Dataw Island Marina - 16 thru 27 January

NOTE: Internet access at Dataw Island Marina near Beaufort, SC has been sporadic so I'll insert more photos when access allows. Meanwhile, please read about what we've been doing since we got back on our boat, living temporarily in the marina, and enjoying the fact that the weather here is cool and windy, but a lot milder than the subfreezing temperatures and snow we left behind in Ohio.

We've been busy with boat maintenance and outfitting since we arrived more than a week ago. The time has gone quickly and we've been busy, but we've also taken time to enjoy the South Carolina "Low Country" and do some exploring and touring while we're here. We've settled into a "marina routine" that let's us sleep a little later in the morning than we do when we're cruising. It's been cold, rainy and windy some days and sunny, calm and mild other days. The plan for the day becomes what the weather will allow here in the sometimes sunny south.

After a pleasant Christmas holiday, we arrived back in South Carolina via Virginia and Maryland on Tuesday, 15 January. The weather has been cold and rainy for much of the past week with the exception of two days. Today was one of the sunny and mild days and we took advantage of the break in the weather to launch the dinghy and explore the Morgan River guided by Joe's friend, Frank. We looked for sharks' teeth and arrowheads on Morgan Island, aka Monkey Island where we saw about twenty monkeys sunning themselves on the shell bank as we arrived. There is a real triple canopy jungle on the islands near the seashore and the monkeys disappeared into the trees as soon as they saw us. We also stopped at a sandbar, aka the Disappearing Island since it is covered by the river at high tide. We found no arrowheads or sharks' teeth, but we saw lots of dolphins swimming up the river with the incoming tide all around us.

Earlier in the week just after we arrived we drove to Hunting Beach which is a South Carolina park about 15 miles to the east of Dataw Island Marina. The day was cloudy but mild and we were able to walk the almost deserted beach and enjoy the surf. Hunting Beach was the location where the Vietnam scenes in the movie Forrest Gump were filmed in the triple canopy jungle near the beach. The lighthouse once guarding the shoals near Hunting Beach has been moved inland to preserve it like the more famous Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and is located on the parkland. After walking the beach, we had lunch at the Johnson Creek Restaurant where shrimp burgers were on the menu along with authentic Low Country cooking.

The time has gone by quickly since we arrived last Tuesday and it's hard to believe we've been here more than a week. Yesterday we contacted our friends, Greg and Judy who have their boat at the Brunswick Landing Marina in Georgia. They left today from Colorado after waiting for some of the severe winter weather many of you have faced over the past week. They expect to be in Georgia tomorrow or Friday and we'll pick our own "weather window" to head south to rendezvous with them and continue our cruise with them.

One reason we're still here is the fog and cold and wind

Another reason is we're just enjoying the down time and using the weather as an excuse!

Meanwhile we still have a few things to do to get ready and we still want to see more of this interesting and historic area before we leave.

Yesterday we did something we've been intending to do since we met Roger, owner of Victory and Frank, the skipper. Victory is an elegant, if down at the heels, motor yacht that has an interesting history of cruising in the Mediterranean and hosting a variety of movie stars like John Wayne, Marilyn Monroe and a few other personalities like Senator John F. Kennedy. She is being restored by Roger and Frank since she was retrieved from an irresponsible charter company. Roger gave us an informative and interesting tour of the vessel and the work in progress. When she was built and commissioned, Victory was the largest motor yacht that had been built in the United States at that time. While she has been surpassed in size, there is something attractive and elegant about these mature ladies of the sea. Hopefully, Victory will shine once again when Roger and Frank are finished with their refurbishing.

Update on Saturday, 26 January: Things are almost in place and with one more load of laundry to do, topped off fuel and water tanks, and a well-stocked refrigerator/freezer, we're almost ready to go...just need the weather to cooperate and a route to plan. Today we had an early dinner at the Johnson Creek Tavern where the shrimp and oysters are without peer. Legend has it that a sailor (Captain Johnson, of course!) arrived here over 200 years ago, settled down and built a restaurant. His legacy is the restaurant and the creek that bears his name. I don't know the full story about the dollar bills that are stapled to the roof and ceiling of the restaurant and bar, but I understand they eventually end up supporting charitable causes.