Early on Thursday morning, the heat and humidity in Charleston are already on the rise. The anchor is up in the Ashley River and Cutter Loose is bound for her slip at the Charleston Maritime Center. Our 11:30 arrival is timed to coincide with slack tide in the Cooper River. But even at slack tide, there is still considerable tidal current running in the marina basin. After all, the Charleston inlet to the Atlantic Ocean is just a few miles away. Maneuvering Cutter Loose to the fuel dock, then into her slip is a challenge in the tight quarters of the marina basin. The 2 knots of current in the marina is no match for our faithful friend, the bow thruster. We selected this marina because it is within easy walking distance of the Harris Teeter grocery store, East Bay Street eateries and the historic district. 
Thursday afternoon is devoted to the care and upkeep of Cutter Loose. It has been months since she has had a proper bath. Today’s task is to wash the accumulation of salt from the deck, canvas and lines. There is something therapeutic about attacking a salty boat with a hose, a bucket of sudsy water and a sponge. On Thursday evening, buddy boat Island Spirit generously hosts a lasagna dinner for the four Island Packets docked at the Maritime Center. 
A stop at Caviar and Bananas for breakfast is the first order of business on Friday. Today’s agenda is filled with chores, including provisioning, laundry, a haircut for Pat and polishing the stainless steel deck hardware on Cutter Loose. Later in the evening, we enjoy dinner at Blossom with buddy boats Island Spirit and Catspaw.[caption id="attachment_3614" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Charleston farmer's market"]
[/caption]Charleston remains one of our favorite stops along the waterway. Every visit to this town seems too short. Time seems to have evaporated on this particular visit. Tomorrow morning, we will pry ourselves away from this charming city.
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