Charleston

Tuesday, October 30 - We're at the Charleston City Marina, home of the Megadock. They provide a service we haven't seen before: a free USA Today newspaper delivered to the boat each morning - first newspapers I've read since leaving home three months ago.

Mom and Mary arrived around dinnertime on Saturday and the four of us decided to go out. On our way out we stopped to gawk at Themis, a yacht that was docked nearby.

We were peering into the engine room, the only area we could see into, when a guy standing nearby commented that not too many women are so interested in seeing engine rooms. I replied that we were only looking in the engine room because we couldn't see the galley, to which he responded, "Would you like to see the galley?" We responded enthusiastically in the affirmative, so he brought us inside and gave us a tour of the 156 foot Themis, one of the 100 largest yachts in America and worth 21 million. She is grand, plush, and opulent, and appears to lack nothing you would expect to find in a multi-million dollar house (as if I would know) - she took our breath away: marble floors, exquisitely carved ceilings, beautiful exotic woods, priceless art. She has four guest cabins and five crew cabins; the luxurious owner's stateroom includes his and her bathrooms. Here are some features of the galley (there's a separate galley for the crew):

Gagganeau triple ovens with Gagganeau cook tops, griddle and deep fryer

(2) dishwashers

KitchenAid trash compactor

Dual stainless steel Delfield refrigerators and freezers

Dual microwave/convection ovens

Dual warming ovens

Sub-Zero Ice Maker

Stainless steel walls throughout galley

The full-time crew of seven sign confidentiality agreements and aren't allowed to even say who owns her, but our guide gave us enough clues that we were able to find out on our own: it's renowned lawyer Ronald Motley, the litigator who brought down the tobacco and asbestos industries, and who was profiled in the movie, “The Insider.”

The rest of the weekend was fun, if anticlimactic. On Sunday, Mom, Mary, Wayne, and I took a mini bus tour of Charleston - a beautifully preserved and restored historic city. Gary joined us Sunday afternoon. This was the first time we've had more than one extra person spend the night on the boat. We can accommodate seven people comfortably, as long as no one brings any stuff and doesn't walk around (Lena Bea ain't no Themis). It might have been a little too claustrophobic for Mom and Mary, because they decided to leave Monday morning instead of Tuesday. They said it was because they wanted to stop and see Savannah on the way home.

I spent the afternoon strolling around downtown Charleston, while Wayne and Gary perused the Maritime Museum. They stopped and picked up some fresh salmon, which Gary prepared for dinner. It was magnifique!

We're spending the night in Beaufort, South Carolina at Port Royal Landing Marina. We plan to leave the ICW tomorrow at 3:30-4:00 a.m. for the open waters of the Atlantic and sail to St. Simons Island in Georgia. Because there's been no funding in recent years for maintenance dredging of the ICW from south of Port Royal Sound, SC to Cumberland Sound, GA, there are a lot of trouble spots. Add to that a tidal range of 8-9 feet and the advice of locals to avoid the ICW in that area...well, it didn't take much to convince us. Of course, we checked the weather carefully before making our decision and have noted places where we can easily return to the ICW if conditions outside are unfavorable. Of course, we are keeping a close eye on the tropical storm, Noel. I'm disappointed that this means missing a stopover in Savannah, but we have to weigh all our options and make the best decision based on all factors.

Gary's favorite spot on the boat