Mike and Beth's Adventures

Waterfront: Charleston South Carolina April 17th-20th, 2022 We split our trip from Hilton Head  to Charleston into two days.  This allowed us to catch slack water through Elliott Cut.  This short passage is known for very strong currents at anything but slack water.  We found it pretty sporty still, and we arrived EXACTLY  at the time for slack water.  Fellow Looper in Anchored in Church Creek We overnighted in Church Creek, about 20 miles south of Charleston.  A storm moved through overnight with winds gusting to 30 and rain.  Holding was good and Amy Marie stayed securely attached to the bottom.  Two other Looper boats also sought refuge in Church Creek. AICW South of Charleston We arrived in Charleston by 10 am.  As we were early, we cruised by the majestic antebellum homes in the historic district and then motored out to see Fort Sumter.  We tied up in our slip at the Charleston City Marina by 11am, caught the free marina shuttl...

April 9th-16th, 2022 Hilton Head was our first chance to meet with and enjoy family since Christmas 2021.  Our Great Loop travels have taken us ~2900 miles since out start at Joe Wheeler State Park in north west Alabama.  So we have completed approximately half the Loop. While our steadfast 27' Ranger Tug, Amy Marie, has faithfully and reliably carried us all those miles, it was "pure luxury" to have a big spacious two bedroom Marriott Timeshare for a week.  It was complete with a big soaking tub for Beth and a shower with unlimited hot water for me!  Plus we were blessed that family could join us. This is a bit larger than Amy Marie's V-Berth! The island was first explored by the Spanish in 1523.  In 1663, the island was visited by Captain William Hilton, who named it after himself!  A bridge was not built to the island until 1956.  It was only after this time that the island was developed as a vacation destination.  I think it ranks right up the...