s/v-Ihana: Life in Charleston

We've been having a great time here for the past few days. Biking most days - temperatures in the low 70s, mostly sunny, no rain. Yesterday we biked all over town, including a visit to the Fort Sumter National Historical Park (not the fort - yet). Today we rode out to the Magnolia Plantation with our friend Ken (his car), toured the historic plantation mansion**, and hiked through the gorgeous gardens and swamp (alligators!).

I've been catching up on boat repair (slowly, almost enjoyably) - changed the engine's fresh water antifreeze, will replace broken sail track slides, will convert the marine head to a locking pump system that prevents backflow, and a lot more small things that are on my list.

Ilona has been busy plotting our next move south - using ActiveCaptain.com - and the Doyles' Managing the Waterway ICW Cruising Guide and their excellent new ICW Anchoring Guide. We will possibly anchor off an island that has a monkey colony, Beaufort and Hilton Head (on South Carolina islands), and then on to Savannah, Georgia. Only a little over 100 miles all the way to Georgia from here, all on the inside ICW, with lots of marinas and anchorages (and shoals), and it is finally warm enough that we don't have to hurry up and rush to get south. Bob - inertia. Ilona - not so much.

Coming up is helping Ken put the sails up on his (bigger) boat on Wednesday, a dinner party at the Charleston Yacht Club on Thursday, wine tasting at the local wine store on Friday (possibly followed by Kabbalat Shabbat at the local Reform Synagogue, after this "early Kiddish"), downtown Farmer's Market on the weekend, menorah lighting on Sunday afternoon in the town square, the Charleston Aquarium, and more biking and walking around town. Everything is within a mile or two from the marina, so we can walk or bike anywhere in Charleston.

Someday we have to think about heading south again, but there is so much to do here and it is nice to not have to rush off somewhere again.

** I was going to say that the big plantation house outside of Charleston might be called the Charles Mansion, but that's even too bad for me to say ...