We spent two nights at the Charleston City Marina. That gave us time to catch up with a good friend who lives in the area and time to bike around the battery and other parts of the old city. We carry two full-sized folding mountain bikes (Montague) and have been making good use of them. They're not quite as ewasy to set up or stow away as the smaller ones but are a joy to ride. In some ports, wothout them, we would need to hire a cab for grocery shopping. And they let us see more of the area we're in than we would otherwise.

On Tuesday we caught the 9:00 am bridge opening to head down the waterway from Charleston. We had a NE wind that offshore was gusting to 30 knots and kicking up 8 foot seas. Inside it was an exceptionally pleasant sailing breeze. We sailed all six of the rivers from the Stono to the Ashepoo. Since we entered Delaware Bay three weeks ago we have been in 27 rivers, all but two of them a place of remarkable beauty. (The exceptions are the Delaware River and Cape Fear River which I have never much cared for.) This doesn't count all the creeks, bays, sounds. channels and harbors we've been through. Instead of taking the ICW shortcut heading up the Ashepoo, we turned left and headed down river and anchored off Fenwick Island near St Helena Sound. Bob and Francie Sadler's Barefootin' was also anchored there. Some of you may remember their "Dinks Welcome" dock at the former home just above the Wappoo Creek Bridge.

In the morning we had the remains of the NE wind for awhile and sailed partway up the Coosaw River but had to motor most of the way to Beaufort. (That's Byoofuht as opposed to Boefurt North Carolina.) The day dock was occupied when we arrived after the 11:00 Lady's Island bridge opening so we anchored just off the dock and rowed in. We stopped here to pick up our general delivery mail at the post office, to do a little shopping, and mostly just to enjoy one of my favorite towns on the waterway with its ancient oaks draped in spanish moss, its river front park, its tempting shops and restaurants, its Publix supermarket across the bridge and its free dock. What more could a cruising sailor want?

This morning we moved to the day dock (no overnight docking) and launched our bikes for a trip to the Publix and a little sight seeing. Tomorrow we head on to Georgia, the next to last of our thirteen state tour.