MM 454.7, Dewees Creek anchorage, SC

It’s a shorts day!!!  Harmony only has 15 miles to go today so the crew had a quiet morning of reading and computer time taking advantage of  the anchorage  that was wonderfully peaceful and quiet with birds and dolphins hopping about. We planned to arrive in Charleston around 2:30 to take advantage of the slack tide.  Harmony’s crew slept well last night because it was warmer than it has been.

Oysters are now sold by the bushel in the shells. Back when oyster houses shucked oysters and put them in jars the shells were returned to the estuary to make more oysters. Oyster beds need oyster shells to repopulate.   During the summer oysters spawn and release free swimming larvae, called spat, into the water.  About two weeks later, the spat attach to a sutable surface, called cultch, and begin building their own shells.  The best source of cultch is old oyster shells.

Unless oyster shells are returned for cultch, the next generation of oysters suffers; if you walk the docks at McClellanville,  you may see an unusual recycling receptacle: the oyster shell drop off site.   Oyster shells are the local recyclable; to maintain the areas shell fish beds.  Oysters are also valuable for cleaning the water.  I read an article in a paper at home a few months ago stating that people are picking up the oyster shells from restaurants in Annapolis, and depositing them back in the Chesapeake Bay, all volunteer; for me  cleaning up the bay is a vital thing to do and we all need to do  our part whatever that is.

We passed the Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Mount Pleasant, Ben Sawyer Bridge, before entering Charleston Harbor. We had plenty of time so we chugged up the Cooper River, passed the Aquarium and some loading docks.  We are now at the Charleston Marina, we have ¼ mile walk to shore.  But considering how my clothes feel we need several days of miles to walk. We had dinner in a local restaurant: tonight fish and salad.  We are in our reading time and then early to bed we all go.