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Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
  • What Could Go Wrong
  • Dave Knapp
  • What Could Go Wrong
  • Dave Knapp

Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

Here we go! After 6 years of painstaking rehabbing, planning, testing and re-doing, we are FINALLY doing it; Taking a trip down the Intercoastal Water Way (ICW) to the Bahamas in What Could Go Wrong. Seriously, what could? Read more
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  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
    1

    Deltaville to Hampton, VA

    September 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 75 °F

    Deltaville turned out to be a bit stark. Everything was closed until Thursday. Apparently, this is the fall schedule now, and combine that with it being the tiniest of towns in the middle of nowhere, it was not much to visit. The pictures, this time, do do it justice. The marina was industrial and lacking amenities, including water for a whole day. We did manage to get in some neighborhood walks each day, and VA smells so different than Maryland. The pine and sea air were beautiful.

    What Could Go Right? We slept great here. It was so quiet. The marina DID have a car we could use, so we were able to get tools and groceries easily.

    What Could Go Wrong? Ummmm, Dave is getting hit from all areas right now. We hit a log, bending yet another propeller. Our solar is freaking out. Medicare decided to audit our business today. The water leaks, MAY be fixed with minor exceptions, and those are plaguing him. The oil leak needs days in one place to get fixed, so Dave is waiting for a good anchorage to do that (possibly two stops away). What more? I hope today resolves a lot.

    It's hard because the days are very pretty and the adventure is grand. I wish it was easier :), but I'm not sure Dave would love it as much if there wasn't such a challenge.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
    In Norfolk there is the Navy, the Marines, the Airforce, NASA, the Coastguard and Local Police!Our First Lock! It was SO EASY. People make it sound like such an ordeal.

    Hampton to Chesapeake City, VA

    September 14, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 75 °F

    Hampton was actually a really neat anchorage. The winds were BLOWING! It seems we have gotten the tail end of Hurricane Lee and will have to deal with some strong winds followed by rainy weather. Nothing compared to what is happening at home, but still not ideal for boating. But our anchor held FAST. So fast that Dave was worried we were going to have to un-dig it from the ground. We didn't. It was nice sticking so well even though the sound of the wind ripping through the boat is a very unpleasant one and even more unpleasant when you think the only thing holding me from crashing into that solid concrete bridge is a little piece of steal and some rope.

    We stayed 2 nights in Hampton, which was a city with a very friendly marina and park. They had a free dinghy dock for general use that made it super easy to walk the dogs and get to the uber we needed to get the things we needed to fix all the things we needed to fix. Once again, Dave dove and repaired a propeller. Not to brag, but I came up with the solution for fixing our solar - unplug it and plug it back in. We are waiting on the oil issue as previously said and our Medicare audit, thanks 1010% to our colleague, Yahaira (with a little help from Aimee), went swimmingly well. Dave and I had great cell availability to get online and get documents that were needed and answer all the questions of the auditor. So all in all, that bad afternoon turned out just fine, if a little expensive (propellers are not cheap) and time consuming.

    With the weather being what it is, we have spent A LOT of time going over where we are headed and how. I really don't like being at anchor when the wind is blowing. Dave hates spending $80/night on a dock. So we negotiate like crazy. It works out fine so far. Stay tuned.......

    We headed out from Hampton through Norfolk, which we will love to visit if we bring the boat back to CT, and down the beginning of the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW). We LOVED it. It reminded us of home and our river and was so picturesque. Again, we really like Virginia (except the bugs!) and the waterway towns are so pretty.

    What Could Go Right? Thank God nothing major is going on. Other than the wind, we really are facing an easy day of travel today into tomorrow. Dave is truly amazing in what he can do. People would spend thousands and thousands fixing things he fixes with $10 and his ingenuity. (I really wish it was only $10 we were spending, but you get the point.)

    What Could Go Wrong? The dogs are loving boat life overall. The boat has become their home so much they are happy to return and they each find their happy place on board - Cookie with fetch and Duke with a lap. But all this "making it home" means they are very protective of their space which means they can be very vocal at every single thing that passes by. Pedestrian, car, jet ski, other dog, even the birds get a vocal remonstration from our two vicious attack terriers. Cookie even jumped off the boat this morning, which she hasn't done yet, to chase down a local walker and her dog! We are working on this behavior, because as you can imagine, on a dock, neighbors don't love protective vocal pets!    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
    2

    Chesapeake City to Coinjock, NC

    September 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 55 °F

    We were in the ICW all day. We got behind some bigger boats that were traveling at a very slow speed and we felt "forced" to just follow them as we were in a narrow shallow channel the whole way. So we dropped back and enjoyed the absolutely beautiful day at a painful crawl. When we got to Coinjock, I decided to find out why these boats crawled like they did. It embarrassed Dave that I asked, but I learned a lot and I made two new friends whom we had dinner with. (The only thing Coinjock is known for is it's prime rib dinner, so we indulged.)

    What I learned from questioning and during dinner is that these boats fuel efficiency is at a slower speed than ours because they ride the top of the wave different than our boat. So while going slow was behind the wave for us, it was on top of the wave for them. I also learned that it would have been perfectly acceptable to ask to pass over the coms. Dave and I are learning a great deal about how we communicate with the use of the radio. Let me just say, I am way more suited to using the radio than he is. :) Anyway, today we have the same channel issues and the big boats left Coinjock an hour before us, so we know we are going to practice passing. Wish us luck!

    What Could Go Right? We had our first boat couple date with Russ and Sandy from Houston, TX who are doing the Loop in their BEAUTIFUL new to them 58' mega yacht. "It's older", they shyly explained to us lest we believe them to be part of the elite 1%! It's fun when you connect with people you have so much in common. They were close to our age and had 3 kids and were enjoying their time cruising and boating. We had a lot to talk about, the food was decently good (remember, we grew our own cows! nothing really comes close) and we learned a lot from experienced cruisers.

    What Could Go Wrong? In the middle of cruising in that narrow channel, a fan belt broke on one engine. We don't really have the option to stop when that happens unless we want to block the channel. So Dave went down while I kept driving. He fixed one engine, while the other one kept on running. I had to drive through a tiny swing bridge by myself on one engine! While it was NERVE WRACKING, I did it!    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Manteo, NC

    September 16, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    Really liked Manteo. We rented a car today and drove to the two towns we had planned to visit but had to cancel due to weather, Hatteras and Ocracoke. Miles and miles of unspoiled seashore with fine powdery sand. The dogs loved it too, they were allowed off leash to play in the water.Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
    An Inn Dave and I could buy for retirement work!

    Coinjock to Manteo, NC (Roanoke Island)

    September 17, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 77 °F

    We left Coinjock first thing in the morning to avoid those headwinds we talked about way back in Delaware Bay. There is no tide here, so we weren't working with exactly the same thing, but we still don't love heavy winds against us as we cruise. This time we had a clear path and were free to get to Manteo.

    We were really looking forward to Manteo based on the descriptions, and it truly does not disappoint. What a cute place! We could so easily live here. Although, it is very hard to get to.

    We spent the day walking the town and doing laundry and enjoying the pool. It was nice. We have decent enough cell service to watch some TV and then to a very early bed. We are adjusting to a boater's midnight is 9pm. :)

    What Could Go Right? Such a cute town! Great lunch!

    What Could Go Wrong? Still dealing with dogs being crazy on a dock. Dave took a stab at the oil leak and hopes he has a fix. We are looking ahead at weather and are more than a little concerned, but also feeling like we have a handle on good times to travel. We shall see.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Alligator River to Belhaven, NC

    September 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    It has been a few days since I journaled. Part bad cell service, part we stayed in Manteo for just a few days and then barely stopped in Alligator River and hi-tailed it to Belhaven. We are running from the storm system and think we have managed to tuck in safe and sound for a few days.

    Manteo and the Outerbanks ended up being such a great spot. We have very fond memories of the Outerbanks from a family trip not that long ago and this trip reminded us why we like it so much. We even rented a car for the day and drove Hatteras Island to Ocracoke. What a journey! But at one point we were able to let the dogs run the beach and that moment was worth every minute in the car that we sat waiting for the hour ferry. Duke and Cookie were living their best life running the beaches of the Outerbanks and it was ADORABLE.

    As I already mentioned, we truly loved Manteo. Take that love and flip exactly around and you will get how we felt about Alligator River. Despite it's very cool name, the stop was a bit of a hell hole. A hot gas station on the side of a busy highway with little cell service and not much to wander around through. Although we did find a little turtle along our walk!

    So first thing in the morning (7am) we decided to outrun the rising wind and make our way to Belhaven. Imagine the small town Kevin Bacon moves to in Foot Loose and you can imagine Belhaven, NC. And we are here for several days due to oncoming rain and wind. Dave parked us at a free dock, so we have no facilities at all to speak of, but we are a good walk to town and groceries, so we are all set.

    What Could Go Right? The solar has been running perfectly! Dave has the oil fixed 95%.....I think that means he has to fix it more, but I count it as a win. We are about to test the most recent leak fixes....I'll let you know. The dogs are healthy and doing well. Both Dave and I are healthy and doing well. Our water maker is making wonderful water that doesn't stink at all. Yippeeee! We have more food than we can go through if we get stuck on the boat for even longer than the day and half that is projected. We are overall in very good shape.

    What Could Go Wrong? We couldn't find a great holding along our route to Beaufort, NC (where we intend to be for my big 50), so we are hoping for the best here in Belhaven. We have a little too much exposure, but with this free dock, Dave was able to extra tie us and I am not worried about us coming lose and flying away, so there is that! We just maybe will shake and roll a little, but hopefully all will be well!    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Tropical Storm Ophelia

    September 22, 2023 in the United States ⋅ 🌧 70 °F

    Well, it was bound to happen some time, wasn't it? We are traveling during hurricane season after all. We finally got hit by high winds and rain and it was as horrible as I imagined it would be and ended better than I thought it would. First, let me say that dogs and people are all safe and sound. Dave may have injured his knee and tweaked his back a little, but otherwise everyone is safe.

    When we pulled into Belhaven, our wind predictors (we use Windy and Predictwind and Weather.com) all indicated we would be facing North winds and at their fastest 20 to 25 mph. We felt confident that facing the boat into the wind on a dock (to make Jessica happy we weren't depending on just our anchor) we would be good. Then the predictions changed to a South South East wind at 5am on Saturday. No problem! We will just turn the boat first thing and face into the wind.

    So we relaxed into a full day of rain on Friday, cleaning and watching TV and staying dry. We went to bed Friday night still reading the prediction, but Dave noticed that one of the predictors called for East Wind. The other two still said South / South East. Not much for us to do, but still turn the boat and ride it out. At about 2am, Dave got up and turned the boat. It was a very pleasant evening. The rain had stopped and it was very quiet. Jessica slept well.

    At about 6am on Sunday we both woke up to the wind. We knew it was coming but somehow it seemed stronger than we imagined. We do have some experience with 20 to 25 mph winds, but this seemed stronger. What's more, is the wind was almost exclusively Easterly pushing our boat into the dock. Dave spent time securing lines and re-positioning bumpers and beginning to get a little nervous. Now the weather predictors were calling for a 3 foot swell in tide and 30 to 35 mph winds. By about 830am our boat was knocking very hard against the dock and riding almost over the top. We had no choice, we had to untie and move the boat or it would for sure crash onto the dock.

    Unsecuring the lines and pushing off the dock was one of the scariest things we have ever done. The wind pushed us one way and we tried valiantly to use the engines to push us the other way. We did end up taking a couple of chunks out of the boat but honestly it was impressive that Dave was able to get us free of that dock. Then came phase 2. We had to anchor in 35mph winds and swells that sprayed all the way over the top of our boat.

    We made our first attempt at anchoring not too far off the dock but far enough. Jessica took control of the boat while Dave went out to throw the anchor. If you have ever been walking in very strong wind, thrown your hands out and tried to lean into it, you can imagine what it felt like to maneuver 11 tons of boat direct into the wind so that Dave could throw out an anchor from the very front of the boat completely unprotected by any barrier.

    The first anchor didn't take. Now we have to retrieve the anchor and try again. Even though it didn't take, it doesn't mean it isn't sitting in the mud and requires boat maneuvering to retrieve it. So once again, waves and wind thrashing us about, Dave out on the very front of the bow, Jessica at the controls, we risked life and limb to retrieve and re-set. Never, in all my life, have I shook so hard and been so centered on getting a job done.

    The second anchor took, thank God! We just sat stunned with the engines going for at least a 1/2 hour staring and praying that the anchor really had stuck. It had. Finally, we were able to convince our brains and bodies to believe we were as safe as we could be, while the wind and waves continued to knock us about like we were a toy boat floating down a rocky river. We moved downstairs, turned off the engines and sat and waited the many hours for the wind to stop. It finally calmed down around 5pm.

    The dogs made it through like little champions. Shaking champions but champions nonetheless. When we decided to move off the dock we strapped their life vests on them and locked them downstairs. Dave said in one of his passes he saw them huddled together under the couch in their little life vests. Because it had rained the entire day the day before and because of the morning trauma, the poor little things had not had a potty break and were scared. I am not sure which caused them to shake more, but I will tell you when Dave braved the still rolling waves and wind around 4pm to get them to shore, they came back much much happier and no longer shaking.

    So, it was quite a day. I know I have been more scared than that before, when Katrin was hit by the car, but I would put it up there with things I would never like to repeat. Here is the thing though, we can't guarantee we won't get stuck in that wind again. The only way to guarantee that is to not be doing this and we are not there yet. We can plan not to be on a dock again. Perhaps we can even plan not to be on the boat when it is windy like that again. I am not sure. I do know neither of us loved the experience, don't like the things that have to be fixed as a result of this experience, etc. And yet, we both loved the sunset and the sunrise that followed the storm.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Belhaven, Oriental, Beaufort, Wrightsvil

    September 24, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Oh boy has it been an action packed week or more! We are currently in Wrightsville Beach, NC just outside of Wilmington. We are going to be here a little while. :) Good thing it is a very cute beach city with PLENTY going on and Wilmington not that far away.

    Where to start....I am writing and picturing all of this so I can have it when we are done. I just turned 50 (thanks to everyone that wished me Happy Birthday) and I just don't trust my memory so much. The pictures are funny for me, because they may seem inconsequential but they trigger a memory of a location or an event. Find Penguins limits me to 10 pictures per post, so these I had to chose VERY carefully. I want to remember so much about the last week or so.

    We traveled pretty fast from Belhaven to Beaufort because of the damage done to the boat during the storm and we wanted to be planted to do the repairs. We "skipped" our planned overnight in Oriental, only stopping for gas, a walk and lunch. It was a cute little town with another marina / motel Dave and I should consider for retirement (only kidding). But other than that, it did not have much to recommend it other than a lot of flies and tightly packed in boats. The best word to describe it was - Mayberryish.

    From Oriental we stayed on the ICW and made our way into Beaufort. Beaufort docks were very expensive, but we found a dock that was owned by a local Friends of the Museum group. It was cheap. It boasted a porta potty (1) and the Junior Sailing club. It was a mile from town and had a great field for the dogs to run in. Dave already mentioned the pirate rally that was going on when we arrived!

    In Beaufort we rented a car since we knew we were going to be driving around for repairs and we got off the boat for a few nights to celebrate my 50th Birthday. Dave showered me with gifts, flowers, treats and catered to my desire to recover from our Ophelia trauma with relaxing by the pool. My friend Aimee, who is doing so much for us, did one more thing and surprised me by showing up to celebrate with us. For some reason I am very bummed about turning 50 and all of this really helped me jump over the milestone. It was perfect.

    After Dave "mostly" finished the needed repairs, we decided that 6 days in one city was a little too long and it was time to move on. Our very poorly researched plan was to hit Swansboro, just about 2 hours away. The thing was, the days had been very grey leading up to our departure, we had no water and no pump out on our inexpensive no frills dock and our solar was down to it's last watt. Without a whole lot of planning, we decided that the best thing to do was to use the boat engines to charge our batteries, make a 2 hour journey into 3 or 4 and go far out into the Atlantic to make water and dump our black water (the rule is 3 miles out). Things started out fine and ended with us traveling almost 70 miles and 6 hours straight to Wrightsville Beach, past Swansboro and Past Surf City, our other planned stops.

    I'd have to let Dave tell the story to fully encapsulate what happened but I can tell you what I know. The solar not charging was too much drain on the batteries and whatever Dave tried to do to circumvent that drained the boat batteries instead of the other way around and that made the boat stop running altogether, let alone make water or dump black water. We floated a bit and then began calling the very very few marinas we saw along our route. We found one we thought would be fine in Swansboro, but we had to get there before 5pm. On our approach to the inlet, we noticed that waves were breaking in what was marked as the channel. Trusting our navigation charts, we attempted an approach anyway and hit 1 ft of depth. You guessed it! Another bent propeller! And a frustration at not being able to get into the channel to stop for the night. More frantic research ensued and the best we could come up with was to make it another 40 miles to Wrightsville Beach.

    As I mentioned when we hit Swansboro we were pushing 5pm. With another 40 miles to go that means at least 2 and half hours for us. And yes, that would mean attempting to enter another channel, but this time in the dark. All I can tell you is that I sighed. Dave researched and memorized the channel on his graphs and we thanked the gods when we saw lighted channel markers and many houses and a bridge lighting the waterway we needed to anchor in. And after 4 tries, anchor we did. That is where we are now. Anchored in the middle of Wrightsville Beach. Dave is so happy! It's FREE!

    What Could Go Right? I feel incredibly loved. Our dogs are so fun to watch frolic. It's like watching the world through little kids' eyes. Dave is very very handy and when the boat just turned off in the middle of the Atlantic, I DID immediately look up Boat Tow telephone numbers, but I believed him that he could fix it. The weather is BEAUTIFUL for the next at least 5 days. There is so much to do here and another car rental is right up the street for ease of getting around. We have had great access to groceries and laundry and we really lack for nothing. Even water. We have just had to buy it to drink. Dave has a plan today to get our boat pumped out and water filled for showers while he does the remaining fixes, so it should all be really comfortable.

    What Could Go Wrong? Well, I have outlined that, but for posterity's sake; In Wrightsville Beach Dave will be working on sanding and gel coating the boat, solar fix, finding a back up generator, replacing the propellers (good thing we have those extra's now), getting an air tank, getting gas, getting water, getting pumped out, re-anchoring and he STILL doesn't have great fixes for oil leak and water leaks.

    Boating is so much fun!    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Dolphins!

    September 24, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    In Adams creek! We had like 15 feet of depth!

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Beaufort NC

    September 25, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    "Holed" up in Beautiful Beaufort for a week or so to make repairs to the boat. Ophelia punched a couple holes in our hull, so we'll be repairing fiberglass and gel coat before moving on. Nothing serious, but they must be fixed before we hit the open water. I don't have pictures yet because we're at a hotel, sitting by the pool, celebrating Jessica's 50th birthday, so I'll share those later.

    There was a pirate festival happening at our marina when we arrived here, so we got to see live sword fights, listen to sea shantys, and respond "Aye" and "Arrrrr!" in normal conversation. It's a lot of rum, I mean fun! ;-)    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
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    Wrightsville, NC to Southport, NC

    October 4, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We LOVED LOVED LOVED Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington, NC. We anchored for 6 or 7 nights and rented a car to see all the areas that we missed on our misadventures. Swansboro was a little sleepy marina and Surf City and Topsail beach were a cute resort like area. Carolina beach was a bit run down, but a great beach was available for 4wheeling and running the dogs off leash lawfully.

    Every day we walked and explored somewhere new. We found a great farmer's market and picked up some fresh fish. We saw downtown Wilmington and the harbor there. We drooled over the many multimillion dollar homes and neighborhoods and we just generally fell in love with the location. Everyone says, "come back in July for a real taste of the area." Maybe we will!

    Dave got most things done that were on his list. We have seen nothing but beautiful weather, so it's hard to know if our water leak is being addressed. Dave got a small back up generator and battery chargers to make sure our power issues are addressed. The propellers got replaced and cleaned up. We didn't feel comfortable sanding in our anchorage, so the final touches on the hull holes have had to wait.

    What Could Go Right? More and more dolphins! One swam up to our boat our first night at anchorage. It was such an easy and pleasant week in this area. Really quite beautiful and serene.

    What Could Go Wrong? On this beautiful Saturday, as we sit and do laundry, waiting to explore picturesque Southport, having just completed a beautiful cruise. It's hard to think of anything going wrong. We have a few projects that seem very small. We have a packed couple of days in front of us, so I'm sure something will come up, but for today, nothing is going wrong.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
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    Southport, NC to Little River, SC

    October 7, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 75 °F

    We are in another state!

    Southport was as picturesque as it was purported to be. We enjoyed an hour walk from our marina through the town and around the waterfront. That was after we got free laundry (this is an AWESOME perk of some marina's), soaked up some sun and swam in the cold pool. All in all, it was a very beautiful spot. It made me think we should institute a 2 day at every stop policy, but then we got to Lightkeepers Marina in Little River this afternoon.

    This too is very cute, but there is very little to occupy. However, we are marking this place on our journey stops. It is very affordable, has a ton of deep water dockage and with a car close to quite a bit. We would like to come back and see more of it.

    What Could Go Right? We found the cutest bar on the waterway called "Mullet" and with the dogs we were able to sit and watch a parade of boats go by on the ICW while we watched the sun set. The dogs met lots of other dog friends on the patio too. It was a very nice time.

    What Could Go Wrong? I seem to have caught a cold! Darn it!    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
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    Little River to Myrtle Beach, NC

    October 9, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    We had a quiet early night and early day out into the ICW. We hit a little traffic along the way, which Dave handled like a pro, but what was most impressive was his parking job at our little marina. I posted a pic of our boat wedged onto a spot between 2 big boats. Dave had to do that! Very impressive.

    We are in the middle of nowhere, North Carolina. Neither of us is sure how we got here, but here we are none the less. We DID make it to Walgreens for some Ruth prescribed Zicam, and the dogs got a decent walk. But otherwise, it will be a quiet camping night along the ICW.

    What Could Go Right? Sleep! We slept great last night, and it seems we will get the same tonight. Sleeping and walking are my best go tos for feeling better.

    What Could Go Wrong? Something started making a noise in an engine today. Stay tuned for that event.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
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    Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, SC

    October 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    Well, we are still in the middle of nowhere South Carolina, but this middle of nowhere has a cute main street and harbor walk and a handful of museums to peruse. We also got supplies Amazoned to us and have a nice little floating dock to ride out a few days of upcoming rain.

    We really enjoyed our short 3 hour drive down the ICW this morning. It was said to be some of the most picturesque of the ICW and it was. Cute little towns mixed into the wild terrain of South Carolina.

    We will be here a couple of days before heading out to Charleston. A little wish has been thrown out into the universe and it is just a little possible we may have some visitors in Charleston! Can't wait!

    What Could Go Right? That Zycam, some Listerine, good walks and good sleep seems to have knocked the cold into a mild state at least. YAY! The engine noise just stopped. Shrug. Who knows? We had a guys tell us the other day, "The next thing is already broken, you just haven't found it yet."

    What Could Go Wrong? Rain is coming! Time to test the leak solutions. Dave also has the supplies for about 10 other projects now that he was on hold for. He will probably get most done in Charleston, but maybe a few here too.    Read more

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    Georgetown to McClellanville to Isle of

    October 10, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 77 °F

    Georgetown to McClellanville to Isle of Palms, SC

    We are s l o w l y making our way down the coast. We spent a few days in Georgetown while rain threatened. It wasn't quite the town it was made out to be in the brochure, but it was a fine place to stay and have a rain day. We got in a lot of walking in between the rain and we were impressed with how the residents went out for Halloween decorations.

    When it was time to move, we were really limited in our options. Dave really wanted a camping night, but the ICW is so narrow and so swampy that we couldn't find a single spot that would give us shore access AND anchor. McClellanville was on our original journey list that Dave had planned, but after we researched it and the weather directing us on when to travel, we decided we could go further if we wanted. So we stopped in McClellanville to have lunch and I am really glad we did. It was a picturesque South Carolina town with one restaurant and a seafood market to boast about. We had a great lunch and a good walk and picked up some fresh fish and then got back on the boat and made our way to Isle of Palms.

    We chose Isle of Palms because they had a beach that the dogs could run off leash on and they had good facilities for stopping. As we were cruising though the weather changed quickly on us and rain rolled in. We thought our great plan of giving the dogs some running time was killed. But by the time we docked and settled the weather changed again and run they did. This weather thing is so tricky! Just wait and it will all be different, but plan for the worst.

    We had a great night in Isle of Palms and now are headed to Charleston for well over a week. We aren't exactly sure what that week looks like, but we are open to the ideas!

    What Could Go Right? Well, Dave has made about 50% progress on the water leaking into the boat. It's manageable at least and he says he has more ideas. We also have rearranged our boat so that we don't have to put our bed away every morning and take it out every night and we both like that a lot better. We now have space to work, eat and sleep that requires little to no set up or tear down.

    What Could Go Wrong? I am hard pressed to list anything that is currently wrong. Dave still has a list of projects to work on, but nothing is worrying at all. The one thing that has taken us by surprise this week is probably money. I don't want anyone to get the wrong idea, it isn't a problem at all, but we both kind of thought at this juncture we would be spending less. Less on gas, less on dock space, less on food and that really isn't happening. It's amazing how fast things add up!    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!
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    Isle of Palms to Charleston, SC

    October 13, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    It was a very easy trip (less than 10 miles) to Charleston to a very interesting dock. We are essentially open to the main thoroughfare (so main, a cruiseship came through), and despite being in what one would call an alcove, our boat is constantly rocking and rolling. This isn't that different than our mooring ball at home, but it is pretty rolly compared to all our docks along the way. It's taking us a minute to get used to it. Since we are here over a week, we have some time.

    What Could Go Right? The dolphins must feed in the channel. We see them everywhere. We woke up this morning to watch the sunrise, and there they all are bobbing away. It's beautiful.

    What Could Go Wrong? Still pretty light here. With all the rocking and rolling, an electrical box came loose, and we spent a better part of the evening last night in the dark. Dave cooked by headlamp! That's been added to the fix it list for the week.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Charleston to Beaufort, SC

    October 20, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    10 Days in Charleston! We walked. Oh my gosh did we walk! Charleston IS such a great community (Michelle). The hospitality, the quaint nature of the cobblestone streets, the huge Southern Mansions, the wharf area, the sheer size. It was a great city to spend time. To cap it off, where we were docked dolphins visited ALL the time. We woke up quite a bit at sunrise to watch them frolic while the sun rose over the city. Our dock was not exactly ideal. The way the water and wind hit it, made for a very rocky and rolly stay, but we were so conveniently located to everything that it balanced out. Charleston definitely made it to the top of our list. We fell more in love with North Carolina people, but Charleston itself had a lot to recommend it.

    Then the most awesome thing happened! Both my girls' and their boyfriends came to visit for two nights. It has been almost a year since I have seen them and I was so very happy. We got an airbnb at a local beach and just enjoyed each others company. We walked on the beach at night and played in the surf during the day. We had a few good meals. I made a baked chicken feast the first night and it was SO NICE making them dinner and sitting to enjoy it. Just like old times. It HURT to say goodbye again for lord knows how long, but alas everyone has these lives they are pursuing. And Dave and I were bound for our next stop and our next visit with family.

    We moved to Beaufort, SC! We got in around 530pm, time for dinner and a quick walk and back to our boat before the sun goes down. Dave's mom and dad are joining us for a few days to explore the city and say hello along our journey. We are looking forward to that.

    What Could Go Right? We saw every inch of Charleston by foot. We never walked the same walk twice. It was great exercise and so incredibly neat. I can not explain what it meant to see my kids and just soak them in. Dave got all the hatches installed on the boat and patched up the holes nice and tight. Things were very good.

    What Could Go Wrong? We have a smell that Dave is investigating today and a fuel pump he is replacing. It is actually a funny problem that when we run low on fuel, the boat tells us by chugging every few minutes. It's like it is talking to us, "Hey! Fill me up!" Dave has figured some work arounds for the power issues we have, but I am a little nervous for when we cross over to the Bahamas and have no access to any conveniences. We may be doing a bit more camping than we have the last two months.

    That's right! Two months have passed! What an accomplishment! We are still floating. We have a way of living that works for the most part and the adventure continues.    Read more

  • Our Epic Adventure....or bust!

    Beaufort, SC to Savannah, GA

    October 26, 2023 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 73 °F

    We made it to another beautiful state. Beaufort, SC was a beautiful little free anchorage! Bonus is Dave's mom and dad came to visit us for a few days. We drove around the small town of Beaufort, walked a little and had a few good seafood meals. Ruth really wants to know when we get sick of seafood. It IS funny because every restaurant DOES have the same menu along the coast. But so far we really enjoy sampling the grilled catch of the day or the local specialty. So it hasn't happened yet that we have gotten sick of seafood, but we will keep you updated.

    Ruth and Ted helped us run a few errands while they visited us. One of them being renting a car. So after their departure, Dave, the dogs and I explored the extended area of the low country of South Carolina. We love the Spanish Moss and the marshy wetlands of the area. The beaches were spectacular and very dog friendly, which was nice. Dave gave Duke his first boat haircut! We saw just about everything we thought we could in the area and decided to leave for Savannah earlier than expected.

    What Could Go Right? We now have Starlink on our boat. Well almost. Dave is finishing the install this week with a needed fixture. This will give us internet and phone access in the Bahamas for work (and family). Oh and it looks like all but one or two water leaks are taken care of. And the Dolphins are incredible! We see them everywhere. One even was just off our dinghy once.

    What Could Go Wrong? My allergies are not enjoying the South and the skin rash and swollen eyes are back. I am very grateful for the miracle cream and Benadryl! We have a broken fuel pump Dave needs to replace a second time. Let's not talk about how the first replacement went necessitating a second time. Also, we are expecting 40 degree nights this week and we really aren't prepared for that kind of cold. That will be an adventure for sure. We aren't sure of our heat source at all, having never used it and Dave is of the mind we shouldn't try, bundle up and get to warmer weather. We will see.

    We are in Savannah for a few days at least, we hear that it is just as walkable and interesting as Charleston was, so we will explore.    Read more

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