celebrate - Winston-Salem, NC

4/30/18  Beaufort, NC

This beautiful woman is the reason my blog has been silent for the past several days. Kathleen, my dear aunt, is dad's sister who married my mother's brother. So her children are my double cousins. Kathleen lives in her own home on her own, cooks daily, cans tomatoes and green beans every year, has a daily spiritual practice that inspires me, has a sense of humor and this trip I helped her quilt for her third great grandchild.

What a wonderful model of compassionate humanity!

There was a gathering of about 30 family and close family friends for a burger/dog cookout. Her nieces, nephews, children, grands and great grands gathered to celebrate her, now rather than waiting for her funeral that we hope comes years from now.

She is the reason we've been pressing the throttle to get to NC by the end of this month. Success! We stay with Kathleen when in Winston-Salem.

We docked Grace on the back side of Beaufort, NC and rented a car to get inland. We stopped on the way to visit my dear friend, Stacy, and her husband, Ken. We had an easy 3 hour visit. Got to talk with mutual friend, Ann, while there via phone.

Moving onto Winston-Salem in addition to my wonderful cousins who made the cookout (Marc from SC and Nancy from FL traveled farthest) I had a visit with childhood dance buddy, Suzi, and a phone visit with the wonderful Sybil. Such a blessing to have al these lovelies in my life.

Leading up to all this family/friend stuff:

David and I left Dudley's Marina on Wednesday morning and made our way the three hours to Beaufort, NC. The motor was beautiful. Winds continued to blow and we put a sail out. (Sailed a bit on Monday, too.) I picked our way through a really skinny channel to get from Morehead City to the Town Creek Marina in Beaufort. We went under the new bridge rather than having to wait for the bascule bridge as on the way south earlier this year.

And then there was getting into our assigned slip. HMofG! (Holy Mother of God)!!! It was a narrow entry, wind was abeam, pilings rather than a dock, short short finger pier. So poor Grace got pushed into the piling, David backed up, wind pushed us farther into the slim entry, I tried unsuccessfully to lasso a piling (any piling), because of short finger piers deck hands couldn't get close enough to us to take a line and help, David tried to turn around, wind pushed us closer to retaining wall, people came out on their boats to watch and to protect their boats, forward toward the pilings for lasso-ing, nope. Finally,  a deck hand was able to get onboard and using a borrowed tool looped a line over a piling, then another piling and we pulled ourselves into the slip. It was a nasty landing but no damage beyond pride and so many sailors had experienced similar difficulties that there was little need for shame. We both worked up a sweat though and needed those delicious hot showers we took. So much for the massages we'd had the day before. All benefit now gone except the memory.

About an hour later we helped the dock crew land a sail boat in the slip beside us. Part helping, part protecting our boat from bumping damage.

These new glasses were bought in Swansboro at the Lowe's food store. We're delighted as the glasses we purchased when we got the boat are scratched and crazing.


After our long hot showers Sybil's dear friend, Holland, came to fetch us to take to his house to dinner. He climbed (literally, the short finger piers make it necessary to climb over the bow of the boat in order to get off and on) over the rail and we treated him (I think he felt treated) to his first "Dark n' Stormy" - a sailor's drink of ginger beer and dark rum. And we introduced ourselves.

Holland drove us to his sweet little house in the historic district of Beaufort, just down the street from a house my Bates colleague was selling two years ago that we vaguely considered as possible winter home...as if we could have afforded a little house in this historic district. NOT!

Holland fed us the most scrumptious left over spaghetti and meatballs dinner, treated us to wine and a couple of his friends, his art work. We discovered we have a mutual visual artist acquaintance who we both went to separate colleges with. A great evening and I'm so pleased to have met the dear friend of a dear friend. We're likely to see Holland tomorrow night. We'll bring the wine.

Getting a rental car turned out to be a challenge. Our go-to car company is Enterprise but they had no cars. David is a master of research on the internet but the result was that we left Beaufort later than planned. No worries. We got where we were going.

Quilting with Kathleen in her living room. I love the atmospheric nature of this photo. Reminds me of a t.v. western cabin...well, except for the electricity and the wicker furniture.


The long drive from W-S to Beaufort gave me time to do some writing...support letters for two residencies I may be able to do next fall winter.

The drive also gave us time for some deep thinking about whether to take Grace all the way to Maine or put her up below the Mason Dixon line. We've decided to bring her home, leave her in the water for summer fun - I hope we'll get to Penobscot Bay this summer. We definitely want to be more available in Freeport because it is Maggie's last year of high school. Don't want to miss her activities during her last year. So we've decided to not plan boating adventures on Grace this 2081/2019 school year. We'll sail this summer, put Grace in her home boat shed and do the galley renovation work this fall/early winter/spring. Of course, we'll hire the major refrigeration and cabinetry work out to pros.

This seems like a good plan and will also make it possible for me to do some artist residency work I'd like to do. And now cost as much as boarding our boat in a boat yard for the winter. Since we're not planning to be south on Grace this winter why pay a boarding fee in the south. Another year, maybe.

So now we look for a cheap car, hopefully to find one here in NC or VA. We'll need two if we're in Freeport for the year. And to start the trek onward, northward. Some decisions made.

Lovely lady fishing next to Fritha on the waterfront in Beaufort.

Love those feathery tail feathers.

massages in Swansboro, NC

4/24/18

A clunk in the middle of the night. Actually, 3:00 a.m. Sitting on the bottom at a very low tide? Nope, boat is still swaying, swimming. Someone climbing on the boat to steal our bikes? In this wind and rain storm? Not likely. So I got up, took my socks off  - didn't want them to get wet out on the deck. Out to check on the noise. Ah ha! the outboard motor on the dinghy was thumping one of the pilings. The wind was blowing from an unexpected, unpredicted direction and we were pressed against the dock.

(some photos from yesterday throughout)

Love the pelicans, these peli pets were nearly swamping this little fishing boat.

"David (a drawn out version as I shook him awake), you might want to know about this even if we don't do anything about it." "Wa? Wha? What?" I took him out in the rain for a consult. Yep, do something out in the rain for the next half hour. David continued for a few more minutes. I washed the dinner dishes.




Amelia got up with us for her 3 a.m. feeding, a small spoonful of Friskie Shreds. David came back in and we all headed for the aft bed berth. Only to discover that Amelia had thrown up in 3 different places on the bed. Barf. Disgusting and gross. Clean up. Clearly that kitty does not like Friskies Shreds! She threw up another spoonful that I fed her at a more reasonable time (9 a.m.) when we all got up again. We're back to Friskies Filets which seem to stay down better.

Navigational aid with hat and Osprey decoration

I confirmed our massage appointments. Off to the showers. Stop in the office to pay our tie up fee and get the car keys. Ran into Harry who had helped us land last night and told him about our upcoming massages. He called for an appointment, too. Me first. David dropped me off. DELICIOUS! including some special attention I'd requested for my feet (hot towels and deep tissue work on my tootsies).

Rock Pile mega mansion from two days ago

David was next and I took the car back (we were a shuttle service). Harry drove over when David was finished and David brought the car back. This is a "courtesy car" the boat yard makes available for transient boaters. Then we all (David, me, Brian and Rose) went to get Harry and go to the food and liquor stores.

Pink mansion near Onslow Beach

David and I drained the transmission fluid. Our tranny has been growling and we'd not changed the transmission fluid when we last changed the engine oil. Seems a little gritty which is NOT good. And a radio doesn't seem to be transmitting, at least, long range.

Wait! Mercury went direct yesterday! What gives?!?


We went to Brian and Rose's boat for snacks and drinks, and to interview them about their refrigerator and have a look. Then David and I went to Santorini's Mediterranean Grill for dinner. Now back for a relaxing and early evening.

After a couple of days - one really stressful, and one really long - this has been a gentle day of recovery...sleeping late, body work, a few groceries, friendly company, a great dinner. Not so early start planned tomorrow and we could be in Morehead by noon. We'll leave the boat there for the week in Winston-Salem for Kathleen's birthday celebration and visits with some other friends.

PERFECTION

very looooong day

4/23/18  Swansboro @ Dudley's marine

A man who helped us dock asked me what time we'd left this morning and where we left from. 8:00 a.m. was easy. The "where" evaded me for more than an hour. It was Southport from whence we departed but I couldn't bring that place, these 12 hours ago, for the life of me. Finally I remembered.

We'll stay here two nights as the wind is supposed to be blowin' a gale, with a lot of rain all day tomorrow. We've potentially scheduled a massage for each of us in the late morning - great idea, yes?

We buttoned down everything on the decks this morning expecting a wet and lumpy crossing of the Cape Fear river. Crossing was really gentle (wind with us) and really slow (tide against us )...a snail's pace of 2 knots. We did some boogie-ing farther along the way...steaming at 1700 rpm to get to and through bridges that only opened on their schedules rather than "on request."

David and I shared the long day of helming pretty equally knowing we'd both be tired. Some skinny water challenges on each of our "watches." We had some fun and silly bird encounters but photos aren't uploading. Maybe tomorrow.

We're well fed and feeling safely tied in as the winds begin to whistle and boat begin to lunge against her tethers.  Sleeping in tomorrow morning.

beach and Southport

4/22/18

Holden Beach just after coffee. A walk and a sun salute and a couple of these. Beautiful, as anyone can tell, beach and morning. Quiet Sunday. Then breakfast of cereal, a chat with a young man who had brought his family (vacationing from Tennessee as they've done each year for the past 8) to the park and he couldn't resist coming to talk to us about the boat and cruising. On our way to Southport by 10 a.m.



A pretty and easy day of motoring Wind on our nose so we didn't even consider putting a sail out. We made good enough time. When we turned in to the Cape Fear River we encountered some waves, the wind against tide routine. Water crashing over the bow was a bit more than we'd expected but not awful. And our trip up river was very short to get to the marina we'd selected for tonight... the marina the Bald Head Island Ferry goes into. Gulp.

We found our way to our appointed slip, tied off, met some young men from Greensboro who have some ties to Maine. Talked with them, viewed their refrigerator, showed them the chemicals we've used to clean our teak, unloaded our bicycles and took off for downtown about 2 miles from the marina.

A joyful day. Southport is a pretty and old town. Lots of restored houses from the 1800s. Cute shops with some amazingly clever, artistic goods. I love looking at the fabric work, especially, whether functional or just beautiful handmade fabric things. In one store there were folded paper books...all the pages are folded to create something inside the book. Some of this artist's work had pages folded so that they "said" a word..."dance", "baby feet", "love" for example. Boggles my mind and I love it...the skill and patience of this particular art form is so inspiring.

And then there is this Happy Boat!!! The stern looks like a clown face or an Alaskan Native carving. We've seen this boat before, not sure where, and love the notion of it.

So we biked around Southport for several hours, down tree-lined streets, by the river through a lovely riverside park, finally ending our tour at Provisions where we'd hoped to get Shrimpburgers. But no. Only the Holden Beach Provisions has Shrimpburgers. Merde' Alores.

We managed to find something to eat that we could enjoy and did. Ice cream cone finished my meal intake for lunch , And then we rode back. My legs, especially, got tired and complained. I totally expect to be sore tomorrow.

Purple (or pink) house along the route yesterday.



We've recovered from the stress of the Rock Pile.

I'm having trouble realizing we are finally back in NC.

Off to Carolina Beach on this rainy morning of Monday,.

aaarrrgh, Rock Pile!

4/20/18 Holden Beach, NC

47 degrees and mist coming off the river in SC somewhere. A beautiful, quiet, calm start. Lasted for a couple hours through this beautiful nature refuge.

Then....T E N S I O N....started to build.

The ROCK PILE - an ICW of only about 6 miles and only 2 of those are "the most hazardous of the ICW."

Our first "words" as my dad would say was when David wanted to go fast to get  through the Rock Pile before low tide, when last night we'd planned to start the Rock Pile at mid tide so water would be rising on our behalf.  As it turned out we went through at high tide. Thus, it didn't look narrow and shallow with all sorts of ROCKS lurking under the surface. We just KNEW, from past experience, that it was narrow, shallow and rocky.

No matter what or when, going through the Rock Pile is just a stressful experience. You have to watch the depth sounder, and watch for traffic coming and going, and watch the shoreline, and watch the magenta line. Our chartS, both of them, are just fluky. At one point the magenta line (on the electronic chart, the preferred and recommended pathway) was totally drawn on land rather than in the water. Another point on the electronic chart the "white"channel path was suddenly a half inch to the left, no curve, no transition. It had just moved, over there. GRIT MY TEETH and TIGHTEN MY JAW and SNAP AT ANYTHING. I was at the helm through the pre-Rock Pile and almost-Rock Pile, and Rock Pile, and OMG now we're at the-most-dangerous-part-of-Rock Pile.

It's also just not very pretty.

Many sections have houses, estates, that are formal, ostentatious and sterile...dead palm trees (they need a lot of water!) or no trees. Hard lines. Lots of golf courses built along the edge of the steep embankment, steep because the canal was cut, literally, from solid rock...dirt added to accommodate vegetation of any sort on the embankment. Now, decades later, rock is falling away into the water, thus, Rock Pile. 

We managed the Rock Pile with a couple of scares and a couple of "Jesus Christ"s and some "I'm doing what I'm supposed to do. Stay in deep water"s. We're becoming more willing to express ourselves at a loud volume than in weeks or years past.

When through the Rock Pile, David took the helm. His tense spots of helming were in shoaling areas, including the one from two years ago when we ran aground and lay on our side for several hours...the place that I said I was taking the cat and getting in the dinghy (it was level, at least) and then realized that the water was only 4' deep so drowning the boat and us was not likely to happen.

We got to the Holden Beach Town Dock and read that we needed a reservation. Now THAT information was NOT on the Active Captain app that we use to search for dockage or moorings. So phone calls and then a walk to the police station that was closed...the doors were locked but an officer told me he knew nothing about reservations but that he was trying to figure out his deceased parents insurance policies. Oh. Okay. But "the officer coming on in 1/2 hour might know more." Okay, I'm staying on the dock and will check in with her.

So we did. The tying up to the dock was a little sketchy, stressful. The current was swift. We were secure but decided to move, walk the boat back holding her by her dock lines. Okay walking back. I tied the bow off then.... what? David decided to take her forward but I'd tied the bow so the stern went out and the bow twisted in??? and I thought "WTF are you doing NOW?" but GRIT MY TEETH instead of expressing myself in a loud voice. David confessed that he'd made that decision - to move forward again - to himself and had not shared with me.

So then I took a walk to the police station to meet the new police office who might know about the reservation. She did.

Another boat, Mr. Lopez's, had a reservation but the dock could accommodate both of our boats. She would bring the paper work down to me since I had to go help David move the boat back again...to accommodate the additional boat. (Not the barge and tug to the right that passed our last night's dock.) Officer (Jessica) came and visited and chatted and chatted, lovely really but maybe 8 minutes too long, for about 45 minutes. I completed the paperwork, wrote a check, gave her some cat treats that Amelia eats and then throws up and she was on her way. David and I had dinner. Phew! What a day!!!

Post dinner, just now, the other boat arrived. A regular sail boat of about 38'. Both of us went out to help it dock in the dark and what got off the boat?!?  A newly married bride and groom in their wedding finery!!! The captain said they thought it would be a great way to leave the wedding. Indeed. So the bride and groom got off the boat and said goodbye to the captain and friends. We came back to our boat. The "wedding get away boat" will stay on the dock tonight. A gent just knocked on our door to thank us. Sweet. Love.

David is drawing a potential layout for galley renovations. OMG. My brain hurts and I've already finished my murder mystery. What to do?

I'll just notice that David and I had a bunch of mis-communications today. That might be tiredness and it might be assumptions - we assume the other knows what we're talking about or can make the leaps from topic to topic without our helping with nouns. Whatever, the lazy with our skills (?), it added to the tension and snappiness with each other. Our pressing to get to Morehead in the next 3-4 days is wearing on us. Shrug. Oh well, worse things have happened and we've survived to a place of thriving.

A beach walk tomorrow...in spite of cold temperatures!

Bucksport Marina & RV Park

4/20/18

We're definitely making tracks....er, waves! And that's about all we're doing. No community building. No dinners out. No side trips or touristy trips or shopping trips. We're even running low on cat food but don't tell Amelia. We have lots of Greenies for her, just in case we don't see a food store soon.

We've had two amazingly windy and amazingly beautiful travel days and expect another tomorrow. We're in the ICW and boating long days of 6-8 hours. Often the current pushes in the proper direction so that we can average about 8 mph. Look out NASCAR.

So my back, sacrum injury is healing. The yoga classes I took at Lady's Island helped. Those classes also helped my "downward dogs", too. "Pull your pubic bone toward your sits bones," the teacher said when I asked her for words to help me get, on my own, the results I got when she pushed my pelvis. It was an amazing small adjustment of my weight that she made but I could NOT replicate it even though I could maintain the position. So, not lack of strength or flexibility. Just not words or image that would work for me. "Pull my pubic bone toward my sits bones," and "now press the outsides of your hips toward each other" and "pull your knee caps up" seemed to work. Wonder of wonders, I can do all those things and feel the small adjustment in my alignment in downward dog.

When I practice similar image and muscle work AND release the upper right glut muscle, I can help my pelvis level. All these years I've thought my right leg was shorter. Actually, two years ago I need some PT for a knee injury and the doctor measured my bones and said both legs were equal so....
Now I'm thinking that I may have just been hiking my right him a quarter of an inch. A bad, at least, unhelpful, habit developed for who knows what reason, and kept the habit even when it was no longer useful.    release.......Release......RELEASE1 damn it.   Not the same as "relax"

So that twingy injury I got from pushing the 10,000 lb boat away from the dock is going away with a little yoga and some stretches and some striding walks.

4/19/18  Yesterday we made our way through Elliot Cut and only had to wait about 10 minutes for the bridge to open at 9 a.m. We were early. We went slow because it is really a beautiful short canal between a river and the Charleston Harbor.

In preparation for the harbor crossing which I've known to be pretty violent, I tied EVERYTHING on deck down. I put EVERYTHING in the cabin as low as it would go (just like tornado warning advice) or in the sink or behind closed doors and hatches.

And look at that sea! Not totally smooth but those teeny weeny waves?!? Now that creature that is on top of the waves!!! Stay away. It looks to be some construction, earth moving machinery or something out of a science fiction movie.  The crossing was easy enough and, I hope, a new normal.

On the other side and in the ICW we were treated to houses of the rich and not quite as rich. This one is a favorite. Just the right size with lots of sun.

This smiley face, about 6' across, makes me smile every time I see it.

As we got more into the country, out of Isle of Palms area, the water became more shallow, skinnier.  We put out a sail since the wind was strong and gained about 2/10 mph. We passed one slightly larger sail boat. But pretty much stayed in view. As the day progressed that boat's captain called us to ask about water depth. That boat drew 6.5' so its keel was getting close to the mud some of the trip.  We called back the depths as we came upon worrisome shallows.

We called the marina in McClellanville to alert that we were arriving sooner than expected. What? No space? A power boat crew had gone to lunch and taken our place on the dock. Not that we really had a space. We made the turn into the creek anyway and said we'd just float and hope...that lunch would be over soon. Lacy, dock master, sent someone to the restaurant to see when they were coming back and if they were really going to leave. Yes. On their way.

So we docked with the help of the boat captains before and behind our final docking space. It was a tight squeeze masterfully handled by Captain David.

Lots of "thanks" and a walk into town. Similar in many ways - the large and old trees with their resurrection ferns and Spanish moss, narrow streets/lanes in most cases - to Beaufort, SC but a working town (shrimping) rather than more professional, more urban feeling, more wealthy feel of Beaufort.

An object of our walk was to get shrimp. David cooked us a delicious dinner of shrimp, naked shrimp and leftover pasta and leftover pork fried rice. International tastes!



This morning the birds were singing when I got up. Amelia and I had coffee and a lap sit in which she sits curled on my lap. It was chilly, 50 degrees is chilly for SC this time of the year. Long sleeves, long pants and socks! Warm sun but fierce wind from the north.

We were off and making waves again by 8 a.m.  Another day of just making time and distance. Familiar sights, places...the floating barge bridge that is always open unless a car wants to cross...the wide sweeping turn into the river that goes into Georgetown, the rice fields, the broad, broad Waccamaw River.

Cutest little school bus buzzing back and forth across the Waccamaw River. Noted on the chart as "the school bus ferry."


And now we're in Bucksport, SC for the evening. Had dinner at the local dockside restaurant, reasonable price and better than mediocre quality. We've each had our 2xs/week shower. Pretty ready to tackle the Rock Pile tomorrow.

Feeling totally blessed and privileged as we truly are. Now to my murder mystery book!

4/18/18 St. John's Yacht Harbor...

....which is a little southeast of Elliot Cut which leads into or from Charleston Harbor. Renewed energy and we're making tracks...uh, waves! Long day on the water. Sometimes traveling at a blistering 10 mph, other times at that snail pace of 5 mph, depending upon whether the current was for us or against us.

Said goodbye to Lady's Island Marina at 8:00 a.m. and watched, and heard, jet fighter planes shoot touch-and-goes as we went up the Beaufort River. I assume they were from Parris Island even though the airstrip was just to our port side. Amazing machines and pilots. Amazing amount of money, per machine and per take off and landing. Oh my TAX dollars!!!!

David and I traded helms person duties about every hour or hour and half. We both are really happy to be underway again.Neither we nor Grace missed the oil pressure gauge. We all and each ran very well.

Last night's next door neighbors left about 1/2 hour before us this morning They are here in the same marina tonight and arrived about 1/2 hour before us. It was a glorious day of sun. Winds were fluky and sometimes strong but no problems. Just shut the pilot house door on the side the wind was blowing.  So an energized and gentle day after yesterday's distress and tiredness and just being sunk.

Familiar sights...the long, long piers leading across the low marsh from house to river, houses large or modest partially hidden by large Spanish moss draped trees, well manicured fields which cause me to remember how my dad kept the Farm's fields mowed and watching him do the mowing then taking on that task myself after he was no longer able.


And this always surprising and very large boat repair yard. For miles around the twists and turns of the river we see the top, this yellow head of the crane. It looks like something from Disney land looming over the landscape. A final turn and there it is in its completeness. If you look closely you can see massive yellow cables going from the base of the head down and to the left, long tresses of blond hair? Those connect to strands of black cables that connect to another yellow rigid structure. Totally massive.

I don't know the name of the yard but they work on really big boats. There is a paddlewheel ferry/tour boat here as well as a military landing craft (with its mouth open) and a regular passenger ferry this time.

Navigation here can be confusing as there is a large sandbar in the middle of the river where barges are anchored. It's easy to think you should go on the other side of them rather than between they and land, marine yard.

Another view of the crane but because we are looking through it you still can't see the cantilevered head. This photo sort of looks like a stern (or tired) woman (nun) with arms hanging from her shoulders, holding something with both hands. A divining rod.

We also passed the place where the Coast Guard boarded us 2+ years ago. I'd remembered it was just past a bridge David remembered we continued along a line of those long long piers.

We arrived at the Elliot Cut more quickly than we'd expected, hailed our dock for the night. Beautiful, newish and very well maintained marina. Perhaps the best maintained we've been in. Young people in charge rather than our generation of the next younger one. Thirty somethings if that. Competent. Friendly. Professional and clear Inviting. We got fuel and the staff told us to just stay at the fuel dock rather than going back out and redoing all our fenders and lines to the other side. We were definitely good with that idea.

So here we are. Dinner past. Bob Marley on the CD players, jammin' on a Wednesday night.

An observation: many crab pots in the rivers today some disguised with birds on top making them look like swimming birds.

Last nights sunset looking from our aft deck toward Beaufort, SC. A sliver of moon (about center) and the evening star about 2 o'clock from the moon. The sky tonight is similarly beautiful with the evening star farther toward the horizon.

Beaufort SC...the good news

4/17/18 .  Beaufort, SC

The good news:

• Taxes and the money we owe are on the way to IRS and US Treasury yesterday. WhooHoo! A day early.
• The winds have died down and no tornado (even though, maybe because, we watched)
• We have enough blankets and body heat to stay warm in this cold snap in SC (and other places). The morning temperatures here were the same as Freeport, ME.
• I have a couple of new/used books to entertain myself. Still holding the Picoult book just in case I decide to continue it.
• It is only a gauge, not the engine
• Sun is shining
• Public libraries rock!

We were ready to leave Lady's Island yesterday and had even made a reservation at B&B shrimp dock. Engine started right up. No problem. Then David noticed that the oil pressure gauge had pegged...run totally up to highest pressure. Duh. Not good. We tried the "engine off, engine on, watch the pressure" technique several times. You know, the do the same again and again and hope for change in outcome. Nothing changed....except our emotional state.  Defeated state.

David took stuff apart, analyzed, thought, called our ME mechanic (thank you Bob), tried to call the American Diesel go-to man but couldn't reach him. Determined that the problem was a cooked gauge, probably shorted out when David was mucking with the wiring to improve lighting on the instrument panel. NAPA order and stay another day in Beaufort.

NAPA ordered the wrong part as they didn't have the correct part. Another day turns into another 2 days. David admits being tired. I'm confident it is physical tired and tired of all the aging boat stress of which there has been a great deal this winter boating season. Discouraged, I think. A bit tired of traveling but more, I suspect, discouraged by not getting to the Bahamas and these now small but nevertheless travel problems...small mechanical difficulties, wind, tides....and missing our sailing buddy who is several days ahead of us and booking it to MD.

Sigh.  Naps and Emer-gen-C and water. 

American Diesel Brian assures us we can travel without the oil pressure gauge as long as the alarm horn works (it does) and we keep an eye on the tachometer for any abrupt or outrageous movement. David has a plan of action. But we will stay here until tomorrow regardless.

Rest.

There is a burden to being skillful. David can fix most things on the boat and is able and willing to do the research to learn to fix things he doesn't know how to fix yet. I have some of those mechanical skills, too, but am less willing to do the research. For David it is part necessity and some part interest. Hard to know where the balance is between necessity (or perceived necessity) and interest. 

I wonder though, if we were willing to afford, if he thought we could afford, to hire a mechanic to do this looking, analyzing, diagnosing, repairing would we do it? Maybe. Maybe not. There is that "trust" thing. How to find a mechanic to trust? This "burden of skillful" is just an un-investigated thought. What if we'd been lawyers or engineers or scientists with more expendable income? Would the "burden of skillful" be replaced by some other "burden?" Probably. And I don't regret our arts and social service pathways. And, really, just how "burdened" do I think I am? Get a grip on alternate or other's realities, self.

I noticed today in a tizzy of organizing that I'd brought stuff to teach dance at schools in the Bahamas and art supplies to leave behind...paper and paints of various types. Now some of these things I'll happily bring back to use but the paper and pencils? Beaufort or Lady Island or St Helena schools? And how to get the stuff to them, in case they want it. Without the courtesy car here (it's in the shop for repairs), probably will travel with us a bit farther (maybe further, as well).

We went to the library yesterday as a walk about/get off the boat activity. Beaufort Library is very beautiful AND they have a permanent book sale room. I forgot this. Such a treasure! I bought three books for $2. I also got a couple books from the used book store but nothing like the library bargain.

So here we are in Beaufort, SC. We have so many more choices and opportunities than many have. 

Life isn't so bad. Actually, life is very good. Warm, fed, sheltered, surrounded by love.

Beaufort, SC

4/15/18 

This will be our third day on the dock here at Lady's Island Marina, north of the bridge and across the Beaufort River from Beaufort. We like the amenities - lounge, book exchange, walking distance to stores (food, hardware, liquor, ice cream), dock mistress and her mate and dog, people in general many who live aboard here. The down side this time of the year...no-see-ums. Hungry buggers. They don't bother me as much as they like David but even a little bother by these nasty gnats is enough. We've figured how to secure the door screens...until Amelia pushes one open to go for her morning walk around the deck.

We're here to wait out high winds and thunderstorm predicted for this afternoon and tonight. We didn't need to stay for three nights EXCEPT that the next docking opportunity would be Charleston. Charleston is expensive in any circumstance (to dock) and there is a sailing race this weekend so any dock space that might exist will be even more expensive.

So here at Lady's Island...a nautical yard sale (we sold $4 and bought $52. typical of us but we have a radio for the aft deck.), yoga for me maybe twice, visit with our friend the dock mistress, TAXES complete and in the electronic mail and the "we owe" check in the land mail, maybe to vacuum the boat and reduce the cat hair and litter that is trapped in crevices.

I don't have a particularly good book just now. I started Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult about so many people involved in a school massacre. Not sure I can continue due to the bullying violence  - emotional, psychological mostly - perpetrated from kindergarten on the student who became the shooter. I read the ending as I'm wont to do when the suspense is too great but even knowing the ending and being curious about how the narrative unfolds to the book's conclusion, not sure I can endure the psychological violence.  I'm enduring Trump and that is exhausting enough.

We've had easy days on the boat these past several. Pretty landscapes. Familiar territory. David has fully recovered from his seasickness bout and is doing boat projects again. I suspect they will be inside today...no wind means lots of bugs before the rains and higher winds come.

We'll travel the ICW Monday and Tuesday for sure, maybe past Charleston Monday (a long day) and on to the Wynyam Inlet/sound that Georgetown is. An enjoyed town but we don't need, nor do we have time, to stop there. Then we'll decide if weather is fair enough to cut off the "Rock Pile" near Myrtle Beach and go outside or plug along up the ICW. With my sailing angels with us we'll have some flex time to get to Kathleen's birthday celebration either route. No mechanical or health issues, please. (I have a back twinge from pushing the boat around the day we arrived here. Bummer.)

Showers to come...the ones for our sweaty bodies and the ones from the skies (for the earth's sweaty body?). 

Stuff

4/12/18 County Dock, Daufuskie Island, GA

We're not supposed to be here.....overnight. But everyone we spoken to here at the free dock (max. 3 hrs) has said we "should be fine." "No one patrols this dock." And a young person who visited us with his three friends told us he "left my boat here for two weeks." He was more local and more brazen than I tend to be.  We arrived around 3 p.m. after a short day of motoring, mostly easy. Admittedly, I was pretty uninterested in being the helms person. Still tired from yesterday's long experience. My eyes are tired. As well as my brain and I'm just impatient with these 6-20 foot depths given the depths of 20-45' yesterday.

This was our coffee view this morning at our Breakfast Creek anchorage. Looks perfect, yes? Sorry to say there were no-see-ums. They don't like me so much but indulge on David's tender flesh. They just fly into my eyes, mouth and nose.

Still I had a wonderful catch-up phone chat with Ms Sybil Huskey, friend for life; me on the aft deck, she visiting her friend Holland in Beaufort, NC.  I look forward to meeting Holland when we are nearby even though I'll miss Sybil there. Sybil and I'll meet later, or earlier  depending upon how our boat travel transpires.

Cramps in my legs today. Mustard is an immediate cure. I don't know why. Iwas noticing yesterday that balancing all the wave rolls and ripples caused me to use the outside muscle in my lower legs and today they were cramping. Ho hum. More stretching. More water.

Speaking of water. Yesterday I noticed that my left wrist was tender, hurting. Not major pain but needing a massage. Then I remembered...GOUT. And I remembered that I haven't been drinking water, coffee and beer or wine or Irish whiskey or rum....no water. Yikes! I'm back at it. Water and limiting my alcohol consumption. Today my wrist does not hurt...at all. I appreciate my body's ability to recover quickly. I did a bunch of stretching today just to help it (my body) out.

So here we are on Daufuskie Island. The small amount we've been able to see is so beautifully, iconic southern. We'd stopped, too, partly to have dinner off the boat. But the restaurant is no longer here. The building is but not the business.

We took a short walk not wanting to leave the boat for too long.  So quiet. So flat. Such interesting vegetation.

I'm reminded of islands in SC, the Gullah Geechee culture and how the African Americans have had land they've cultivated and owned so readily taken away from them, or it has become so expensive - gentrification or increased tax burden because it is an island in the south - they can no longer afford it.

You can only get to this island, between Savannah and Beaufort, SC, by boat. There are cars and trucks on island but lots of transportation seems to be by golf cart...or maybe that is the tour company. No grocery store and it looks as if the past restaurant used to be the post office.

When we arrived we let a little skiff land before we. It was loaded to the gills with tables and chairs and flowers.  Several more boats similarly laden came later in the day. A wedding in the making...this weekend. Decorating was happening and everybody was helping.

Early evening I saw several young men in the "parking lot" where the boat landing was...dark, swarthy men with beer cans. Finally Timothy came down the dock to be greeted by me. "Yes, we're from Freeport. You grew up in Portland? Come inside. Too many bugs out there." So Timothy came in, then one by one his three friends joined us. These handsome young men visited for about half hour, talking over each other, delighted to be on our boat and chatting with us.They live in Savannah with one exception who lives here where I think he was born.

What a totally delightful surprise visit. Timothy keeps his boat off the Eastern Prom so it is possible we'll see him this summer. We quizzed the men about living in Savanah. they all talked of the arts community and the affordability. All were involved in the arts, mostly visual or design. Such delightful energy. They enjoyed us. We, them. And then they left to go to a bar in "town." Their boat is here on the other dock. Too soon to tell if they will go back to Savannah tonight or crash at their local friends place. The brave/brazen Timothy reminds me of dear Simon Skold of Freeport.

Terns or any bird sitting on top of a crab pot (like Maine's lobster buoys) make a great disguise for the buoy. I generally think they are birds sitting in the water and will fly away. They do, the crab pots do not. So far though, neither David nor i have hit one.

Looking out the starboard window toward the south I can see the lights of Savanah. Would that be a good place to relocate to? Or keep the boat in the summer when we're back in Maine? Certainly a comfortable city.

Hmmmmmmmm.

More water!

4/11/18  Breakfast Creek, past Hell's Gate between St. Catherine Sound and Thunderbolt, GA

And not too far from Savannah though we don't plan to stop there this trip.

Blackbird singing on a rainy day. This lady or gent bird stayed on our other anchor (we were anchored and only bouncing with the winded waves) for about 20 minutes. I opened the pilot house door several times.  Still there. In addition to the joyful voice I loved how his/her tail splayed of contracted, a wind rudder helping Blackbird keep balanced.

As you can see, it continued to rain all day long. We did see a break in the clouds in the west near sunset.









(Last night's sunset after a long day of rain)

David and I made good plans with a couple of options last night, planning to go ICW to St. Catherine's. Going inside would be slow but we would be well positioned tomorrow to go outside in beautiful weather and calm seas.

But this morning....it was a beautiful day with calm winds and seas predicted so, as well. Sooooo...moderate our plans. Go out into the ocean!!! at the south end of Sapelo Island, past St. Catherine Inlet, miss Hell Gate (the GA one not the NYC one...yet), and come in where we went out earlier this year.

Out we went, both of us paying attention to charts, plotting mileage, wind, waves, course and course changes.


We finally looked up. I said "hungry" and from David "not feeling so well." I took the helm while he got some air. I got some ginger snaps!

We were out beyond the three mile mark, gentle and persistent rolls and wobbles. Both Amelia and David decided it might be best to become horizontal. Amelia fell right to sleep. David struggled with queasiness and discomfort and took cat naps, so to speak, Amelia. Not happy campers, either of them.

Me, feeling fine. I truly do believe my dance training, particularly the Limon style that has dancers swinging their torso and head, falling and recovering, has made me less inclined to get motion sickness.

David donned his life jacket and attached his life line and went out to check the dinghy which somewhat deflated, front end collapsed and taking on water in the rolling/crashing waves. He wanted to fix it. So I slowed to just enough power to keep the bow into the waves, the least uncomfortable position of a rocking boat. Hobby horsing is much better that rolling side to side.

David pulled the bow of the dinghy tighter and higher with an additional line after pumping some air in the closest pontoon. His new color was green. Dear man draped himself over the rail and just held on for awhile. The combination of motion and the exhaust fumes really did him in. He recovered somewhat and I donned my safety gear and went back with him to pump water out of the dinghy.

David was down for the count. He staggered between the rail and the settee. Amelia had already moved to the aft cabin where she buried herself in the blankets. They were both done.
Wonder Helms Woman, Nancy, continued our journey but only outside to St Catherine's rather than on to Ossabaw as first considered. David slept and Amelia hid most those 30+ miles.

I'm pretty proud of the way that I handled the boat, the navigation, the waves. Made decisions about how to guide the most comfortable (and safe) course through the waves. The winds that were supposed to be max 10 knots topped out at 15.5 causing larger roller waves. Best that my companions sleep!

I woke David when we were in St. Catherine Inlet to discuss whether to continue inside to Ossabaw Inlet or stop at St Catherine's. "Only 12 more miles and we have good water," I said. "Let's keep going," said he and went back to sleep.

Deep water. Rising tide. No worries. I was tired and delighted...to be handling the boat, to be "alone" with this beautiful weather and quietness and sun and having to pay attention to details and environment.....and crab pots.  Just now I'm remembering driving alone across the tops of mountains, probably in Tennessee from St Louis to Winston-Salem, NC. A similar feeling of pride in my competence and gratitude for the opportunity to gain and exercise that competence. The drive was my first solo, cross country night drive...me and the cat sitting on the back of the seat next to my head, green dash lights and moon skimming through clouds, fog in the mountain valleys. Very different circumstances, similar feeling of pride and gratitude....and careful to not get to cocky.

And by luck we were still at high tide as I took us through Hell Gate, a generally narrow passage of less than a half mile but shallow....except at high tide. Timed that one correctly.

David was awake and nervous and I wasn't about to ask if he wanted to take the helm. No way. Hell Gate is one of those notches on the bedpost...or gun handle....or something to write home about!

I did it!  David took the helm to go up river to this lovely spot we're anchored in tonight. I managed to boil potatoes and green peas for supper. No energy beyond that and David had no appetite anyway.  A VERY long day of about 11 hours under way, lifting anchor to setting anchor. Phew! Grateful....for solid boat, angels watching out for us, love that surrounds me.

Yesterday's sunset

Yesterday's Blackbird with wind-rudder

tail feathers splayed into a triangle.

Singing

As is my heart

chill, rain

4/10/19  Fridaycap creek, off St. Simon's Island, heading toward Sapelo Island.

I thought it would be a good idea to remember the beach...on this cold, rainy day. This is another view of Jekyll Island beach from yesterday. It wasn't very warm, actually it was really chilly. But it is a beautiful beach.

Today we put insulation, against the cold breeze coming through the pilot house hatch, back in to help keep us warm, relatively speaking.

Now I know 56 degrees is a heat wave in some parts of the USA but in GA on April 10, 56 degrees is cold.  Add rain all day long and it is really cold.

We put the insulation back in, put on our long pants, long sleeve shirts, shoes with SOCKS, hooded sweat shirts and vests! Almost warm.





We decided last night to leave after the thunderstorms past, about noon today. This morning we reconsidered: leave early before low tide because the water is really skinny on the "other side of the bridge," stay another day and go outside with Fordyce as our leader, stay another day (we'd be cold at the marina, too) and wait for sun.  Studied the various weather channels we consult and by that time it was too late to leave before low tide. Nothing like procrastination to make our decision. That and the thunder sound when we said "okay, let's go!" Then the weather gods spoke."GrrrrumbleBoomRattleRolloolllll." We called Terri , dock master (mistress ?) asking permission to remain until tide changed. Yes, of course.

Yes, time to cook breakfast, scrambled eggs with toast and jam.

We left the beach behind. Left the dock and wound our way through the skinny water, through the rain.

We watched the charts carefully but, really, the water was deep most of the time past north of the bridge...well past north of the bridge.

The rain made the visibility sketchy but only us foolish people were out today.

We and the Coast Guard. Note the large navigational buoys in the mid section of the boat.

Our view for tonight. Only pelicans as neighbors though there was a dolphin here as we were anchoring.

I'm a bit cold and tired. I was out in the rain handling lines and fenders and pumping out our rain-drenched dinghy. The soup and the hot toddy have helped but I might curl up with a book and a blanket and/or go to bed early.

We could also bring out out new-in-January propane heater...but it is packed away so nicely.


Amelia is definitely sleeping in. She's been curled close to which ever one of us was not at the helm all day long. She pays attention to low atmospheric pressure better than her humans.

Looking East now I can see the edge of the clouds...or the edge of clear sky. Supposed to be warm tomorrow.

Jekyll Island

4/9/18

We're spending big bucks to stay at the dock on Jekyll Island. We've passed this by or stayed on anchor in the shadow of the water slide. But thunderstorms expected tonight...and....we've never been on the island before. It's more low key than I expected. My impression has been very wealthy, very expensive. Expensive, we've seen but not an excessive display of wealth. The boating, many live-a-boards, community here at the dock is friendly and boats are terribly expensive. 

We took a golf cart ride out to the beach. The beach is just on the other side of the sand dunes that are just beyond these trees. It was blowing and chilly-to-cold on the beach. The water was warm and the little shore birds were nonplused by our presence.

I did not swim or bounce in the shallow waves. The beach was really gradual and long in both directions. No humans except a family we passed as they came off the beach. They had a handful of perfect (whole) sand dollars about silver dollar size. A youngster, maybe 6, told us he'd eaten one. "With peanut butter on it?" I asked. "I hear they're better with peanut butter." His mom wasn't impressed.

Got rid of our garbage, our recycling and got showers so got rid of our dead skin and light stink. And we added fuel for the next leg of our journey. All this at the marina, not the beach.

The day of travel to get here was mostly non-eventful. Just going through all those GA twists and turns where you can travel for a couple hours then look across the marshes to see that you are only about 2 miles from where you started. We were hoping to get some "outside" (in the ocean) time and missing some GA twists and turns but that north wind just doesn't allow.

We spent last night (4/8/18) anchored at Cumberland Island, a favorite spot. Saw wild horses on the way in but none this morning on the way out. Too chilly. That travel, too, was pretty uneventful. We're in pretty familiar territory. Have to pay attention to chart and water depths but rarely any big surprises.

Yesterday we traveled along the Amelia River, bordering  Amelia Island.


Amelia, the cat, slept through most of it in spite of our shaking her to encourage her to have a look.

Simply no interest.

Road caution signs on the pavement.

Loving the BEACH regardless of temperature

Bike and Bump

4/7/18  Jim King Park, Jacksonville

But yesterday - 4/6/18 - we were in St. Augustine on one of our favorite mooring balls, in spite of the spat getting to the mooring ball.

We were, I was, later than usual getting up having stayed up until wee hours reading my book, The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. I love her writing. And enjoy reading authors from other cultures as that gives me a small window into those lives and traditions...sometimes. I finished the book today and totally enjoyed it. I particular enjoy how her narrative is not chronological and is offered from several different character's perspective.

We brought our bikes off the boat so we could do some riding with Sheldon. We three started together but we lost each other early on. David and I reconnected called Sheldon to say we were on our way toward "the Great Cross." The cross is a towering one, 208', on a point of land northwest of the fort. Beyond the fact of Christian symbol I don't know its significance in St. Augustine history. It is impressive and in beautiful, quiet and very green gardens.
 

We road through narrow streets and small-ish houses with lots of greenery - flowers and trees.  Well. Some large-ish homes, too, with magnificent old trees covered with Spanish moss and manicured lawns.

We went into sections of town I'd not discovered before. All the way to the Ponce deLeon archeological part. It is where it is thought that the first Spaniards landed and home of an Indian tribe...and a (THE) source of the Fountain of Youth where water can still be had in small plastic cup from the spring for free. Pretty mineral strong water.

It was a pretty lightweight exhibit, environment, park. The peafowl were a highlight, probably a dozen in view, all wandering, lounging, eating, calling raucously. We saw one baby being fed by a mom. Only the males, the peacocks, have this beautiful coloring and fan tail. This one was just hanging out, resting on the lawn. There was also one snow white one.

This pixie entrance was in one of the coquina and oyster shell walls that that surround the site which was an archeological site for many years, no longer active. There are larger gates at several places along the walls. These short, maybe 3' tall, entrances are sort of in the "guard" house.

Here is the pixie gate in its host structure.


David and I left together, he to meet Sheldon at the Sailors' Exchange consignment store, me to see if the Episcopal Thrift store was still open. David was successful and bought a hatch frame he'd been looking for. The thrift store was closed long before I got there. I missed it again. Grumble. I may have to buy a plane ticket to come back later this spring.

I choose to not join the men at the Sailors' Exchange instead sitting in the Lightner Museum garden and read above book.

We joined ranks again and went to the site specific installations of Flagler College art students. Talk about lightweight!!! Really disappointing given other art student installations and site specific pieces I seen in recent past. Appreciating it was a first effort, by the college department and by the individual students but, really, what was the context? What were the prompts? What was the instruction? What was the, was there any, thinking behind each installation? All but one piece, a film loop of female stars, looked as if very limited thought and time was invested.

However, the art walk evening event throughout downtown WAS worth the effort. Several galleries had wonderful work. Such fun and inspiration to leisurely look at work, large and small, comfortable and challenging, and talk with David and others about what we each were seeing, what drew our interest. There was a beautiful bracelet in one gallery - open ended, silver but not brightly polished, with a raised line of copper running around it. A triangular opal at one end, purple tourmaline  at the other end. Reminded me of the "snake" bracelets from ancient Egyptian cultures. Loved it and I don't even wear bracelets except for one that I don't wear on the boat for fear of losing it overboard. Totally out of my price range at $450. Sigh. 

Flagler College is, architecturally, stunning...old buildings and new buildings. This used to be a hotel. Inside this "gate" which is gated is a courtyard with fountain and manicured pathways and benches for sitting and listening/watching.

We went to the Plum Gallery that we'd discovered on our last visit. I like much of the work. Met the owner who told us there were about regular artists she showed (her stable of artists, stable, really???) regularly and about every quarter she rotates 3 or 4 new artists in to show their work. I bought earrings there that I hope I like as much now that I have them as I did in buying them. I wanted a present for myself and I couldn't afford the Bora Yasar bracelet.

These horses have delighted me on several occasions. They come in lots of sizes from 6" to 6' and in many colors. Their legs are sticks. Their manes and tails, telephone wire...the multicolored kind.  The paper mache' of this light one is covered with road maps.


Post art walk we went to dinner at the Chinese buffet we discovered on our way south and bought groceries...re-provisioning for several days away from food resources.

A fun day with lots of variety with our friend.





4/7/18   Up at a reasonable time, coffee, heard the bridge horn  alerting boaters and cars to "opening," looked at each other "Not going to make the 8:30 bridge," he said. "We can do it. There are 7 boats waiting to go through and we're really close to the bridge," I said.  And we did. We were out the gate in less than 5 minutes, taking our place in the queue to get through to leave town. Much faster than a herd of turtles.

As we approached the buoys for going outside or going through the ICW we thought "outside" and there were other boats going in that direction and the weather was looking pretty good. Oops! "David our dinghy is not prepared to go outside." We were towing it. It needs to be on the davits to go in the ocean. U-turn and into the ICW.

All went well....until....we ran aground. Silly mistake...lack of attention...wrong glasses leading to mistaking an anchorage symbol on the chart with a green navigational aid. I heard "Oh shit!" from the captain, felt/heard him stop the accelerator, held on and felt a furump and we stopped going forward. Sandbar. Back up. Off. Go forward. On again. Back up and retrace our route getting here and back in the channel. 

We put up a sail. Alright. On our way and with sail support. Pretty easy day, as best I remember.


Getting into the St. John River at Jacksonville we met this big gal. We let her pass. Didn't quibble for one second. "You take it, big girl."


As we turned the corner into Sister Creek and the Jim King Park free dock I noticed another Nauticat on the very full dock. Fordyce is here.

With help from him and another boat captain we docked on the "other" side of the dock, a first for us but plenty of water and space. An oil change for Grace and dinner with Fordyce, some tentative plans for tomorrow and time for bed.

A quote from The Lowland: "....awash with gratitude of his advancing years, for timeless splendor of the earth, and for the opportunity to behold them."    I am, too.