Day 207 - FIGAWI — Captain Father John

Miles cruised 67, fuel purchased 0, slip fee $85, daily high temperature 76°f.

We pulled out of the Charleston City Marina at 9:00 am and bid farewell to Fort Sumter as we passed by on her port side. The ICW was flat as a pancake. I kicked up the throttles a bit to blow out the carbon after cruising at 9 mph for three days. Before we knew it we were blasting along at over 30 mph. I pulled the throttles back to 28 mph and it felt like we were on a super highway. Not a lump or a bump. We arrived at the Harborwalk Marina in Georgetown, SC at 4:30 pm. There are 8 restaurants within walking distance. We will stay here one night and then keep moving north on the ICW. Tuesday will be an easy day. It is only 3o miles to the Osprey Marina in Myrtle Beach, SC.

We went to the closest bar/restaurant for dinner. The owner of the Wildfish, Rick, had previously owned a bar in Vermont. His heating bill was more than his rent so he couldn’t make money. He sold everything and moved to South Carolina.

There was a horse and a pack horse tied up to a tree outside his bar. The rider was from Montana and looked like Festus from the old TV show Gun Smoke. Riding a horse from Montana to the East coast might be a bigger adventure than the Great Loop.

Festus

We met a crew of sailors on a Tartan 101. They shipped the boat by truck from San Francisco and had raced in Key West and Charleston race weeks. We had been at both places at the same time as they were. They are cruising the boat north to Hyannis, MA for the Figawi race to Nantucket. The race is often sailed in the fog so most of the boats are wondering where the F are we? That is how the race got it’s name. The owner recently moved to Cohasett, Ma and will keep the boat there. We swapped stories about eclectic crew and the cost of racing sails. The winds were blasting at both Key West and Charleston race weeks. He easily shattered $15,000 worth of sails. Each carbon fiber racing sail costs at least $5,000 and a competive boat needs at least four new sails ever two years plus three spinnakers. Do the math. On my racing sailboat Blue Heaven we had a full hoist – 52′ – of blue first place flags from our 12 year racing career. People would ask what do you get when you win a regatta? Do you win money? No, you only win bragging rights. Each of those blue first place flags is worth about $1,000 and worth very penny.

Bonus photo courtesy of Jim O’Malley

Carl (Chef) Wooden – quote of the day.

“In high seas or in low seas,
I’m gonna be your friend…
I’m gonna be your friend.
In high tide or in low tide,
I’ll be by your side…
I’ll be by your side.”
Bob Marley

Robert Nesta “Bob” Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, musician, and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim. Starting out in 1963 with the group The Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide. The Wailers would go on to release some of the earliest reggae records with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry.

After the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career upon his relocation to England that culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977, which established his worldwide reputation and produced his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. Exodus stayed on the British album charts for fifty-six consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: “Exodus”, “Waiting in Vain”, “Jamming”, and “One Love”. In 1978 he released the album Kaya, which included the hit singles “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul”.

Diagnosed with a type of malignant melanoma in 1977, Marley died on 11 May 1981 in Miami at the age of 36. He was a committed Rastafari who infused his music with a sense of spirituality. He is considered one of the most influential musicians of all time and credited with popularizing reggae music around the world, as well as serving as a symbol of Jamaican culture and identity. Marley has also evolved into a global symbol, which has been endlessly merchandised through a variety of mediums.