26 December - Day #24. We set a new record yesterday--a whole .2nm traveled. The Christmas day gale finally blew itself out at 5pm. While we'd planned to cruise to Georgetown, SC, which is 20 miles away, the late hour coupled with the crew's laziness meant we were lucky to get away from the dock and across the river. The tidal range, or the number of feet the tide goes up and down, has increased from the Chesapeake's one foot to five feet here. Running with the current has a dramatic effect on our speed this morning as we see our normal 6.5kts not drop under 8kts for several hours. It may be hard to believe but this speed change is as dramatic to us as going from 65 to 80 mph in a car. This evening's anchorage is just 20 miles from Charleston and is very close to an ocean inlet. We drop the dink and go exploring. The beach, which is only accessible by boat, is great for shelling. Back aboard, Bill and Heidi, S/V Act III, who are coincidentally in the same anchorage, join us for cocktails. At anchor in Price Creek, SC. 55nm today and 545nm total
