A Salty Night to Remember

  

   We drove through the night in shifts to get to St. Augustine, FL from Charleston, SC. At some points it was rather grueling (like when I had to drive), but mostly it was a dream come true (every moment I was not driving!). We caravanned with an amazing couple, following behind their gorgeous and extremely capable catamaran. I felt as though I knew these people by the end of the 32 hours we spent behind the Leap Of Faith (and I hope to get to know these people better in the future... as in, let's do it again, guys!).  We were anywhere between 30 and 50 miles off the coast, without Internet connection or phone service... which was all very foreign for people so used to being "connected."  Other than the intermittent radio interaction with the Leap of Faith, we were just two kids, three dogs (still have my parent's scallywag of a mutt), and a pissed off cat, traipsing through the great blue beyond.

The Leap of Faith, a 44' 2007 catamaran, fully loaded! She was one
of our favorite boats on St. John's Yacht Harbor, it was a privilege to
see her in action!

Told you she was a capable vessel! Check out those
 waves coming into St. Augustine!!  It was kind of fun!

  The Bridge of Lions coming into St. Augustine,
opening for us and our caravan catamaran, the Leap of Faith.

   While we were out on the wilds of the ocean, we both got to thinkin'... Jay pondered the other sailors who had traveled these waters before us; I let my mind wander to the depths below and the creatures lurking beneath us. Jay thought of the conquistadors and the explorers, while I considered the Kraken and the Megalodon.  All very profound and mostly sea worthy thoughts... but I prefer Jay's line of thinking!  Especially when I was out there, driving this monster of a boat, alone (or what felt like alone, as Jay was getting a few mo's of shut eye... not nearly enough might I add, he's a beast himself!  He's a great captain, truth be told, me hearties!), thinking of the beasties stalking us from below.... well, it was a freaky place to let the mind wander!  But wander it did!  I would see a splash in the inky night, the caribbean blue waters suddenly like black pillows for the soul, deep and dark... what is usually so bright and lovely becomes sinister in the pitch of night.  The splash would translate in my mind's eye to watered down disturbia, I would become jumpy and frightened.  Well, the only thing to be done was to change my mind's course just as I would do with me vessel.  I adjusted my heading, and thought of the rarity of the moment, the beauty of the dark of the night, and the serenity of the sea.  I found this ponderance much more to my liking!  I believe it to be a right of passage for a green captain to get spooked on his or her first nighttime ocean voyage, but it takes a captain worth his (or her) weight in salt to shake the spooks and get the job done!  I got the job done, folks.  Though, never will I pretend to be anything more than first mate, when Captain Jay handles Miss Betty with such aplomb.

   The night ride turned into our first sunrise while out to sea, and I believe us both to be hooked!

I was awakened by the captain in order to join him
for this most spectacular a view... I was not cross with
him for this request!


**************

And a sneak peak of the upcoming edition of Boating Off the Beaten Path~

Nothing says "Good Morning" like a pod of dolphins playing off our bow.

At first light

   I am going to miss Charleston madly, and it is hitting me hard right now.  I think because the departure continued to be postponed, I almost believed it was on a permanent delay.  Or rather, I was able to lull myself into a dazed denial of leaving this most precious city.  I will miss everything about my new favorite hometown (except for the mosquitoes and the no-see-ums, but that is it!  Everything else is totally and completely "missable."  I am forlorn.).  I will miss our dock neighbor's funny, little dog, Rocket.  This crazy terrier climbs trees and barks at the water hose when it is being used.  And I have grown more than accustomed to his little ticks, I have become fond of them.  I am going to miss the frequency of our dolphin encounters.  The Food!  I am so going to miss the food.  The live music here is incredible, not just the big acts that are drawn to the various venues, but the local artists are out of this world good!  I heart the Low Country and I am definitely going to miss getting to use the term Low Country so often.
  
   There is a safeness and a security as well, that I will miss.  The security of knowing where your home is, as my home will be traveling down the coast.  The security of having a vehicle to get to the store if I really can not fathom eating another bowl of macaroni and cheese (but who are we kidding?  If past experience has taught me anything about mac-n-cheese and me, it's that we get along just fine!).  At least Jay has a bike, I need to pick one up in St. Augustine.  Anybody selling a beach cruiser for a decent (like $20) price?
  
   Most heartbreaking, every time we leave a town, is saying goodbye to our new friends.  It doesn't get any easier either!  We have met the most wonderful people in Charleston!  I am truly going to miss our dock neighbors, Nelson and Ruth.  Two of the kindest, most thoughtful people we have ever had the fortune to come across!  And the guys that work at that marina are great fellas!  I hope they all stay in touch.  It was difficult leaving Mooresville, NC when we decided to delve into the shrimp boat conversion adventure, to leave friends I'd had for years.  But I trust in the longevity to make the friendship continue despite the distance.  It is even more difficult to make new friendships and leave the people with no reassurances as to the strength of the connection other than a few months of interactions.  But even if we never come across one another's path ever again, the enrichment I incurred in my life through getting to know these folks in our short time together, is priceless.

   Goodbye Charleston!  Hello warm weather winter!!

Make way

   The final preparations are made, and the weather is on our side.  The time has come.  We are pulling out of our beloved Charleston marina, St. John's Yacht Harbor, at first light.  We are excited as hell for the departure and as ready as we'll ever be.  It's a voyage of preparedness and the unknown.  Preparedness through preparations includes, but is not limited to:  we tested our lights, batteries, battery charger, GPS system, VHF radio, wine opener, and anything else we needed checked; we have stock piled food, water & wine; we watched Captain Ron again.  The unknown inculcates us with "wheres":  where we are going to make anchor (don't know yet), where the dinghy docks/public ramps will be (couldn't tell ya) & how close the food markets will be to where we make land (have to wait and see).  All the unknown is, at times, what I find most titillating... and at other times, the unknown is what I find most daunting.

   We plan to cruise towards the ocean and navigate on the outside (as opposed to the inside, as in the Intracoastal).  But, again, we'll see.  With no definitive plan other than a directional requirement of South, all we can say until we get under way is, we'll see! We'll see!

Guest quarters

Two pictures I thought might be of interest:

Inside the fish hold.  Eventually,this will be guest accommodations...
 aren't you all so excited about that??

There was still ice inside the fish hold when we bought the boat!
If the boat had not been purchased, she would have gone back to work
during the shrimpin' season.  But that was not to be her fate!

Amendments

Amendment #1) another killer good pizza in Charleston hails from Athens Restaurant.  Their crust and sauce is really quite tasty. We had a mushroom, sausage, & olive pie... I don't usually like mushrooms (these were good, not the gnarly canned variety) nor do I even like olives at all (these I have no excuse for liking other than I was feeling froggy & took a leap... it was fun, and worth it!).

Amendment #2)  We are leaving Charleston Sunday, October 23, 2011.  I am almost certain of it this time!

Top 5 things to do in Charleston

Angel Oak.  All these branches belong to one live oak!

Here's my top 5 things to do in Charleston:

1)  Eat at any of the amazing restaurants around the area, any of the local restaurants I should clarify.  Not a chain eatery, you can eat at Chili's anywhere.  When visiting some new, growing township with only chains, then it is understandable to stick with what you know... but when visiting an old, history rich city and foodie haven like Charleston, I advise you branch out!  As a matter of fact, there are far less chain restaurants here than there are local joints, so it's much easier to find your food fix at a non-chain.  You can get upscale, fine dining downtown (Toast has $10 bottomless mimosas for brunch); you can even score at strip malls, finding 5 star chefs who want to cook at smaller eateries after a prosperous career at the upscale places (try Starfish Grille); you can head down to Folly Beach and enjoy amazing seafood at any of the beachy restaurants; if you like barbecue you have got to try either Smokey Oak Taproom (1/2 price apps on Mondays), and/or Fiery Ron's Hometeam Barbecue (get the BBQ wrap- creamed corn, mashed potatoes, red cabbage cole slaw and your choice of pulled pork or chicken in a wrap, the employees and I recommend the pork!); JI's pizza on John's Island is the biggest pie around, coming in at 24" in diameter, it's big enough to feed the whole family; Andolini's pizza gets a lot of hype, it was pretty good; but the best, most creative pizza goes to New Moon Pizzeria & Pub on John's Island (we had the Hurricane when Hurricane Irene was coming up the coast... I know, I know, but we couldn't resist!); and for a great breakfast or brunch try Sweetwater Cafe or Early Bird Diner (the Diner has different stuffed french toasts, but only on Sunday. Oh, and they close at 3pm, just fyi!).

2)  Angel Oak tree.  It's the oldest living thing east of the Rockies.  It's a live oak approximately 1,500 years old, and it is Magnificent! It's free, and traveling down the dirt lane to get here is in and of it's self, a lovely view. One of the most awe-inspiring places I've ever been.  It has stood the test of time; it was a sapling 1,000 years before Christopher Columbus was sailing on the ocean blue.  Whatever else you plan to do in Charleston, go here! Period.

3)  Squeeze.  For the drinkers in the crowd, check out Squeeze, our favorite bar, located downtown. The martinis here are so delicious, from standard to the unique (they have their own pear, pineapple, and espresso infused vodkas!) and the bartender looks/dresses kind of like a pirate.  Love this place!

4)  Rainbow Row.  The colorful, historic houses in downtown Charleston make for a beautiful walk through the historic waterfront.  While you are sightseeing downtown, mosey on down to Battery Park, it's a gorgeous stopping point for your tour.

5)  Go for a boat ride and just see as much as you can by water!

Jib in Angel Oak's arch

Pre-voyage Pirating

  
   Watching a wee bit of Pirates of the Caribbean... because, you know, if there is nothin' we love more than a little good, old fashion pilferin' and plunderin', then we aren't ready for the great blue beyond!

Miss Betty's stats

Length:   68'
Beam:     24'
Draft:      5 1/2'
Net Weight:   60 tons
Top speed:   12.5 knots
Cruising speed:   9.5 knots
Engine:    KT Cummins turbo charged I-6 (I have very little idea what that means)
Transmission:   Twin Disk 6:1  (again, I have absolutely no idea what this means)
Propeller:  50/70 (50 inches from tip to tip of blades/ 70 inches of water pushed per revolution.  Ha!
                              I knew that one!)
Fuel Tanks:    1,500 gallons held in 2 tanks
Anchors:   250 lb steel Danforth storm anchor with 1" chain and 3" rope
                  47 lb aluminium Fortress working anchor with 5/8" chain and 1" rope
Davit:   1500 lb load capacity
Bilge pumps:   three 4,000 gph (gallons per hour) bilge pumps
                         two watch the heck out Emergency bilge pumps
                         High water alarm
Fresh water holding tank:   300 gallons
Waste water holding tank:  100 gallons
Gensets:    20 kw AC Delco
                  12.5 kw Northern Lights

Lifeboat, life raft, life rings, survival suits, and countless life jackets
Wakeboard, kneeboard, and a 3 person tube
2 dogs, 1 cat, and the occasional stowaway fiddler crab

Electronics & gadgets:
GPS/chart plotters     x 3
Depth sounder/fish finder
VHF marine radio     x 2
CB radio
24 mile radar
Hailer/intercom
VHF signal locator
EPIRB (emergency locator beacon)
Hairdryer       x 2

         

Pretty engine... or, at least, Big engine.  The engine room
has full head room, which is extremely rare, and very welcome!

More weatherly discourse

Just another perfect day on the water

   The sun is shining so brightly, the water sparkles and shimmers as if  a million stars are twinkling beneath the sea, or billions of diamonds are surfacing to catch the mid day sun... or a couple of mischievous mermaids are flickering lights on and off down in Davy Jones' locker.  At night, the air is a bit cooler, so a sweater is necessary for me... but during the day, well, the days are perfect.  Warm and sunny with that refreshing breeze it seems you can only get living on the coast (it's just a different kind of breeze, is all I'm saying).  A breeze salty, yet so sweet at the same time, because the sheer knowledge and blessing of it's very existence feels all the more precious.  I cannot believe I ever lived my life away from the sea, this lifestyle completes me.  I love feeling the sea breeze play with my hair, twirl my skirt around my legs, and cool the sun's heat from my skin.

   But how quickly the lightest coastal breeze can give way, becoming gale force winds. And yes, another storm is brewing and traveling up the coast.  It is not gale force winds coming our way, but a storm system nonetheless.  Just enough inclimate weather to hold us at bay a bit longer.  We don't mind traveling in some weather, but we are trying to be as safe as possible.  No need to rush, we have all the time we want to allow ourselves.  Seeing as we have no definite guideline or timeline to follow, lingering in Chucktown to wait for our next window for departure is a-okay by me!  Our next planned day of departure sits at tomorrow or the next day.

That's our girl! Pretty Miss Betty (don't mind the mast, that belongs
to the sailboat on Miss B's other side).

Sitting at the dock on the Stono River

   While I sit here waiting for this goop in my hair to do what the sun won't (golden highlights is all I ask!), I feel confident about this trip.  One more visit to the store for some more water, wine, & food provisions, and I say we are good to go.  Of course those are the less pertinent aspects of the delay.  We double checked everything, like the lights (running, navigation, and anchor), all are running properly.  A plus we incurred in delaying is the dogs are now trained to use the "potty patch" thing, gross but necessary when we are out to sea.  When we anchor near land we will dinghy the dogs over to go potty, otherwise they are potty patch "good dogs."  So, everything seems a go.

   We did get that "last Saturday night in Charleston of 2011" (Jay requested the 2011 qualifier because we will certainly be back) though I wore a different outfit than I had thought I would (because I wore the gorgeous blue dress I intended to wear Saturday on Friday night instead, so don't feel bad for the dress, it gets plenty of wardrobe action).  We had such a wonderful time, my stomach muscles ache today from all the laughing we did this weekend.  The whole weekend was fabulous, and today is following with the theme of Fab & Fun in Charleston.

   I can't complain!

   Though I should go get that shopping done...

Not higher, but wetter learning

A few things I've learned over the past year:

~  The name No-see-ums is deceptive, not only do you see those little buggers, but you sure as hell feel 'em, too! Nasty little coastal biting fly thingies. So gross... & kind of painful!

~  2 stroke engines are loud.

~  I know what a 2 stroke engine is... & a 4 stroke, too, for that matter.

~  Always give the local brew a try, at least once.

~  Keep a bottle of vinegar with you on board the boat and when you go to the beach, in case your best friend gets stung by a jellyfish.

~  When on land, if you see a person swaying, do not assume they are a boater just getting their "land legs" back like you, yourself are.  Most likely they are drunk and will strike up a completely inane conversation with you. Instead of approaching them, avoid at all costs, especially when in a hurry.

~  Those little balls bobbing on the water are crab pot markers, Not a slalom ski course.

~  People are interested in the strangeness of a converted shrimp boat, so they will proceed to drive their boats very close for better inspection... if doing something embarrassing, like (hypothetically) breaking into a made-up song while making up a dance to go along with it, either close the doors & the blinds... or better yet, just refrain from doing said goofy things.  Please, for the love of all that is not dorky, please refrain from such actions!

~  Just because you see a DNR (Department of Natural Resources) officer outside the boat, does not mean you are in trouble with the law.  Same goes for any authority figure.  They are most likely just checking out the digs.  Chill.

~  Just because I have to walk up & down a long dock about a bazillion times a day, does not mean I deserve a Dilly Bar everyday, the calories (sadly) still add up.  No, not a Frosty either!

~  A 20 kw generator running turns this boat into the equivalent of a Magic Fingers bed.

~  I know what an oil diaper is and how to use one (and I can almost say oil diaper without giggling).

~  Firefly Lemonade Vodka mixed with Minute Maid Lemonade Light is OUTSTANDING! It tastes just like a lemon quencher.  I highly recommend it.

~  Putting a cocktail umbrella in a drink, even in those red plastic college kegger type cups, really does make it feel more like an "occasion", like a permanent vacation occasion.

~  I once saw a bumper sticker that said "South Carolina state bird" with a picture of a mosquito beneath the words.  I now get it.  The mosquitoes here are Cah-razy!

~  Krill are some grody little bastards and will leave you with one nasty ear infection (did not learn this from first hand experience, thank goodness).

~  It's amazing what one can learn to live without, and still feel fulfilled.  Wondrous dichotomy, really.

~  Jay doesn't like tilapia, nor does he like root beer floats.  I had no idea.  ** Jay wants it known that he does Love root beer, ice cream, and pretty much all other fish.  For the record.  There, darling, better?

~  Our blue heeler, Blue, likes going for rides in the truck & she gets vindictive when she is denied this simple pleasure.  When left at the boat, she will get into the trash and shred it better than a top of the line paper shredder.  Other than that, she is the best dog!

~  Drunks will indelibly feel the need to strip down naked & jump off the back of the boat, then realize too late that the current is terribly strong and thereby be forced to pull themselves back up on the other dock.  Which then leaves them with a humiliating walk of shame to collect their belongings.  Every time.

~  I had a lot to learn... & still do.  Bring it on, life!

Nautical philosophical

   Sometimes I wonder about this whole halcyon lifestyle, this go with the flow, fly by the seat of my pants, Thing (with a capital T) we are doing.  What on Earth gave us the cajones to pack up & travel the coast by shrimp boat?  Yes, I understand my "whys", obviously being cold sucks!  But my "who do I think I am" to be blessed and able enough to do it... that's my quandary today.  I'm not expostulating about the travels ahead of me... just on a little diatribe of philosophical how comes, why nots, and who the...!  When I hear about so much struggle and strive in the world, while I am going to go live an island life where my only worry in the world is the tide gonna reach my chair... I feel... well... torn.  Should I stay in the mainland, the mainstream, & try to make a difference?  Or, could maybe this project be worthy in the sense of inspiration it passes on to others, & to us as well.  Because I am loving my life.  Jay is of the same ilk, he says he is deep down happy (like soul contentment).  The dogs & the cat are pretty stoked too (Luci, the miniature dachshund, loathes being cold about as much as I do)!

   As nervous and anticipatory as I am about the upcoming what ifs down the proverbial road, I am inspired by this wild dream (hence my entrance into the blogosphere), our dream coming true!  And maybe for now that is enough, at least for me.  Plus if any movie mogul is interested in my story, I'd totally be down for working with ya!  A wild lady, a marine ready to set sail, a retired shrimp boat, a dingo dog, a weasel hunting hound, and an overly affectionate black cat, all bobbing along on the briny sea... what a story that will be!

..... Do you think we could get Rachel McAdams to play me?

..... P.s. I did not intend to rhyme those last few lines, I swear.

On the bright side

At this rate, we'll probably be having another "last Saturday night" in Charleston... Yay!  I already know what I'm going to wear!

Bedtime is irrelevent when watching a movie about a traveling bed

Even Oscar needs a nap. Yep, these jeans will do just fine.

 I am so busted tired today, both of us are exhausted, actually.  We drove to Savannah, GA to swap the little red boat for our new little blue boat (I've always wanted a blue boat! - Not that color was a deciding factor, I swear I can put a hold on the little fashionista inside me long enough to make a sound choice about a boat), and we drove through the night again to make it home.  Then neither of us were tired yet, because we were all hyped about the new boat, so we popped in Bedknobs & Broomsticks to fall asleep to... problem is, that damn goofy movie is quite good!  We stayed up fabulously late because we were entertained so well.  We couldn't quite finish the movie though, and at about 4 am we tore ourselves away from it and relented to sleep's embrace.  Now I am close to regretting that decision to stay up for an old Angela Lansbury film, & I really try not to regret anything, so this seems a silly thing to add to the minuscule Regrets column of my life.  Well, chalk it up to this crazy lifestyle, in which watching late night flicks with the one you love is worth a few extra yawns in the AM... and quite possibly all the way through to the PM if my exhaustion keeps it up.

* * * * * * *

    Jay just offered me a reprieve from my first mate duties & I get to take a nap if I want to!  Hmmm, maybe I'll throw Bedknobs & Broomsticks back in and see how it ends, instead.

Trade Winds, or trading while waiting out the winds

Any day on a boat is a good day.

   Yep, we're still in Charleston.  But we have not been sitting about idly, twiddling our thumbs.  Jay & I have been busy little no-see-ums.  Jay is a Craigslist watcher, so we have been getting hooked up! We just installed a davit on the stern of the boat so we can pull up the little boats and the storm anchor.  This totally changes the whole game for us!  The storm anchor weighs 250 lbs, and the 20 feet of chain weighs even more than the anchor.  No way we were going to be able to pull that sucker up by sheer strength of will alone, so thank heaven for those wonderful people who put that ad in Craigslist!  Also, now we can lift our dinghy up onto the stern of the big boat (the shrimp boat), which means we won't have to pull the dinghy behind us during the trip.  It was kind of a hassle towing a boat behind us while we were in heavy waves, now we don't have to worry about that.   The dinghy situation has changed, or rather, we have changed dinghies.  We traded our Carolina Skiff for a Boston Whaler.  A Boston Whaler is an unsinkable, foam filled boat.  I have seen pictures of a Whaler cut into thirds, each third has a person sitting on it, & each third is still entirely on top of the water.  Pretty cool... & extremely badass in the safety factor.  And it is quite a good lookin' little dinghy!  We are also trading our little red Chris Craft ski boat for a Twin Vee catamaran, a little 14 footer.  The Chris Craft is an I/O, it is more suited for a lake runabout than an ocean going dinghy... which won't really do for our current adventure.  We need something that can handle the bigger waves.  Also, the Chris Craft weighs more, so it is less desirable in regards to lifting it up on the big boat or towing it.  Another plus for the Twin Vee is if we decide we don't want/need two dinghies (because, come on, you really never can have too many boats, right??), we will be able to sell the catamaran better down in the Keys than we can the ski boat. 

Bye bye little red boat, we had some good times!

The new Boston Whaler, with Mahogany seats
& stainless everything, wheel, rod holders,
drink holder... you name it!

   We have had some luck with the Craigslist ventures, everyone we have dealt with has been extremely nice and helpful.  Maybe it's because we are dealing with other boaters (though I've known some bad seeds in the boating world too), maybe we bring out the best in some (insert snickering or guffawing here from those that no us well), or maybe we really are just lucking out.  Now all we need is someone to buy Jay's 38' Chris Craft on Lake Norman (we're super motivated sellers, please send email if interested!!).

Jay's Chris Craft... you know you want it!

   Now with all our acquired booty, we feel more prepared for the trip.  Maybe the winds and the weather were working with us not against us, afterall.  Soon, very soon, the trip will be under way!

I'm saying, "Oh my!"  That's some ugly weather coming our way!
The wind was whipping so much my shirt was billowing about me,
 I was holding it tucked in by my elbows as best I could.

Pictures are worth a 1,000 words, right? A photo recap

These birds are in deep discourse, or just saying, "what are these fools doing buying a shrimp boat!"

At some points, I was thinking the same thing.

That's me, all tiny lookin' on the back of the big boat.

This is what the aft deck looked like originally. These are the shrimpy
accouterments I referred to in an earlier post.

Miss Betty back when she shrimped

The fish sorting table being hooked up for take off.

Table in the air

Paint by night

Monster winch (used for hauling up the nets & such)

I was praying they didn't drop that thing onto the deck

Monster winch hooked up for removal

Flying winch

The final days of painting, done in Little River, SC

 

The french doors we installed, totally changed the look of the boat

Miss Betty looking fresh & clean

Leaving Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC

Cruising down the ICW, leaving Little River, headed towards Charleston, SC. 6/4/11

Sunrise on the mouth of the Waccamaw River after anchoring for the night in Winyah Bay. 6/5/11

It's all in the family

   It is so windy today!  The waves even this far inland are pretty gross.  So we are still in Chucktown (which is fine by us for a little while longer, though we really can't wait to get this trip started!).

Family vacation in St. Martin a few years ago.  I love my family!

   My parents came up to visit, so that started the weekend off right!  Also, thereby, we got to end our stay in Charleston with a bang!  I love when my folks come hang out.  It makes me wish that when I was a kid, I would have been able to see how much fun they were (& of course still are).  My family traveled a lot together when I was growing up.  I've been on about 16 to 18 cruises, and my parents have been on too many to keep count of.  I've ice skated & climbed a rock wall on a cruise ship while out at sea, it was pretty cool.  Not only have we spent time together on massive ships, but also on houseboats and ski boats, as well.  My parents have had a boat at Inland Sea Marina in NC on Lake Norman for something like 37 years.  I took my first steps as a baby on that marina & eventually lived on my houseboat there as an adult.  Needless to say, we are boating people (as if by now you hadn't figured that out).  So when I told my parents about the crazy idea of purchasing a shrimp boat, de-rigging it, and converting it into a live aboard trawler in order to travel to FL & beyond, they hardly batted an eye.  Of course the FL part suits them just fine because then I will be closer to them.  The project seems to be endlessly entertaining for them, which suits me just fine because we keep in touch more now than ever before (though that could just be because I'm growing up, or grown up, or whatever).

Jib driving his Chris Craft up on Lake Norman

   Boating doesn't run just in my family, it is definitely in Jay's blood too.  He grew up on Pleasant Lake in MI, not to mention that other lake around there... whatsit called?  Oh, yeah, that's right.  Lake Michigan, a lake so big and beautiful it looks as if you are on an ocean.  He spent a lot of time in the water, or on a boat on the water.  So, naturally we're a pretty great fit. 

Us at Silver Beach, Lake Michigan in January (2011)

   So, since it's Saturday night, I think it's time to go enjoy Charleston together one last time... probably our last Saturday night here for awhile.  We'll see what we can get into, out on land, since we are about to spend weeks out on the water. This will be a nice send off.

And we're off! We have a date with Charleston

Weather, possessions, & space; a modern girl's take on immoderate living

   The weather has delayed us a bit.  Or to look at it another way... we needed more time, so we are blaming it on the weather.  It is extremely windy, a small craft advisory has been issued... but I don't even think that applies to us (Definitely not, Jay just informed me over my shoulder).  But we have some pretty big things to finish up with before we can skedaddle (like sleep, gawd I need to catch back up on my sleep!!).  We did make it to the storage unit already, so I have my scuba gear on board (yay!).   On the same note, we now also have more books & tools & cook wear (& shoes, I caved & brought some more shoes) aboard... none of which we really have designated space for yet.  At least on this boat we have the space, we just need to reassess the closets and storage spaces... actually, I think I can hear Jay building more closets as we speak.

   More on immoderate living later, but for now I must retire to bed in order to get my 10 hours of beauty sleep... well, after I finish these bon-bons & my glass of wine, of course.

Miss Betty's Amazing One Day Diet! Don't try this at home!!

So we bought the boat in Topsail Island, NC.  From there we traveled down the Intra-coastal Waterway to Wilmington, NC.  We tied up next to a huge barge that had a strong crane attached to it.  We had big plans for that monster crane.

   While in Topsail, (pronounced top sul, just fyi), we were able to get the massive outriggers removed, but there still remained tons (literally tons, about 12 tons of steel) we needed taken off the boat.  The crane couldn't lift with the necessary power or strength when it was stretched so far from us.  See, the crane was on shore, the boat was in the water.  We could get the boat closest to shore at high tide, closer to shore meant closer to the mobile crane. But we were not close enough much to our chagrin (& the crane operator's chagrin, they got to keep the steel as payment. Ah, bartering at it's finest!).  We called countless crane companies, to no avail.  No one had a crane with both a long enough reach and the strength to lift the A-frame (it had to do with the crane overstretching to get to the A-frame, thereby weakening it's lift capacity).  So, if we couldn't get Muhammad to come to the mountain, we'd have to take the mountain to Muhammad.  And away we went to search out the assistance we required.

   We found the crane/barge guys in Wilmington, NC, through sheer determination. Doggedly pursuing one lead after another, like jacked up kids looking for their next candy fix.  We drove around the city, stopping at marinas, boatyards, scrapyards, industrial docks- searching... searching.  We put a little gravel in our travel, since we usually get around by way of water, it was a long time for us to be riding around in the truck.  So it went, we found this random guy underneath a deck at some offices on the water, tying his shoes.  He gave us the name of some man down the dirt path, under the bridge & across the yellow brick road.  This next man in turn gave us another guy's name, and lo! this would be our guy!  He had the barge with the badmamajama crane, the crane that would lift away the rest of Betty's extra weight from all her shrimping days.  We set sail the next day at sunrise on a falling tide for Wilmington.

   We enjoyed the cruise, it was mostly an uneventful ride, which is sometimes all a mariner can ask for. It was warm for early spring, so I was able to participate in one of my favorite activities on a boat- laying out in the sun!  Threw on some tunes, cracked a spiked lemonade or two, & kicked back... those are all my other favorite things to do on a boat, just in case you were wondering.

   We had to go under a handful of bridges, maybe 5 or more. And remember, we still had a good portion of our rigging up, so we got access through the bridges without having to wait for bridge openings because technically we were still a commercial fishing vessel.  Over the VHF radio we would say, for example, "Surf City Swing Bridge, this is fishing vessel Miss Betty, requesting a bridge opening, please."  We are nothing if not polite, pretend fishermen.  The bridge operator in turn would reply something to the effect of, "All clear, Captain. Have a safe trip."  Captain! We were eating that up! Love it!

Figure Eight Island Bridge, NC.  You can wait for up to an hour sometimes for a bridge opening on a pleasure boat.

   We made it to Wilmington in seven and a half hours.  We tied up next to the barge/crane, all by ourselves, no one was there at the barge to help.  Not that we needed it, Jay nailed it!  It was our first solo trip out on Miss Betty, mind you, and he rocked it.  Anyway, the barge was part of a scrapyard, right across from downtown Wilmington.  The scrapyard is where old metal goes to die.  We saw old, old boats, a few ancient trucks, just mountains and mountains of dilapidated junk metal (or so it appeared to my unlearned eye).  Well, the saving grace to being tied up for a week next to a big, ol' ugly barge with a cesspool of junk as our backyard was that we got to dingy over to downtown Wilmington every day and play!  Wilmington is a great, old town, very pretty and quirky.  We would have enjoyed staying longer, but our southward travel was calling our name like a siren song... and we answered.



One man's junk is another man's treasure

Pic Below: the A-frame is loose!



The Skipper & some heavy duty rust



the steel A-frame joining the
ranks of unwanted metal

He is using a cutting torch to remove the winch, same technique
used to loosen the A-frame & pretty much everything else we
were having removed. Please note the bucket of water next to
the torch man, also Jay & I both have fire extinguishers at the ready

Winch is ready for take-off.
After her dramatic weight loss,
Betty rose out of the water
about a foot, changed her
 entire water line.