Traveling with a head cold is difficult. Fortunately, Karen looked after all the planning, navigation, and meals, and I sat behind the wheel and went where she told me to go. She was very good at telling me where to go. So with superb directions, we passed by more mansions that are springing up along the ICW, dolphins popping out of the water as we passed by open water, and a variety of birds - pelicans, snowy egrets, osprey and .. (we left our bird book behind - a decision we regret). The pelicans are most entertaining. They swoop down within inches of the water. The rise up and plummet head first to catch a fish (hopefully). They always look like they just crash-landed and have to shake of a concussion after they hit. I really do not know how they every get a fish.

On Monday, we went to Osprey Marina near North Myrtle Beach S.C. The southern hospitality is incredible. We turned off the ICW, down a tree-lined lane way about 50 feet wide to a modern marina in the middle of nowhere. The marina is surrounded by trees and advertised as a hurricane hole. The trees went right into the water at high tide. The roots were exposed and moss hung from the branches. We were greeted by two employees who took our lines (there was no wind or current) and were ready to plug in our power cable (we do not normally use shore power as it costs extra). When we registered, we were given a welcome package of cheese, crackers, danishes and assorted items. We had a good stop over and rest (and hot, long shower). Karen wondered if I wanted to check the prop. After passing several creeks named Alligator Creek, which appear to be as common in the Carolina's as Mill Creek on the Chesapeake (sort of like Main Street in a town), I declined. I would rather dive in a creek with a mill than an alligator (another boat did see an alligator in one of these creeks).

Next it was off to Georgetown. The anchorage in front of Georgetown was full so we went over to a marina on the other side of town, as I was still feeling a bit under the weather. There we met the people that had the powerboat beside us in Baltimore during Hurricane Isabel - small world stuff. They were on their way to Florida and would be there in two days. Sometimes cruising at 25 knots has its advantages. In Georgetown, we were able to get our propane tank refilled - no small feat as most states except S.C. and Virginia require you to have special float valves in the tanks that prevent overfilling. Of course our tanks do not have the valve and are of a special size that just fits in our propane locker. So we got our tank filled, Karen got a haircut and I got us lost. Now this is a special talent I have. I seem to be okay on the water but get lost on land in short order. We ended up walking down past a closed steel mill - a bit of nostalgia there except for the closed part. It was a long, hot, dusty, noisy walk. All in all, not very romantic.

On Thursday, we traveled to Dewee Creek. Part of the trip, we were traveling at low tide and got to experience the challenge of shoaling at inlets. We were down to 6 to 7 feet of water in several spots and at one-point 5.5 feet. Remember, below 5.0 feet on Vagus, the world comes to a complete stop. So, this portion was a bit exciting. Apparently after us, sailboats ran aground on either side of the channel, making convenient markers for boats that came after.

Dewee Creek was our first experience anchoring up a creek with marsh grass all around. We followed a winding creek through tall marsh grass. The creek opened up before us as we chose a spot to anchor. We were greeted by dolphins on the way in, as it must be a favorite feeding ground. At high tide you can look out over miles of marsh grass and sometimes see other sailboat masts on boats anchored in neighboring creeks. It was a pleasant night.

Next, it was off to Charleston. The home of - "the Charleston". The music and dance originated in - guess what - Charleston. We went to the City Marina as it was time to reprovision and I had ordered a new engine water pump. Our original pump had developed a major leak and Hucks Marina in Myrtle Beach did a super job in tracking down a replacement and getting it shipped to Charleston within two days. It would be waiting at the marina for me to install when we arrived. The service from the marinas here is great. We ended up near the end of the "Mega Dock" at the marina. This is a 300-foot floating concrete dock. It was a 5-minute brisk walk to the showers! Exercise is good, I guess. We met Safina there and did Charleston. We had a great tour by bus in the morning; the marina van took us to the grocery store for provisioning in the afternoon and out to dinner that evening. Charleston is a delight and definitely worth a visit if you travel though these parts. There is a lot of history here, from the various forts, civil war battles, slave trade, hurricanes and fires. The downtown buildings and homes have been restored and preserved. Many of the buildings have long bolts running through them to pull them back into shape after an earthquake. The architecture is unique and interesting. There is also a market square surrounded by restaurants where we were introduced to "She Crab Soup". We tried this at Hanks restaurant on the square and it was delicious. We would highly recommend it. Unfortunately, it is like Maryland crab cakes in that not all restaurants do it justice. We tried it again the next night at another spot and were disappointed.

On Sunday, it was blowing hard and pinning our boat against the dock. As we were sandwiched between two catamarans, leaving was not really an option. It was also quite cold (in the 50's) so this was to be the day to change the water pump. After the boat jobs were completed, we walked downtown for a last look around before leaving on Monday.