We got to St. Johns Yacht Harbor about an hour after slack and had no problem getting into our slip. Since we got in early enough, we took a cab over to Lewis BBQ for lunch. It was packed but so worth the wait. Afterwards, we walked around Charleston and ended the day with dinner at Oyster House. We were glad for the opportunity to explore together and stretch our legs after so much time aboard.
We had a mid-week reservation at Husk in downtown Charleston, and it was fantastic. The menu changes regularly and showcases southern ingredients and dishes (everything is local). Plus they have creative cocktails and a solid wine list. Charleston has some really great food, and I’m glad we got to check out some new places and revisit some favorites on this trip.
St. John’s Yacht Harbor was a really nice place to spend the week. The staff is helpful and friendly, and so are the local boaters. We met the owners of Encore when they got back – they had been in Hope Town at the same time as us and came over to introduce themselves. Yet another small world moment.
We spent the first half of the week relaxing, and then it was time to get to work. After nearly four months in the Bahamas where fresh water is a limited resource, poor Silent Sky was in need of some love. In the Bahamas, there’s always a fine salt spray in the air, which means a fine salt coating on everything. The first task was to give her a good washing, and then it was time to tackle all the stainless steel. Once that was in decent shape, I cleaned the windows on the dodger. Chris also took advantage of having shore power to work on getting the wheel off – it had seized on and needed to be taken care of. I won’t claim Silent Sky is back to her usual level of clean, but she’s better. We also knocked out three full loads of laundry, which only cost $6 total, rather than $6 for one single wash. It’s amazing how much we take for granted little things.
We also made sure to find a little time to take advantage of the pool… but the Bahamas have totally ruined me and the water felt SO cold. I’m sure I’ll adjust eventually, but I’m definitely spoiled.
On Thursday, we walked to The Pour House on the other side of the bridge from the marina to catch some live music. The only problem is that the walk up onto the bridge adds probably close to 1/3 of the distance, and it was a bit of a hike but it was worth it. The band we saw out on the back deck was really good, and the people watching was AMAZING. Zombie Dudes, Finance Bro, and Festival Chick (our nicknames for some of the more standout members of the crowd) were absolutely captivating, but hell, they were having a good time, so more power to them.
Our next stop will put us in Southport, NC and it’s crazy to think that we’ve already made it through three states after only having been back for two weeks. I do sometimes wish we weren’t constrained by work schedules so we could travel faster, but it’s also nice to be able to spend a little time at various places and get to know them a bit.
