We came into Charleston Harbor yesterday afternoon when it looked like the weather would make a stay offshore less comfortable than we desired. Since our slip was still occupied, we anchored just north of James Island for the night. Very shortly after we arrived, the National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm and TORNADO watch for Charleston Harbor and surrounding counties. Really? Well, not much to do but sit tight and see what develops.

Turns out the answer was: Not much. The cold front did pass by, but with no rain here, and winds that peaked at less than 30 knots. We sat comfortably and without worry. A good, big, anchor in a good spot make all the difference.

At noon time we came up to the marina, and have been really happy with what we have found so far. A short walk around downtown shows a beautiful town. The tallest buildings are still church steeples, and there is a delightful mix of business, residential, and tourist areas with an excellent balance between them. We are really looking forward to exploring further.

For anyone coming to Charleston by boat, we can definitely recommend the Charleston Maritime Center as a base of operations while here. It is walking distance from downtown, and is close to services. There are only two marinas on the city peninsula that take transient boats. The other one is the Charleston Municipal Marina on the west side. It is bigger, fancier, more expensive, but further from anyplace on shore you would actually want to visit.

Here are some pictures from the three day passage from Florida up to South Carolina.