makes one feel guilty to use it all, especially after remembering how I used to need all my body weight to heave the anchor – followed by disinfecting my sludge covered arms, hang upside down over the bouncing bow to attach the front sail before hoisting…
No-see-ems Offensive Stance (Waving Girl at Savannah Waterfront Park)