We're still in Charleston and still with Guy and Marilyn, our dear friends from Ohio. They have to leave here on the 20th, so we've spent the last few days touring Charleston and seeing the sights together. So much history and so little time! But that's a good thing, as there's always a reason to come back.
We had our first meeting today with Keith Callery, of All Star Canvass. Keith came to the boat and took measurements for our new cockpit enclosure. He believes that he'll have it done and installed before the end of the month, and when you consider that we have a Thanksgiving Holiday in there, that's pretty spectacular. In the boating industry, we're not used to that kind of service. It's usually "we'll get to it when we can," so this is quite a pleasant surprise.
With the measuring completed, it was back to our friends and a walk into Charleston for diner. We went to Bocci's Italian Restaurant and had an absolutely fantastic meal. Their menu selection is extensive and they have a very good wine list too. I had the Lasagna Bolognese, which was excellent, and we also had Shellfish Fra Diavlo, Seafood Alfredo and Chicken Conchiglia. Combine these great dishes with a bottle of Trentino and a bottle of Chianti and you have the perfect meal.
After Bocci's, we needed to walk a bit, so we wnet on one of Charleston's famous tours, The Ghosts and Ledgends of Charleston. This tour, which consists of a group of eight or ten people and their guide, winds through Old Charleston for about a mile and a half and visits haunted old buildings, alleys and graveyards.
Taking just a bit more than an hour and a half, the tour is billed as Charleston's most popular walking tour and has been featured on CNN Travel Guide, The Learning Channel, Charleston's Post & Courier Newspaper, Charleston Magazine, and more. We certainly weren’t disappointed.
Our guide was funny, extremely knowledgeable about Charleston and its history and during the tour, we never felt rushed or that the tour was dragging either. We went through all sorts of spooky places and some of us saw (or thought we saw) some pretty strange sights under the cold light from the neighboring streetlights. Needless-to-say, we were not disappointed and it was the perfect way to end the day in Charleston.
The next day was Sunday and it was time to do a bit of sailing. Guy and Marilyn had never been out on a sailboat, just powerboats, so this was going to be a new experience for them.
We departed the Maritime Center on the high tide and went up Wapoo Creek and through a drawbridge for our friends. Then we came back down the Wapoo to the Ashley River South and out to sea for some quiet sailing. Not too much wind, so we didn’t go very fast or very far, but we did see lots of porpoise and went through a school of jellyfish that were as big as cantaloupe. It was really cool!
From there, we came back in the channel, up the Cooper River and passed by the USS Lexington. Then, it was under the Ravenel Bridge for pictures. With that done, it was time to head in so we could make it into the marina on the low slack tide. What a great day to be out on the water.
Our friends left Charleston today and are on the way to meet up with some folks in Florida for the Thanksgiving holiday. For us, it's back to preventive maintenance and, on the 23rd, our first fitting of the new enclosure. I'm glad Keith is doing it and not me, because from my perspective, it looks like nothing fits (or is ever going to fit.) But Keith is the pro and has assured us we'll be pleased with the final result.
Today is Thanksgiving Day! For the first time in our lives, we have no kids, no family and no relatives to feed, so it’s kinda’ lonely. But, the holiday has been saved!!! A group of boaters, also stuck here for the Holiday, have organized a Potluck Supper, with turkey as the main course.
The maritime Center Marina has been really super and has given us the run of both their kitchen and banquet room. We made an appetizer and a vegetable dish on the boat and carried them, along with a couple bottles of wine, upstairs to the banquet room. Immediately upon entering the room, we were struck with the wonderful smells of roasting turkey and baking pies. It smelled so good that you felt as if you were at home.
The crews of Milano Mist, Merlin, Oz, Caribbean Dream, Puddle Jumper, White Bird and some other boats that I can’t remember were the attendees. The conversation was great and filled with stories of cruising and other holidays spent in far away places, like today, in the good company of perfect strangers. For our first holiday away from home, it was a great time.
Bright and early on the 27th, we received a call from Keith. He said he was ready to do the final fitting and installation of our new enclosure. He was on the boat within the hour and, panel-by-panel, the enclosure became a reality. Kim and I were both amazed as each panel joined to the original Bimini top and the neighboring panels, as if it had always been there.
Although we couldn't see any problem, Keith wasn't happy with the fit of one panel and said he'd take it away, remake it and be back tomorrow to finish the installation. True to his word, Keith was back in the morning with a new panel, installed it and set all of the snaps and closures in the hull. We are SO happy with the end result and now have the equivalent of and extra room on the boat. Now we can do some traveling!!
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