So, if you have any interest in sailing whatsoever, you’ll definitely want to be in town two weeks from now for the fifth and final leg of the VELUX 5 OCEANS around-the-world sailboat race that coincides with Harborfest 2011.

The 3,600 nautical mile final leg will be leaving Charleston May 14th, racing to the finish line in La Rochelle, France.

‘Sprint’ really encapsulates what the finale to the VELUX 5 OCEANS will be: an all out adrenaline-fueled race across the North Atlantic and back into the Bay of Biscay, where La Rochelle will celebrate the unique achievements of the skippers in completing The Ultimate Solo Challenge. They are expected to arrive in La Rochelle in early June 2011 with prizes presented June 11.

“I have a lot of incentives to get to Charleston first, my kids are there, my family is there and my home is there. The sooner I get there the longer I get to spend at home. Mentally that is a bit of a liability, and it will be important for me to keep my head straight and not get too excited about sailing home.” – Charleston’s own Brad Van Liew, skipper of Le Pingouin.

Charleston Harborfest 2011 Schedule

Thursday, May 12th

• VELUX 5 OCEANS Vessels and Race Village Open to Public >> 1:00 – 6:00 PM

Friday, May 13th

• Festival Grounds Open to Public >> 1:00 – 6:00 PM
• Skipper Bon Voyage Party >> 5:00 – 8:00 PM

Saturday, May 14th

• Festival Grounds Open to Public >> 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
• VELUX 5 OCEANS Parade of Sail >> 12:30 PM
• VELUX 5 OCEANS Race Restart >> 3:00 PM

Sunday, May 15th

• Festival Grounds Open to Public >> 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

From the Shem Creek blog.

Charleston Harborfest 2011

This Saturday February 12th, the first ever Southeastern Wildlife Expo Kick-Off Party is here at Red’s Ice House on Shem Creek.

The event is free 12-5pm – with Barrier Island Marine having a 2011 New Boat Model Preview in and out of the water (sunset cruises offered too). At 5:30, there will live tunes from Ken Block & Drew Copeland of Sister Hazel along with Tyler Mechem of Crowfield.

All-you-can-eat oysters, a food buffet and adult beverages will be available as well.

All-inclusive tickets are $40 dollars before the event and $50 dollar day of, so get your tickets fast at Red’s during business hours, or online at SEWE.com

From the Shem Creek blog.

Red’s on Shem Creek holds SEWE Kickoff Party 2011

There are 2 great events scheduled to benefit the MPLC on Sunday, October 17th, 9am-7pm.

All paddle participants receive a free Shem Creek Sundown poster.

Great fun for the entire family! Experience the beauty of Shem Creek, while helping us raise awareness and necessary money to continue working to ensure our sense of place is preserved.

PADDLE EVENT DESCRIPTION:
2-hr Naturalist Guided Group Kayak or Canoe Paddle from Shem Creek to Crab Bank Island. All equipment provided.

Four departure times from Nature Adventures Outfitters’ ramp to choose from:
9am, 11am, 1pm or 3pm.

Paddle Donation Per Person
(Tax-Deductible)
$40 – Adults (13 years and up)
$25 – Children (4 years to 12 years)

Thanks to the generosity of Nature Adventures Outfitters, 100% of the proceeds from this paddle will go directly to the MPLC!

Reserve your seats by calling the MPLC office directly at 843-884-1060.

Then, stick around ’til 7pm for the “Post Paddle Party” at the Lighthouse on the Creek.

Live Music with BBQ, Oysters, and Beer for purchase.

Free Entry for Paddlers!

$5 Entry Fee for General Public.

Even if you don’t join for the Guided Paddle, hopefully you’ll come enjoy the Post Paddle Party here on beautiful Shem Creek.

Special Thanks to the Sponsors:

Red Drum Capital Group

Lucasville Investments

The Lighthouse on the Creek

Experience the beauty of Shem Creek, while helping us raise awareness and necessary money
to continue working to ensure our sense of place is preserved.
Credit: Mount Pleasant Land Conservancy

From the Shem Creek blog.

Shem Creek Paddle and Party 2010

Hat tip to David Quick, P&C’s Running, Cycling, and Fitness Blog guru.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Charleston’s first Stand Up Paddling (SUP) race in Shem Creek

Hear personal accounts from select Aquarium staff members of recent trips to the Gulf, where they have aided in sea turtle rescue and vitally important dolphin surveying.

Enjoy live performances by Red Top Ramblers, Henry’s Attic and a special appearance from Mark Bryan of Hootie and the Blowfish, and Doug Jones and Gary Greene from Cravin’ Melon.

Cajun food will be provided by Krewe of Charleston, and beer and non-alcoholic products will be served.

Proceeds from the event will support the South Carolina Aquarium’s wildlife care, conservation and rescue programs, as well as allow the Aquarium to lend world-class care and expertise to the Gulf.

Tickets are $30 per person.
Additional donations will be accepted at the door.
Saturday, July 17, 2010 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Advance reservations suggested by calling (843) 577-FISH (3474).
The event is held in partnership with Awendaw Green, Sewee Outpost, Krewe of Charleston and Palmetto Brewery.

From the Shem Creek blog.

Save Our Seas, a SC Aquarium event benefiting wildlife rescue at home and in the Gulf Coast

Bench Mark’s Blue Marlin and 5 Sailfish releases toppled Reel Passion’s 2nd place spot of 2 Blue Marlin and 1 Sailfish release, but everybody involved had a great time no doubt!

“The interesting thing is that for the first time in years, a large number of blue marlin were encountered, with 14 actually being caught and released. This is more than the total number of blue’s that have been caught this year in the three previous tournaments combined. Further, in recent years, July has been a slow month for encountering blue marlin. The reason for the surge is unknown.” – SCDNR biologist Wallace Jenkins.

Congratulations to the ‘Bench Mark’ crew. So, what’s the split on $105,184 amongst y’all anyway?

From the Shem Creek blog.

‘Bench Mark’, winners of the 2010 MegaDock Tournament

It is the 4th event on the Governor’s Cup schedule for this year, and weather permitting, should be a great turnout.

Categories include:

• Billfish – (Blue Marlin = 600 pts; White Marlin = 300 pts; Sailfish = 100 pts)
• Dolphin
• Tuna
• Wahoo
• Lady Anglers
• Youth

The first weigh-in begins 5:00pm this Thursday. Good luck everybody!

From the Shem Creek blog.

The 8th Annual HMY-Viking MegaDock Tournament starts tomorrow

From the Shem Creek blog.

An awesome dog surfing for a great cause

The party will be a blast as usual, but what’s even cooler is that you can see fireworks from all around Charleston when you are at Patriot’s Point – as a matter of fact, the only better view IMO is if you’re on a boat in the harbor; now that’s a site to see!

If you haven’t been to the Patriots Point 4th of July Blast yet, don’t just take my word for it; back in ’07, the NYT said:

INDEPENDENCE DAY means fireworks and parades all over the United States, but in cities that played roles in the American Revolution, the commemorations go to another level. Some of the best Fourth of July parties this year will be in Bennington, Vt.; Boston; Philadelphia; Charleston, S.C.; and Yorktown, Va.

Admission to the landside festival is FREE, but admission to the ships, Medal of Honor Museum and other exhibits are not included in that pricing.

Bring blankets and lawn chairs, but no coolers, outside food or beverage, or pets are allowed.
Food and beverages will be available at the festival.

Yea, we’re proud of our heritage here in S.C., and the 4th of July Blast at Patriots Point is just one more excuse to show it off as only we know how!

From the Shem Creek blog.

4th of July Blast at Patriots Point 2009

What started as a will-play-for-beer gig birthed South Carolina’s musical force, called Hootie and the Blowfish. The unexpected success that followed the concert at Pappy’s marked the turning point for the rookie band and the beginning of a period in rock and roll history affectionately known as the Hootie era.

On Thursday, July 9 at 9 p.m., fifteen years after the band’s multi-platinum debut album Cracked Rear View hit record store shelves, ETV airs the brand new Carolina Stories documentary entitled The Next Big Hootie.

Encore presentations air:

Back in the early ’90s, the “Seattle Sound” gained mainstream notoriety as Nirvana created the new “grunge” genre, and blazed a trail for groups like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.

Not many years later, a certain up-and-coming South Carolina band enjoyed similar good fortune, storming onto the music scene with their own refreshingly distinct sound.

“Hootie killed grunge”, asserts Otis Taylor, music writer at The State. But why didn’t Hootie’s then-unrivaled success have the same pied piper effect on South Carolina bands that Nirvana did with bands in the Seattle area?

ETV’s hour-long road trip with homegrown Palmetto State rockers takes a nostalgic glance back at the accomplishments of Hootie and the Blowfish and the missed opportunities and unrealized dreams of their contemporaries. Other bands spotlighted in the program include:

1. Jay Clifford,
2. Cravin Melon,
3. Edwin McCain,
4. Danielle Howle,
5. The Root Doctors,
6. Treadmill Trackstar, and
7. Jump Little Children.

The show features old and new footage from some of South Carolina’s best music venues like Columbia’s Rockafellas and The Windjammer on the Isle of Palms. The flashback also includes candid conversations with members of Hootie – and industry insiders – about the highs and lows of life in the music biz.

Then, when all is said and done, the documentary boldly peeks behind the velvet curtain in hopes of discovering who might be poised to be the next big Hootie.

Who do you think should make the list?

One piece of related news from the Upstate’s GreenvilleOnline newspaper:

Because Sanford lost his ballyhooed fight to keep the state from tapping the stimulus cash during the next two years, ETV will pick up $540,000 to cover satellite costs.

ETV President David Crouch chuckles when asked about the change of fortunes.

He doesn’t know exactly what the profit was from Sanford’s appearances, but said, “We probably do make little bit of money off of it.”

So congratulations and here’s to hoping there’s many more years of great educational programming from SCETV!

From the Shem Creek blog.

Who will be the next big Hootie?