12/03/15

Well yesterday Nandad almost left Nana on the dock and today Nana booked the wrong marina but all turns our well- a story for another time. IE arrived into Charleston  Maritime Center at 1.15pm. Actually Nana thought she had made a reservation however it turned out to be a different place. George was incredibly helpful and found us a slip for two nights - off the hook this time! Our journey today brought us through a floating bridge called The Tom Yawkey Wildelife floating bridge. Along the side edge perched on a dead branch was the largest blue heron I have ever seen. When it stretched its neck it was as tall as Nandad. The ICW turns southwest into the Estherville Minim Creek. There is a 20 mile long barrier island that is called the Romain National Wildlife Refuge. Nana spotted a bald eagle along the edge simply perched on a tree branch. When you see these birds initially you think they are fake but when you take out the binoculars you can see them move. Absolutely beautiful. The dolphins also had fun chasing IE on the bow. These are the special events that are impossible to catch on camera.  There were more boats today and although the sun was shining it was colder. As IE was approaching the Ben Sawyer Swing bridge there was a dredging project taking place which made passage a little tricky. Nana and Nandad are looking forward to a lay day exploring Charleston tomorrow. The second picture is the Charleston Bridge from the marina.