Today, we planned to move thirty miles, from Hilton Head to Beaufort, South Carolina. Then, we planned to stay in Hilton Head, then decided to run 50 miles north to a favorite anchorage behind Edisto Island. Unless it was okay and we thought we could reach Charleston.
Today’s plan changes revolved around weather. There’s a big occluded front hanging over the SEUS from Florida to the Carolinas. The air in the occluded wedge is unstable, moody, and unpredictable. A low is also developing offshore. The weekend will be less than ideal cruising conditions.
In the end, we made it to Charleston where we took on fuel then docked as we watched a light show of cloud to cloud lightning approach from the west.
I’m glad we changed plans – that we paid attention to what was actually going on and didn’t argue with weather facts. I’m glad we’re able to flex our thinking, to not be rigid once we put together a tentative plan.
We’re happily docked tonight at Charleston City Marina. The weather that began with this morning’s drizzle became sunnier and fresher all day long, until an hour ago when the storm reached us from the west to light up the Ashley River, James Island Connector, and the boats docked behind us.
We watched it roll in as we ate dinner well after 2000. Though we didn’t exactly plan it this way, today IH covered 85 miles of winding creeks, past scores of no-wake zones, and in company with hundreds of biting flies.
When we cruised past Parris Island, I wondered how any recruit could stand at attention while being gnawed by those flies. Ditto their drill instructors!
Katie doesn’t care for them either, though I think the reason she made a nest and gathered her stuff together had more to do with the rough passage across Coosaw Sound. She’s still nervous when we rock and roll, though as we came through Elliot Cut into Charleston, she and I sat on the bow; she looked happier than she’d been all day, so maybe she just wants to get up front and see what’s coming before the rest of us.
After dinner, Pete and I talked about tomorrow’s plans as the thunder and lightning moved closer. But I think we’ll just wait and see what things look like in the morning before jumping in. Plans are always changing.
Irish Hurricane 