Beaufort, SC

Lawn Bowling at the Festival

We spent another day in Hilton Head to change oil and do some other stuff.  From the marina, given Bear's back situation, there was little to do there other than by car.  We chose to do people watching instead.  Yesterday, we sailed (motored) to Beaufort, a short 20 miles north.  The reason to this stop so soon in the day was the fact that virtually all of the cruising guides mark this place as a "must see" along the wayter way.  One guide said that this is perhaps the prettiest of all along the ICW.  Can't pass that one up. 

It so happened that Beaufort is celebrating a 55 year festival called, are you ready for this?, the Water Festival.  The entire waterfront of this old city is covered with trade days type vendor tents selling everyting from stuffed lobster to really weird tee shirts.  Next door is a pavillion that housed exhibits from West Marine, the US Army and other corporate stuff.  Beyond that is a huge stage for concerts in the evenings during the 10 day event. 

I spoke to one of the Army recruiters who said that being as close to Parris Island, the place that changes young person's lives forever, they found a target rich environment to recruit Marines.  Kinda makes your heart flutter a bit, huh?

The waterfront yesterday was really active with all types of skiing exibitions and more to the point, many boats of all kinds.  Methinks it is not like this all year round.  In the middle of it all were two regattas of Sunfish and scows.  Add the visitors such as we and it is a sort of Renaissance Fair sailing style. 

We are now getting far enough that folks strolling the docks will ask if we are really from Texas after seeing the hailing port on our stern.  We get a kick when we confirm that we sailed from Port A and have been underway for six months.  The next question usually is "Where you going?".   The look we get next is funny when we say we don't know.  We have no schedule, destination or plan.  That usually gets an approving nod.  We consider this to be the ultimate dream the length of which is unknown but for now it continues. 

By now, we have a few thousand miles under the keel and although most of it has been in shore, we think they have been more challenging than offshore.  Sand bars, mis marked channels and other wierdos such as we make the ditch interesting.  The lack of a plan or a monster storm chasing us has made the offshore needs somewhat give way to the desire to see the coast. 

We met a Coast Guard crew at the fuel dock in Hilton Head and saw them today in Beaufort, same crew.  They crew one of those orange inflatable looking high speed boats about 30 feet in length.  When we met them, they had only 8 gallons of fuel left and were buying gas at the civilian dock.  They had been, as they said "chasing shadows" all day in the Atlantic at 30 knots.  Said it was a 12 hour day taking a beating.  Seems that that boat has seats designed to absorb most of the beating.  They were just replaced with new but worse seats, so the crew was ragged.  One offered to sail with us. I asked him if he could cook to which he replied "sure".  I think he was getting out soon. 

It is 0230 as I write this.  The party is not done yet.  There are still some on the dock in the party mood.  Not us. We hit the rack at sunset as usual. The huge tidal swing here makes the boat sound as though it is underway even tied at the dock.  Nine feet tidal range in a narrow channel makes for the need to place the helm in steering angles to minimize the dock bang.   How's that for not being off duty. 

Parris Island Marine Training Facility where lives are forever changed.

More later fellow scurvs.  My lights are flickering and I think I will mosey back to the rack.  Sleep well all.