The approach to Charleston goes on for miles . The jetties alone extend out three miles, and the approach continues way past the ends of the jetties. It took us three hours from the time we passed a buoy until we dropped anchor near the municipal marina, and we hadn't even gone all the way out to the first buoy. The harbor is large and windier than the open sea. We turned off the engine and sailed all the way down the approach. We could have continued sailing, but there are a great many small boats bopping around, and it's easier to maneuver with the engine.
Saw a small sailboat that had flipped over and dumped its three occupants into the briny. Roy headed over there to help them, but before we got there, two of them had righted the boat, gotten back in it, and were on their way to the third guy.
A larger sailboat nearby had multiple problems, but we couldn't do anything for them. Their engine had quit and the rudder was broken. They had already radioed for assistance, and a boat was on its way.
I guess a three-day weekend isn't the smartest time to bring a sailboat into Charleston Harbor. The City Marina was full and so was the Ripley Light Marina. There are other marinas here, but we didn't bother to contact them; we just dropped anchor.
On our way in, we went right past the famous Fort Sumter.
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