Monday, October 24, 2016

Day 21 - Charleston to Beaufort, SC

After a full breakfast aboard, we shoved off from the Charleston City Marina and crossed the Ashley River a short spurt into the ICW and headed west through the Elliott Cut and up the Stono River. The Stono River runs alongside John's Island, home of Kiawah which got hit pretty hard by Matthew. 

But first, we forgot to mention the amusing names of the pump out boats the City Marina deployed, "Bow Movement" and the "Grateful Head".


Pump out boat
Clever

This day offers a ride which traverses rivers, creeks and cuts, winding west, south and even north from time to time. 

Then up the Dawho River over North Creek and into the South Edisto River to run south. 

The goal is to get to Beaufort by mid afternoon so we can explore this historic town. 

60 windy nautical miles

Then through the Fenwick Cut up the Ashepoo River, then a cut over and up Rock Creek, and then one final cut for the day into the Coosaw River leading up to just north of Beaufort, into it's river and down to town. Phew!

More info than you care to know. 


Beaufort is a special place yet we need to explore more.   
A rare "Angel Live Oak"
branches touch earth and rise again

That said, we've already taken a carriage tour and grabbed tons of history. 













The architecture in Beaufort dates back to the 1700's though much was destroyed in 1907 in a great fire.  But the primary reason we get to see these beautiful homes is that Beaufort fell to the Union only six months after the Civil War started and was in possession by the Union the duration of the war. All the citizen's left, thinking they'd be hanged. Historians postulate the if the "scattered" had resisted, the city may well have been burned to the ground by the Union Army.


The Castle
Rice, Indigo, lumber, fishing all drove this economy, in the day. Now military and tourism as well.
The Beaufort Mermaid





One of the great things about boating is you have waterfront property every night!

1 comment:

  1. I am really enjoying your blog. Love the charts and photos. You are having a dream of a voyage!

    ReplyDelete