Open the below photos in a full-screen slideshow in Flickr
October 13th, 2009 – Charleston, South Carolina
by Herb McCormick
Just before dawn, the first flashes of heat lightning illuminated the morning sky with sharp blinks of radiance, like a giant strobe light. By 8 a.m., the cutter Ocean Watch was entering the prominent rock jetties that signal the entrance to the main harbor. Not long after, the crew steered past the famous fortress to port known as Fort Sumter, and it wasn’t long before former Around Alone sailor Brad Van Liew was swinging alongside to deposit first mate back onto the decks of OW as the first hint of sunshine broke through the early cloud cover.
After an oftentimes bumpy ride down from New York City, Ocean Watch had made it to Charleston, her first port-of-call in the southern U.S.A.
It seemed pretty appropriate that Van Liew was the first to greet us. As the former race director for the Around Alone race, skipper Mark Schrader had been on dawn watch on several occasions to welcome Van Liew, the former Southern Californian who won his class with panache and resolve in the 2002-2003 running of the event. So when Van Liew idled alongside, the skipper couldn’t help himself.
“Nothing like role reversal,” he said.
It was also good to have Logan back onboard, who’d arrived in Charleston with his wife Joanna in advance of the crew for this leg to handle some logistical matters and scout out the territory. As it turned out, my watch-mate picked an ideal leg to skip, the “highlight” of which was a rough transit of the Gulf Stream.
“I should feel guilty,” he smiled. “But I don’t.”
Your turn will come, my friend.
 |
| Ocean Watch will be berthed at the Charleston Maritime Center. |
In Charleston, Ocean Watch will be hauled out of the water for routine hull maintenance and also to have the large, fixed propeller – which the crew opted for during the Arctic portion of the voyage through the ice – for a more efficient prop that will be useful during the long offshore sailing passages to come. On Wednesday the 14th, the crew will also be making a presentation at the Charleston Public Library on Calhoun Street at 5:30 p.m. local time. The show is free and everyone is welcome so if you’re in the Charleston area, we’ll hope to see you there.
Afterwards, Ocean Watch will be berthed at the Charleston Maritime Center, a facility that has changed dramatically since the crew was last in town. On Friday, the voyage will resume when the team sets sail for its final stop on its current U.S. East Coast tour: Miami, Florida.
Once Ocean Watch was tied up this morning, the crew repaired to a familiar haunt, the Variety Store restaurant at the Charleston City Marina. The grits were great, as was the rest of the meal. It was very good to be in Charleston.
- Herb McCormick with photographs by David Thoreson
This crew log submitted by Iridium OpenPort and Stratos
To add a comment to this story click on the comment link below the post title. Please direct your messages for the crew to crew@aroundtheamericas.org instead of submitting them here. Thanks for following the Around the Americas Expedition.
