Charleston, SC revisited

[John D. Patten]

As I entered Charleston Harbor this Thanksgiving aboard my sailboat I was reminded of the Thanksgiving cruises we enjoyed aboard the TABOR BOY delivering her here for the annual winter lay up. Charleston Harbor is quite different after 38 years. A magnificent bridge can be seen from miles at sea and container cranes bristle along the waterfront. In a one hour interval three large container ships arrived and a Norwegian cruise ship sailed. I recently had the pleasure of visting with Karen & Jay Parker at their beautiful new home in Oriental, NC. as I made my way down the Intercoastal Waterway. I also enjoyed having dinner with John Blake, Schooner Crew and Class of 60 +/- at his new home in Oriental. I will continue South on my retirement cruise to spend the winter aboard in Key West, FL.

[John D. Patten]

Your parents picked me up at NY Maritime and we went out to lunch together and then met the schooner at King's Point in '71. I remember the snow storm at Block Island well and waiting for the weather to change at Cape Charles. Good times for sure! Talking about being places we didn't belong? Do you remember when they changed the engine oil in Bermuda and decided to wash up afterwards in the pool at the Hamilton Princess Hotel and were sent back over the wall?

[Jim Potdevin]

Johnnie -

Those were fine trips to Charleston in '71 and '72. My brother, Bob '71, said that they had to pull into Great Salt Pond, Block Island due to weather and snow in '70. My Dad made both of my trips too. I remember one of those trips heaving-to offshore from Cape Charles Light and heading around Cape Hatteras with a NW gale behind us. In '72 Spicer and I used the lady's showers at the Charleston marina - after 5 days of no showers, who cared! And always arriving home on Thanksgiving.

Jim

[John D. Patten]

I made the cruise twice while on the schooner crew and then in my freshman year at New York Maritime in 1971 I met the TABOR BOY at Kings Point and sailed to Charleston, Each cruise had its own excitement, the sea smoke off Cape Hatteras, cooking a turkey dinner on board which as tradition mandated brought on a gale, taking the train back North or one year flying back to Boston with Dave Williams and his father and getting caught in a terrible blizzard on Thanksgiving Day. Some of the best experiences in my life as I look back on it all.

[Jonathan Lincoln]

John & Jamie,

In 1984 I was hoping to join that trip as well, however I was in my freshman year at Maine Maritime and didn’t make it. I went the following year, again jay Bolton was among the crew, my first visit to Charleston. Once the Schooner was all secured for the winter, everyone went their way. At this point it was just me and Cap Glaeser. A person by the name of Kip Valentine stopped in to say hi to Cap. He had been on the schooner some time in the past and stopped by as he lived in the area. As Cap went his way on Thanksgiving day, I was invited to Kips house for a Thanksgiving dinner with he and his mother. Later that night we hit the Charleston night scene. It was all fun hanging there in Charleston getting escorted around by one of the locals who spent some time on Tabor Boy.

Today I pull into Charleston regularly on the M/V ST. LOUIS EXPRESS to either the Wando container terminal or the North Charleston docks. Sure is different then my first visit in 1985.

Regards,

Jonathan Lincoln

[James Hutton]

John,
I did the same delivery aboard the TABOR BOY in 1984 after getting out of college along with Jay Bolton (’60 – ’62). I think we arrived a day or two before Thanksgiving and it gave the holiday a new meaning for me. Man I had some good times aboard her!
Regards,
Jamie

[Peter A. Mello]

Hi John,

Thanks for the post. Did you have a chance to see the new sail training vessel in Charleston, the Spirit of South Carolina. She's a beautiful vessel. The executive director, Brad Van Liew, the 2004 winner of the Around Alone race in the Tommy Hilfiger boat, has brought a lot of energy, excitement and professionalism to sail training in South Carolina and across the country

Hope you keep providing all of us snowbound working stiffs with updates on your "retirement cruise" and life in Key West! ;-)