We had quite the week in Charleston! Thanks to a recommendation from a fellow Looper, we anchored at Brittlebank Park for the entire week. Upon researching dockage in the Charleston area, we knew we would have to anchor if we wanted to spend more than a couple of days in town due to the higher prices. The only catch with this anchorage is that you have to be able to clear a 56-foot fixed bridge, which should be no problem for most Loopers, as this would only affect those with a taller sailboat mast. 

We were beyond grateful for the recommendation because not only did this anchorage save us close to $1,000 in dockage costs, it also felt safe, there was a dock for us to take the dinghy in, the anchor held firm, and the wake from other boaters was minimal. Additionally, there was a Publix less than a half-mile away, and with the help of our electric scooters, we could get almost anywhere else in the downtown area that we wanted to. 

Because we were in a bigger city, we made a vet appointment for Ripley to update her tick and flea medication. Unfortunately, after our time on Cumberland Island, we found not one but FOUR ticks on her! For anyone considering Looping or longer-term cruising with a pet, we highly recommend making sure they are up to date on vaccines and put on a monthly tick and flea prevention plan. 

Taking advantage of the city life, we enjoyed several different restaurants, including: 

• The Darling Oyster Bar 
• Park & Grove 
• Port of Call 
• The Gin Joint 
• Pink Bellies 
• Harken Cafe 
• Poogan’s Porch 

We seriously loved each and every one! I swear there is no bad restaurant in Charleston. 

Sadly, come Thursday, Evan came down with what we believe was norovirus, which paused our Charleston exploration for a few days while he rested up. Let me tell you, being sick on a boat sure isn’t fun! 

Once he was mostly healed, we had plans to move to a marina for the next couple of days. Like a lot of the plans we’ve made on the Loop, they seem to go straight out the window (haha!). We did pull into this marina, but they didn’t account for the negative tide, and the slip they originally planned for us would make us run aground. Luckily, they had a different slip open, but only for one night. We took it as a sign to stay for the night, then say farewell to Charleston and continue on. This week, our tentative plans are to hop from McClellanville to Georgetown, Georgetown to Myrtle Beach, then hopefully cross into our fourth state, North Carolina, come Sunday. 

If we’ve learned anything in our first month and a half on the Great Loop, it’s that you’ll constantly be kept on your toes. Cheers to continuing the adventure!