Beaufort and the SSCA Cruising Station on Ladys Island

Remember when I dropped my camera back in Georgetown, South Carolina?? Sometimes things happen for a reason, you just don’t know the reason until much later, if ever.  I ordered a new camera through Amazon (thank you, Adam for the fast & free shipping!) and had it shipped to Beaufort, South Carolina (Note – This is Beaufort, SOUTH Carolina, not Beaufort NORTH, Carolina. This Beaufort is the one pronounced “Bew-fort” while the North Carolina one is pronounced “Bo-fort.”) Why Beaufort? I looked ahead to where we might be by the time a package could arrive in a location and cross-referenced that with the SSCA “Cruising Stations.” Your next question would be what is an SSCA Cruising Station? Cruising Station hosts are members who volunteer to serve as a contact and host for other members in a given location. They may offer information about a port and facilities, welcome you, provide local maps and guides, accept packages, and assist in locating things you might need. I contacted the Butlers in Beaufort (Ladys Island)  to ask if I could have the new camera sent to them. Not only did Rick say yes, but he also stayed in contact with us, gave wonderful advice on the route we would be taking, and offered his own dock as a place to stay.

If I had not dropped and broken my camera, we would never have contacted Rick and met both him and his lovely wife, Carol. Things do happen for a reason! The morning of our arrival, Rick was out sailing in his beetle cat and quickly hopped on his dock to help us tie up. And what a beautiful dock it is – teal colored! You know how I love my blues.

Once we were settled in, we spent the afternoon cleaning Kindred Spirit. She was scrubbed outside and inside, the refrigerator was defrosted, the stainless was polished, and the teak was sealed again. Al found time to make a “wave stopper” to lessen the sound of the waves slapping against the transom.

Rick and Carol invited us for cocktails and conversation, and introduced us to their neighbors, Allan and Cathy, also cruisers and once lived in Farmington, CT. There’s that small world again!

Rick showed us the best, absolutely the best, grandchildren’s room that I have ever seen in my life. I wanted to be a child again just to spend time in it.  Al was totally captured by Rick’s  workmanship and creativity – from a  nautical perspective and carpenter’s  perspective.

The tides are very different here in the south, with a much greater range.  New London, CT’s tidal range is 3 feet, 1 inch, while Beaufort, South Carolina experiences a 6-8 foot tidal range. We were fascinated with Rick’s “finger” on the dock —

We spent Monday doing errands and picking up boat and provisioning items, as well as visiting Beaufort. Beaufort is a charming small city. Once again, this is southern town was the location for a few very famous films – Forrest Gump, The Big Chill, Prince of Tides. We enjoyed our afternoon in Beaufort very much.

And, of course, we found an ice cream parlor – Southern Sweets!

Tuesday came and it was time to say goodbye to Rick and Carol, as well as Beaufort. We hope to visit again on our way north in the spring.