Dataw Help

So on Sunday morning we woke up early, hoisted the dinghy and got the lines ready to tie up at a marina. We called TowBoatUS and then waited for them to arrive. We did have some forward movement with our transmission, but were worried that we wouldn't be able to fight the current. And we pay for the Tow Package every year and never use it, so - Time to Cash In!!

The tow guy was great and we moved along at a speedy 8 knots and made it to Dataw Island Marina in no time at all. The dockhands helped us get all our lines on and we both heaved a sigh of relief once we were safe and secure at the dock. Right after we tied up, I heard my name and looked over to see Caroline and her husband, Rudy, on their go fast boat coming over to the marina. I had apprised them of our situation and told them we would love to see them again since it seemed we were still in their area after all! So, they came over and checked on us and then we agreed to get together for dinner at their place.

We spent the day sweltering on the boat - Summer is upon us and here we sit with no air conditioning. The heat index was 105 degrees and we felt every degree of it. There was not even a breath of air to be felt to help relieve some of the heat. And even though we had all the fans on, the hot air was just being pushed around. So, when Caroline called and told us to be ready at 5 and they would come pick us up, we jumped at the chance to spend an evening indoors. We took cold showers and made sure the pets had plenty of water and fans facing every spot they liked to lie and we headed over to their house.

What a feast! We had fresh local shrimp for starters and then perfectly cooked, extra large steaks with fresh asparagus and potatoes and finished it all off with homemade peach cobbler a la mode. It was fantastic and we ate double our weight in food I think. And the company was fantastic! We all had a great time and we were so grateful to them for opening up their home for us - she even invited us to do a load of laundry!

Tomorrow morning we find out what the problem is with the transmission and how long it will take to fix it. It seems as if first on the list is going to be procuring an a/c unit in the next 24 hours!

Beaufort, SC

We left Savannah early Wednesday morning and for the first time in awhile, made great time and were able to reach Beaufort (60 miles) in one day! We passed by Parris Island and this infamous water tank reading "WE MAKE MARINES" right around 5pm with the rain clouds hot on our tail. Luckily it had been cloudy on and off for most of the day, so we kept relatively cool and the clouds provided a nice breeze so we were able to use our sails a bit as well! We dropped anchor just South of Beaufort right before sunset and will head in tomorrow morning to see the town!

Thursday morning, we were treated to this entertainment while we had breakfast in our cockpit - summer sailing camp! We must have been right in the middle of their course because they all kept circling around us. It was great! And they all loved seeing Koa on the boat.

Soon after, we upped anchor and moved over to a city mooring right in front of town. Thanks again to the power of the internet, we had learned of a close family friend of the Burgesses who lived right outside of Beaufort. After a quick phone call, we agreed to meet in town for lunch; so off we went! We met at a local favorite, Plums, and had a delicious lunch together while we got to know each other. Caroline was fabulous and we all had a great time, and she gave us some must-sees while we were in town.

So, after lunch we headed over to take a carriage ride around the town, at her urging. It was a carriage ride tour and our tour guide, Bud, was fabulous. The weather was perfect with a breeze to keep us cool and we learned a lot about the city and its history, as well as the fact that many many movies have been made here! We loved every minute of this tour and were sorry to see it end, although I was happy that the tour was over for the sake of our horse, Bob; I can’t believe they run those tours in the hot afternoons!

After the tour guide had familiarized us with the layout of the town, we strolled around for a bit, seeing some of the sites up close, including the old Episcopal Church with a brick wall made from ballast bricks from England and grave stones that were used as operating tables during the Civil War – with old saw marks still visible! We walked along the main street and enjoyed many of the cute little shops there, and then we walked back to the boat via the waterfront. The town has delegated the land right on the water to be used for parks only, so beautiful parks line the River.


We headed back to the boat, fully intending to go back in later, but found that we were exhausted after walking around in the heat of the day and so called it an early night.