Mark and Nicole's Big Adventure

We made the short, 30-mile run from Georgetown to McClellanville in the rain. Once at the dock the skies cleared long enough for a walk around this appealing little fishing village of 400 residents. McClellanville is first and foremost a waterman's town. Well-used oyster dredges, shrimp and crab boats crowd the shores of Jeremy Creek. Carolina Seafood Company down the street is about as real as it gets. The briney scent of seafood overpowers you when you enter, even when wearing a mask. Their crab dip is well known and we can attest -- it is mighty good. A quart of local oysters came back to the boat with us as well. But the most obvious and striking feature of McClellanville is the tangle of live oaks that line every  residential street and byway, their huge twisty branches criss-crossing the sky. The town's pride and joy is the Deerhead Oak, estimated to be 1,000 years old. I can't vouch for the tree's age, but I can say that it is one massive tree.  One of many grand

In a year that has no parallel, we take time to say thank you, tell those closest to us that we love them and miss being with them, and above all, express gratitude for the gift of health for our family and friends. We look ahead to brighter days. We have a gorgeous Thanksgiving Day in Georgetown. Sun, 70s, quiet. We took a dinghy ride this morning in-between cooking chores. I made the traditional turkey dinner and while my galley is decently outfitted for a boat, a bit of juggling is required to pull it all together. Before and after, we fit in the Macy's parade and football. Pretty typical and perfectly enjoyable. However you are celebrating today, may you and yours have a happy, healthy Thanksgiving.  The congregation. And there they go. We escaped any bombing. A character-filled access point to Front Street in Georgetown from the water. Water access to Georgetown's historic Kaminski House. Georgetown has its own fleet of shrimp boats.  Cooking this year's Thanksgiving d

Since leaving Beaufort, NC, we have day by day moved ourselves down the next 150 miles to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We have been blessed with spectacular cruising weather except for one day of high winds that kept us at the dock. We've watched dolphins frolic -- though no photos, unfortunately -- and stayed a cautious distance from some heavy duty dredging equipment, barges, and a surplus military landing craft that bunked with us at the dock. Add to that the enjoyment of some quietly beautiful ICW scenery amidst extensive shoreline development along the North and South Carolina coasts. Passing thoughts ......... Swansboro, NC -- a quiet watertown that frequently gets inundated by storm surges if not direct hurricane  hits. Three years ago on our first visit, Swansboro was drying out from severe flooding. This time the town looked great, if very quiet. A large number of "thank you, God" banners and yard placards says to me this is a town of the faithful. Hampstead, NC

A couple nights at Beaufort Docks Marina and we'll be off again. But what a fun stop, if only a brief one.  Beaufort feels like it's sitting on the edge of a watery world, with the southernmost point of North Carolina's Outer Banks just around the corner. While technically not on the ocean, the Atlantic is close at hand and it shows. Local marinas are full of huge sportfish boats at the ready. Knowledgeable boaters have first-hand experience with the troublesome winds and currents that define these waters and the nearby inlet takes boaters out into the big water. We've seen more active boating around Beaufort than in any one spot on our journey thus far. Then there's the deep history that makes Beaufort a treasure for anyone who is fascinated by how the past has helped form the present. The infamous Blackbeard made his home here in the early 1700s before meeting his demise in a naval battle not far from today's waterfront. His house is still here, privately owne