It's
later April, and we're back to the SaSea Sally docked in Charleston, SC. Having
arrived at the Charleston airport simultaneously with friends (and newlyweds)
Shap and Sue Shapleigh, we accepted their gracious offer to deliver us to St.
John's Yacht Harbor late afternoon while at the same time sharing updates on
each others' lives. Thanks, Shap and Sue...and congratulations!
Unlocking
the boat upon arrival, we were surprised by electrician Jeff and the clutter
surrounding his work-in-progress. Installing a new battery monitor, Jeff had
brought along a myriad of tool boxes and tool bags which now encircled the
perimeter of the open engine room along with the upended hatch door to
said engine room. Further littering the enclosed salon area of SaSea Sally were
the dismembered door panels of various cabinets which had been disconnected and
laid upon the breakfast counter and dining table. Oh my! We've been gone
three-plus weeks; what's with his timing?
Intent
on unloading, unpacking, organizing and prepping for our upcoming provisioning
run in the next couple of hours, we were brought to an abrupt halt. We could
literally do nothing but stand in the entryway and gawk. Plan B. What was Plan
B? Unfortunately, there was no Plan B. Clay and I both continued to gawk.
Further confusing our return plans, the marina had failed to note our courtesy
car reservation for early evening and had promised the car to an arriving
boater at 8 p.m. Hurry-up demands put me in stress mode as we tried to eat a
quick dinner and provision at least the necessary breakfast items. And, 'quick
dinner' was not in the vocabulary of nearby (car distance, not walk distance)
restaurant Fat Hen; the hostess knew she seated us, but unfortunately no one
else (waiter nor waitress) knew we were there. C'est la vie. We did eat, and we
did purchase breakfast fruit and milk at Food Lion en route back to the boat.
Tuesday
brought a jam-packed day of activity which left me particularly pooped. Laundry,
boat cleaning, a necessary early morning shower to remove hair 'goo' which made
my scalp a smorgasbord for hungry no-see-ums which are in plentiful supply
here, a courtesy car run for provisioning (there was nothing we didn't need
after our almost-month absence), stowing provisions which takes longer than you
think, then prep for dinner followed by clean-up and bedtime! Clay had been
pleased with our 44-hour turnaround time in Jacksonville following our return
after Christmas; he wasn't as well pleased when I requested another day in
port, aborting our Wednesday departure in favor of Thursday. But, truth be
known, Thursday departure worked well for both of us--it just gave us ten days
to reach Norfolk, not eleven. (So far, so good!)
Wednesday
played out well with opportunity to sleep in a bit, followed by tasks not
completed on Tuesday. First on tap was defrosting the galley freezer which had
collected a thick layer of frost in our absence. I spent much of the remaining
morning hours collecting addresses for John and Kristen's upcoming wedding.
Clay was equally productive, spending time studying the manuals of various
newly-installed electronics then cleaning the outdoor gas grill. I managed to
sneak to the pool for a half-hour of lounging with no intention of swimming (a
good thing because the pool water was far too chilly for this gal!)
Our
extra day layover coupled with the tide schedule mandated an early revelie
Thursday morning. A long eight hours later, we arrived at Harborwalk Marina in
Georgetown, SC. We remembered the fresh fish market within a few blocks of the
marina, so Clay and I stretched our legs by walking over for the recommended
fresh trigger fish which we purchased after watching the clerk filet the fish
on the spot. We knew it was fresh! We snagged a dinner reservation at Alfresco
Bistro where we'd dined with our July, 2014 guests Audrey and Johnny Roberts,
securing a time which allowed for a shower and glass of wine before the short
trek to the restaurant.
My
slam-dunk decision to order my previously-selected entree wasn't so slam dunk
when I found the Alfresco Bistro chef is quite fond of regularly changing his
menu. That being said, Clay and I both decided on non-pasta entrees which was
certainly not our original intent. We found the service to be slow; prices,
high; noise, too many decibels for the small courtyard enclosure. Ambiance was
relaxing and food was tasty, but meals were pricey for the portion. Clay
disappeared mid-meal and was slow to return, giving me ample time to text
sister Sus and to giggle over our text exchange (the consumed wine might have
helped here!)
A
long day faced us again on Friday as we departed Harborwalk, headed for...well,
headed for as far as we could get. Still trying to make time, we set our sights
past Osprey and on Myrtle Beach or beyond, knowing we had to travel thru the
area known as the Rock Pile. We are putting in as many as 60+ miles per day to
make Norfolk by May 2nd and in time for the May 4-7 AGLCA Rendezvous.
Clay
announced a securité as we entered the Rock Pile at MM 353, calling for
southbound boats to confirm their presence. Hearing no reply, we forged ahead
and traveled safely the four miles through this treacherous stretch of the ICW.
Later afternoon we turned port into a warm-and-welcoming harbor in Little
River, SC and secured a slip at the Lightkeepers Marina for the overnight.
Saturday
dawned with our focus again on 'making tracks' toward Norfolk. We traveled much
of this day in a spritzing rain, but we managed to dodge the bigger storms in
the forecast. Wrightsville Beach, NC offered numerous marinas from which to
choose, so I spent considerable time on Active Captain (a terrific resource for
boaters/Loopers) reading reviews of various choices. We selected Dockside, a
lesser-priced marina with minimal amenities, and arrived to a crowded
deck/dock/bar/restaurant of Saturday-afternoon partiers. Many had arrived by
boat, making a crowded harbor area which was further populated by a number of
fishing boats seemingly based here.
Our
plans to dine at Dockside were aborted when the rain increased in intensity,
forcing deck diners inside and giving us a wait time of far more minutes than
we were willing to spend waiting. Note to self: I must plan quickie meals for
nights such as these where dining out unexpectedly becomes dining in.
As
we depart Dockside this Sunday morning in time to make the 9 a.m. Wrightsville
Beach bridge opening, I bid you farewell and hope your last week's weather was
better than ours! Boating in rain and/or cool/cold temps is no fun! Here's to a
quick warm-up...soon!
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