Charleston, SC

The new window a/c unit over a hatch

I love Charleston.  I've visited here several times for work and never tired of wandering this historical town, exploring old cemeteries, sitting down on a bench in the park, visiting favorite restaurants and trying new ones, and taking tours.  However, this visit was a little bit of a let down.  I've sat on it a few days and I'm going to publish this blog largely unedited.  Better luck next time:

Sunset in McClellanville

McClellanville to Charleston:  The shrimp boats start heading out about 5:00 am with their bright spotlights shining on deck.  I hear the line from the movie Forrest Gump "shrimp creole, shrimp po boys, shrimp gumbo."  I'm up early but I let the Captain sleep too late.  He's moving slow and for the first time, I'm disconnecting shore power and doubling back lines while he wanders off the talk to our dock neighbors (?!)  It's just above low tide and they're drawing straws to see who's going to leave first.  The singlehander on the Leopard 38 "Southern Cross" drawing 3'9" shoves off first (yep, there may be one of these in our future), followed by us and the trawler "Traveller" from Sarasota last (also heading to Charleston!).

We have a quiet stretch of water today.  A few dolphins are spotted and every once in awhile you get a whiff of the ocean.  We have 10 kts of wind on the nose so the cockpit is very comfortable.  Our new snack is trail mix (almonds, raisins/dried cherries, and M&M's.  (Add gf pretzels to the grocery list) to go with our cold-brew coffee.  For the first time, we are hearing chatter from Jacksonville?

Finally got some crab legs at Hyman's

We arrive in Charleston harbor and pass by Ft Moultrie and Ft Sumter on the way in.  We dock at City Marina and quickly run for the nearest air conditioning.  (Which was catching the marina shuttle downtown to eat at Hyman's).

Is this going to take long?  That's where I take a nap!

Charleston Day 2:  We rented a car to do errands.  The Captain caved first.  OK, I was thinking it but he said it first.  "Let's go to Lowe's and get a window air conditioner."  He's not sleeping well and every one is getting a little grumpy.  We went to Lowes, Whole Foods (lunch at the salad bar, larabars, ginger beer), Trader Joes (nuts & dried fruit) and Harris Teeter's for a big grocery run.  Captain was too pooped to walk next door to Starbuck's when we were done.  The time it took me to unload groceries, he had the air conditioning running.  (If you want to know where the coolest spot is, ask the cat).  Our first shipment from Amazon shows up with new cushions for the helm seat.  I whip up a new batch of yogurt (without making the boat even more miserable).

"Gonna need a bigger boat."

Little Loose from Mooresville, NC?

Day 3 Sat:  We take the shuttle into town for the Charleston Museum and a tour of the Heyward-Washington house.  Lunch at Black Bean.  Retire to the boat to sit in the air conditioning.  Another Amazon box shows up with a second new helm seat to match the first.  The Captain makes a local shrimp & mixed vegetable stir fry.  Went down to the marina bar for dessert and watched part of the US Open.

Charleston Museum

Heyward-Washington house

Day 4 Sun:  Father's Day.  The Dad scrubbed  down the exterior while I disassembled a few of the settee cushions so I could throw them in the washing machine.  We took the shuttle downtown for the Dungeon tour, but it was closed so we walked along the waterfront before heading over to Fleet Landing for lunch (recommended by the shuttle driver instead of the pub off of Urbanspoon.  Score!)  We walked around some more hoping to get some more errands done, but head back to the air-conditioned boat empty handed.  (Neither kid called.  Bummer.)

Day 5 Mon:  We stayed an extra day to wait for our mail that didn't get shipped so it's errand day.  Laundry, groceries, West Marine, (Starbucks!)

Some art for the boat...

Our trip to Charleston was anti-climatic.  It's my second favorite city behind San Fransisco and Captain had never been here.  I knew he would love the history and of course, the food.  However, we had a couple things against us.  #1 there aren't any great marinas in Charleston.  They are all exposed to the current of the river, so tricky docking and possibly uncomfortable rolling.  (Another boater stayed at the maritime marina on the other side and said it was so bad, they left after 30 minutes!)  Also, all the docks were expensive, at least $2/foot.  I was willing to pay that to stay 4 days, so I picked the nicest looking marina with the best reviews (with the MegaDock for MegaYachts.  Another mistake.  We are the smallest boat here.  No really.  Even the tenders for the yachts are 30+ ft!).  I wasn't happy with my choice.  While heading across the bay, I contacted them on the radio, hoping to get our docking instructions so I could start prepping lines & fenders.  She said to call when you get closer (we had an aerial pic, and ended up on the far, outer face dock which could have been relayed).  After the second call, of "call when you get closer,"  I handed the mic over to the Captain and did my usual (all 4 lines and all 4 fenders out--in case when need to make a last minute change.  A fellow boater tells us he had the same problem).  A very nice dock hand met us and grabbed a forward bow line (the current runs parallel to the dock and can take you right past, even at slack water) but when I turned around we had just missed a 60 ft yacht's BBQ grill on the stern railing.  The Captain's fast throttle/wheel work cleared him by a foot.  A visit to the office concreted the fact that the young customer service lady and I were not going to be friends.  "Closest restaurant with air conditioning?"  "You'd have to take the shuttle and it doesn't leave for 40 minutes."  I should have verified because I later discovered there were several restaurants within walking distance and it was a safe neighborhood.  I left the Captain to handle things. 

It's a large marina and I'm sure keeping bathrooms clean is difficult, but the showers were unsatisfactory.  The first was dirty (I can rinse out a shower and been known to carry a bottle of bleach cleaner with me.  No problem.  The water pressure in the afternoon was useable but weak.)  The next (attempted morning) shower had absolutely no water pressure--you could barely wash your hands.  The afternoon shower was better water pressure but all hot water (water tank on the roof, maybe?), moldy curtain and the usual--curtains too short and narrow so water all over the floor.  After that, I showered on the boat.  Again, disappointing.  We've had cleaner and nicer showers at free marinas, so all I could see was $$$.  The laundry room was adequate.  Three washers and 2 large commercial dryers (not sure on the math there?)

Oh, and even the Captain complained about the slow to unusable wifi that made paying $2/ft all the more annoying.

The marina did have a free shuttle into town and the dockhands were all very nice, dropping us off and picking us up wherever we wanted since they weren't too busy.  I love the architecture here and house tours are a must to learn about why the many houses sit "sideways" on the lots (taxes were paid by square footage on the street) with porches on the side (no a/c in the summer), the front rooms were used for business and you weren't supposed to pass through the archway into the back of the house without an invite from a family member.  The houses are situated to catch the breeze and windows strategically placed to pull the breeze through.  Even beds were designed to be pulled away from the wall to catch the river breeze coming in the windows.  Walking through the old church cemeteries and peeking through fences at the private gardens are great strolling opportunities.  Again, too hot.  The Captain said Charleston reminded him of New Orleans.  Yep, I couldn't place the smell.

Perhaps our expectations were too high.  Or we've come to prefer the small towns that surprise us with hospitality, home-cooked food and everything we need within 2 miles of the downtown waterfront.  If you live on your boat, Edenton, Oriental, and Georgetown are the gems.

Shorts hops in 95F!

Carolina Beach to Myrtle Beach:  It's supposed to be 90F today and it's a Saturday which means a lot of recreational traffic on the ICW.  We pull our line in off the mooring ball for an easy departure (and yes, I got the whole pennant back in the bowl!  5 extra points from the Captain!)  After some advice from the harbor master, we had timed our departure with the falling tide on the Cape Fear, which is the opposite of the tide on Snow Run (there are multiple inlets in this area, so the tide changes every 15 min or so!)  Snow Run in a made-man 1.6 mile canal and the current is wicked as we sweep under the bridge, however, the fishermen don't seem to mind!  We make the turn onto the wide, busy, Cape Fear River and unfurl the genoa to motor sail for the next hour at 7-8 kts (wind & current helping us).  The crazy procession of boats has begun:  

We make the turn off to the ICW and pass Southport.  Looks like a fun town (but the dock space was expensive)--maybe next time.  We sneak through a narrow channel at the Folly while a power boat goes around next to us.  Lots of spoils on this stretch (shallow, narrow parts of the channel).  Sunday is full of jet ski fishing boats, and it's HOT.  We couldn't fit onto the free dock (thank you pontoon boat, for parking SMACK in the middle of a 70 ft face dock) so we continue on to Marina at Grand Dunes.  We were expecting a face dock but they have a slip for us (being blocked by the 2 rental pontoon boats "that they will rent to anybody with a credit card."  Grrrr.)  It turns out there is a wicked current coming off the river that swirls as we enter the slip & it got ugly.  I'll skip the details, but no boats were (structurally) damaged, the dock hands were AMAZING.  They also confirmed it has been very low water because of lack of rain this year.  Captain headed for the nearest bar before I could get the hatches open (which turned out was NOT air conditioned--open air bar.  YIKES)  We'd been mostly comfortable all day--drinking lots of water (with NUUN electrolyte tablets) and dunking bandanas in the ice cold water in the cooler.  However, as soon as we stopped we were HOT.  I even wet down Amelia in the sink so she wouldn't overheat (she went straight for our berth and laid down on my side.  Yep, she was MAD!)  Later, Daddy coaxed her into the cockpit where she laid down on the cool floor and swatted at a few bugs.

STATS:  Total time 10:05, total mileage 55.8 nm, avg speed 5.5 kts

Myrtle Beach to Bucksport:  We decide to reposition (and try to put a few miles behind us).  Despite our best efforts, the current tries to kick us sideways again before we can clear the slip.  I guess that's why they have such nice padded piers?!  By 8:00 am we were motoring the 15 miles down the ICW to Bucksport Marina (air conditioned Captain's lounge with cable TV because our A/C is still broken).  The Captain comments on the nice peaceful morning which lasted until about 10:00 am when the pontoon boats, water skiiers and jet skis begin to reappear!

We pull into Bucksport Marina before lunch.  The manager and another deck hand help us tie-up, fuel, walk us forward to pump out and then we motor back over to a slip.  For $33/day ($0.75/ft + 6/day for electricity)  Cheap!  We are at a dock with water, electricity, laundry, bathrooms, a good restaurant and an air-conditioned lounge--which is good because it's supposed to be above 90F today.  I'm concerned about the cat and we considered sneaking her up to the lounge but someone else has their dog in there, so we take turns going back to the boat to check on her.  We find a nice low spot in the hull for her to sleep, put a fan on her (she doesn't like) and lay a wet microfiber bandana (buff) on her which she tolerates.  Then Daddy starts balancing ice cubes on the bandana and she seems to like that.  

As we travel, the accents change, the water changes color and the bugs change.  All of a sudden, we're in wasp territory but they're slow and you can swat them right out of the air.  I even see a bumblebee (I allowed him to go on his way).  Our favorite are the HUGE dragonflies.  Captain wants to catch a few a put them down below because they eat other pests but they have a short life span.

This is a busy recreational area on a weekend.  The marina does a good business selling fuel and the restaurant is a big draw.  At least it's more peaceful to watch the melee from the dock instead of out on the water.  They are hyped about a big drag boat race coming this weekend and are expecting 4-5000 people!  It's difficult to sleep despite the fact our berth is the most comfortable spot with a fan, but it drops to 75F just before sunrise.

STATS:  Total time 3:22, total mileage 16.5, avg speed 4.9 kts

Day 2 Bucksport:  We stay another day because of the heat, even though it is cooler to be moving on the water and we don't have much of a breeze at the dock.  The only other transient leaves early and we have the marina (and lounge) to ourselves.  I manage to boil some pasta early in the day and we spend the afternoon in the air-conditioned lounge.  A local tells us the island across from the marina is called alligator island and if we shine a spotlight over there at night we can see their eyes and hear their croaks (as we watch kids & fishermen swim off the dock & a power boat with a water skiier in the water).  Hmmm.  That's why I don't swim in water where I can't see the bottom!  We decide to do another short hop tomorrow and for the first time, phone calls to the marinas ahead of us are full, but we secure a spot (at the most expensive, of course).  They ask our boat name and my name which is unusual in the marine industry, so I give them extra points for that.

Bucksport to Georgetown:  We leave at 8:00 am hoping to have the current in our favor.  We enter a wide, 20-30 ft deep, peaceful, beautiful section of the Waccamaw River.  We see fish jumping out of the water and several osprey nests (on the marker bouys).  We travel for for 1 1/2 hours without seeing another boat (not even a fishing boat).  I'm on the first shift, so the Captain takes a book up to the trampoline to read (yep, the retired guy is finally relaxing).  These are my favorite parts of the trip.  If it wasn't so hot, anchoring out in an offshoot of the river would be a nice way to spend a few days.  It's going to be another hot day, but we have a 5 kt breeze (from the boats forward motion), are in the shade of the bimini and have several water bottles in the cooler.  Seriously, fishermen family & friends, we saw several 12"+ fish jump out of the water and I heard a slap behind the stern that had to be a monster.  We saw very few fishing boats in the desolate stretch of water.  Clearly they know we don't have a fishing pole.

You never know what you're going to see on the ICW.  We pass a steel schooner anchored outside a marina.

Our arrival at Harborwalk Marina's face dock is almost boring, with the current in our favor and Chris the dockmaster to grab our lines.  The marina is hopping and we wave him away as his radio crackles with two more arrivals.  $1.75/ft +  $5/night for electricity and an air conditioned office where you can see your breath.  We're informed by the Weather Channel it's a record high of 100F.  Of course it is.  Amelia now glares at you if you don't drop an ice cube on her bandana every time you walk by.

Georgetown is a cool little town.  It's very historic with a few interesting museums including a rice museum & a free maritime museum. It's popular with cruisers because there is very little between Myrtle Beach to the north and Charleston to the south.  The downside is it's too long a walk to the grocery store in this heat, but the first restaurant we stumbled into for lunch was excellent.   Wild Fish Grill with shrimp & grits for me and Shrimp & Clam scampi for the Captain (this dish will be his new benchmark--"Not as good as the Scampi").   

There are at least 8 transients in this tiny marina, all apparently cutting their days short because of the heat.  A few have mechanical issues.  I've counted 2 cats (not including Amelia), 2 dogs and a bird (dove?) among the pets.  We had seen what appeared to be a white dove sitting on the railing of the trawler in front of us and discussed how odd that was.  Next thing we know, the sailboat diagonal to us (who we will later learn also has a cat!) is handing him back to the ketch behind us.  She stops to chat and takes him home.  Later, we try to coax Amelia into the cockpit because there is a breeze, only to discover the bird has hopped over and is sitting up on our bimini.  Cat inside!  CAT INSIDE!  Then the dog off the boat across from us appears.  Amelia is staying inside this evening.  It's still hot when we go to bed, but by morning we have a nice breeze and 80F feels very comfortable as we sit in the cockpit drinking coffee.

STATS:  Total time 4:57, total mileage 24.8 nm, avg speed 5 kts

Georgetown to McClellansville:  By the time we shove off the dock at 7:30 am, at least 3 boats have already left.  As we enter the Winyah Bay, we unfurl the genoa to take advantage of the 10 kt wind off our beam while we motor sail the 5 miles to our ICW turn off.  There is a wicked cross current here--at least a 15 degree crab correction.  We're pointed at one shore and drifting over to the other!  (BIG GATOR off the starboard side!)

We turn down the Estherville Minum Creek Canal and the Captain retires to the trampoline for a morning nap.  Another normally open swing bridge has replaced the ferry here.  I had no idea there were so many different kinds of bridges?!

I learned a few tricks while playing with my Garmin/ActiveCaptain app and in the process missed a shoaling & strong current call out to the Captain.  "Be careful back there!"  Gator off the starboard side.

As we neared McClellanville, we are close to a shallow ocean inlet.  We have numerous dolphin sightings (including 2 groups of 2 in the marina that evening) for a total of 12 in one day!

This town is one of our favorite stops.  It's a small marina, off the beaten path, and at low tide there is only 4 ft of water at the dock.  Many ICW'ers pass it up, despite there only being 2 marinas between Georgetown and Charleston.  We have a beautiful, tree-shaded walk into town for lunch (and air conditioning!) and have a "top three" meal at T.W. Graham's of grilled shrimp, coleslaw, homemade tartar sauce and red rice for me/fried okra for the Captain.  (Homemade pimento cheese spread to go.  "What's for dinner?"  Cheese spread.  "That's not dinner."  It is when you eat the whole tub!)  Honestly, I'd advise other boaters to anchor out and dinghy in to eat here.  It was that good.  

Overheard in the cockpit:  "90F in the shade with a breeze isn't that bad."  And if you throw the ball for the lab that lives at the marina, you'll have a friend for life.  I didn't know a dog could back up that fast and my first throw landed in a bucket.  Couldn't do that again if I tried.

STATS:  Total time 4:59, total mileage 24.1, avg speed 4.8 kts

Special Report: McClellanville, SC

The Shrimping fleet.  I took this pic while docking :-0

I apologize for the jump ahead.  I have to edit & add pics for our last few stops.  However, I have to share this wonderful little stop with you right now.  There are only 2 marinas between Georgetown & Charleston and this is one.  Many ICW'ers pass this place by because low tide is 4 ft at the dock, but stops like this are our favorite.  We're definitely off the beaten path and found a little slice of Americana.  Unfortunately, not my best pics but this was just on our short walk to lunch.

The Captain's pic:  A palm tree & oak tree side by side.  "You don't see that every day."

Appetizer:  Steamed local clams in white wine broth

Grilled local shrimp, red rice, coleslaw (homemade tartar sauce)

"Eat"

A couple Carolina beach vacation spots

Lunch at The Bridge Tender, Grilled Mahi & coconut rice cake

Day 1 Wrightsville Beach:  Sleep in!  Then we walked to (you can guess...) West Marine, the grocery store and the hardware store including crossing one of the bridges on the ICW that we didn't have to do (whoo hoo)!  Honestly, we don't need much at West Marine anymore.  I got out without anything but we did NEED a new clutch for the main traveler.  The cashier recommended Bridge Tender for lunch and it was declared the "best meal we've had since we left," by the Captain.  I had blackened mahi with brown rice pilaf & a vegetable medley.  Captain had broiled mahi with asparagus and a fried coconut rice cake he couldn't quit talking about.  Gonna have to look up that recipe!

The waves are going against us on the dinghy ride back and we got soaked--this was SOP (standard operating practice) for our stay here.  Wrightsville seems like a cool town.  We were greeted by fishing boats, power boats pulling skiers, jet skis but also a lot of paddleboards and kayaks.  Everyone looked like they were having a good time.  Our walk showed an high number of joggers and walkers.  Very fitness-oriented.  I'd say 1/3 of the people are paddle-boarding or jogging at any one time--and not all young kids either.  Excellent stop.

Day 2:  We need to refill a propane tank so back to the hardware store and I go along with a backpack for "goodies" (Harris Teeter grocery store is excellent.  If we hadn't just provisioned, I'd get a cab and buy a couple months worth of food.)  Of course, I buy a little more than I should, and Captain is carrying a full 20lb propane tank (actually, we don't think it's full.  It's too light and I can curl it, so I'd guess less than 15 lbs).  However, we still swing through a dive shop and score a new set of fins for him and a full set of snorkel gear for me.  It's a lot to carry back and it's hot, so we take a few breaks and skip the Bridge Tender.  When we get back to the dinghy, Captain drops off the propane tank, then runs around the corner for a bag of ice and a case of beer.  (If you are trying to tell which dinghy belongs to the full-time cruisers, it has a propane tank, a backpack, a bag of ice, and a case of beer in it!)

Get any closer to these guys & someone is going to have to make breakfast

A wicked storm passed through this evening.  Capt saw 35 kts of wind and we definitely swung closer to the docks.  When it's all over, it's impossible to tell if we drug or our neighbor.  Actually, I think everyone moved a little bit because there was a 180 wind shift at the beginning.  By bedtime, more rain has moved in and we are definitely swinging closer to our neighbor.  We elect not to reanchor after dark, so we decide to get up every two hours and check our position (I don't think the Captain slept much).

Wrightsville Beach to Carolina Beach:  A short motor to reposition closer to Cape Fear.  If we see a favorable day, we may do another offshore run (but the long range forecast isn't looking good).

There was some shoaling (shallow water) coming out of Motts Cut to join the ICW and it was also low tide.  We actually bump once.  We will have to start paying attention to low tide from here on out, as we near South Carolina and Georgia.  

Carolina Beach is one of the biggest vacation towns in the area and also has a mooring field (unusual in the US but common in other areas).  We paid $20/day (not free) but we don't have to worry about the anchor dragging (Captain sleeps good!) or other boats dragging into us (technically).

We arrive at the empty field and pick up a mooring ball on the first try ("And that's how THAT'S done!")  The reviews on Active Captain complained about the setup, but these are the nicest moorings we've seen (with a float on the pendant and bowl on top to hold the pendant out of the water when not in use.  The pendant was so clean--and long enough, we threw it on a cleat while we set up the bridle.  We never attach the slimy, barnacle-covered pendant to our boat!   The harbormaster even comes through and put the pendant in the bowl, then lays the loop over the side for the next boater.)  A quick glance through the binoculars at town and Captain yells, "McDonalds!"  I request the kayak be splashed because this looks like a great kayaking spot and he says, "Double cheeseburger with fries."  Huh?  The Captain heads in for a nap, and yes, I snuck off the McDonalds for some fries and returned with cheeseburger ("It's still hot!")

Carolina Beach, NC

Stats:  Total time 2:32 hours, total mileage 12.1 nautical miles, avg speed 4.8 kts

We're in another great pelican watching spot.  They apparently fish in the late afternoon, and the Captain studies their technique.  High pass.  Low pass.  180 dive with a HUGE splash.  If they catch a fish, they sit in the water.  If they don't, they immediately take off again and do another pass.  Tried to get a video but none of them would cooperate.

We dinghy into town for a walk and end up with board shorts for the Captain (looks nice, fast drying, can we washed on the boat!  Yeah!) and another book (still coming in faster than they are leaving!)

Dinner is grilled hot dogs & potato salad.  The Harbor Master shows up to collect our money & give us more info.  It turns out we are right next to the second town dinghy dock that will take us straight to the beach.  It's supposed to be in the 90's this week.  We may dig out the bathing suits!

Day 2 Carolina Beach:  We crank up the generator and the espresso machine ("to top up the batteries") and head out into the cockpit.  Is that an ALLIGATOR?  "Just a little one."  And he's heading for the dinghy dock.  He's waiting for me to get in the kayak.  I can tell.  "Just bop him on the head with your paddle."  You're not helping.  Later I get brave and kayak over to check out the closer dinghy dock that leads to the beach (gator, gator, gator.)  There is an afternoon run to McDonald's for internet and ice cream.  Chicken is grilled.  It's Thursday, so we watch the downtown fireworks from the trampolines out on the bow.

See, we're not lost!

Day 3:   We decide to dinghy into McDonald's for some wifi and get caught in a downpour.  Well now we don't need showers!  It's laundry day (the first time dinghying into a marina with the dirty laundry)  so the Captain dropped me off, came back and picked up the first load and brought me and snack, then back to the boat and returned when I was done.  There's a shower in the laundry room which is handy--two birds.  One stone.  I heard some whining about how much work it is to open and close hatches as the rain showers moved through on a hot day.  "Yep, that's what the first mate does when they aren't doing laundry."  That's annoying.  The Captain finds something to take apart (autopilot wheel & servo) then back into town for an excellent dinner at the Indian restaurant.  It doesn't look like we are going to get a weather window to go outside this week, so we stow the kayak and dinghy and plan for a 50 mile run through Cape Fear River (sounds fun!) and down the ICW.  Charleston here we come.

Our first "outside" run

Our route

 Beaufort Inlet to Wrightsville Beach:  I'm up at 4:45 am making coffee and starting the checklist.  The Captain informs me that it appears our anchor drug overnight.  Not good.  At least there are no boats to hit, we are a little closer to the dredge but not over at the Coast Guard station (I'm sure they would have woken us up if we got too close!)  The Captain double checks weather and drinks some coffee.  By 5:15 am, the sun is starting to come up enough to see around the anchorage to the channel, including the dredge working next to us.  We pull up anchor by 5:30 am (clean so we've switched from muddy to sandy bottoms) and motor out into the channel with the first of the sport fishers.  After clearing the channel, the Captain turns over the helm while he goes to raise the main AND it gets stuck.  Of course.  Breathe.  He gets it down and back up (halyard wrapped around the deck light) with one reef (we're being conservative in case the wind gets over 25 kts.), followed by unfurling the genoa.  He leaves me at the helm and with sleepy eyes, tells me he took a Dramamine so he could take a nap.  "I would have advised against that!"  

Amelia standing by on the "jump seat" ready for duty

For the first time, we're wearing our life vests and tethers at all times.  (At one point I glance into the salon, and Amelia is sleeping on the settee nearest the companionway.  "On standby, Mama!").  As we near the Camp LeJeune, we scour the charts to confirm the Danger Zone isn't active.  I finally call on the phone, and on the second ring, a very nice person answers and says, "Nope.  You're good!"  (Sometimes the ICW is closed in this area for firing-range exercises.  Gulp.)  When I step back into the cockpit, I'm rewarded with a dolphin leaping out of the water on my side of the boat!  "HI!  Do it again!"  As it turns out, this "outside" run is more of a day sail in the Camp LeJeune Danger Area.  We'll spend 3/4 of the day in it!

Now, he's crazy!

The Captain heads down for his first nap by 8:30 am (but he won't get much sleep throughout the day.  Nice try.)  I spot a couple schools of flying fish while he's gone (What the heck?!  Oh, cool!)  We'll be able to see land most of the day.  Technically, we're in Onslow Bay, a lighter blue/green color and 50-60 ft deep.  To keep the wind in the sails, we work our way out to a max distance of 8.5 miles.  I'm a little nervous/proud of us, when I pass a 25 fishing skiff with one person on board.  Wow, YOU are crazy!  Surprisingly, I'll have cell phone service all day (better than I've had since we entered Virginia!)

View out the companionway from the salon

Some cold pasta salad, ginger candy, chart guide & sunscreen.  That about explains it

It's a 14 hour day with 15 hours of daylight, so around 3:30, the Captain decided to start one engine and motor sail for a little while, ensuring our arrival before sunset.  (This also allows us to sail a little closer to the wind.  I really can't explain that.  Trust me.)  At 4:00 pm, I'm standing up at the helm, looking over the bow because I thought I saw something when Captain comes back up.  As he turns around, a spotted dolphin jumps across our bow!  He circles around and does 2 more jumps before he disappeared.  That was better than coffee, my friend!  Thank you!  That adrenaline rush will last several hours.

Both the Captain and I attempt to read and nap, neither very successfully.  We were concerned about the winds shifting around in front of us (a rougher sail) or the waves getting big or having to take them bow first (a very uncomfortable ride).  Neither happened.  In fact, we took the reef out of the main at 2:30 after agreeing the winds apparently were going to stay below 20.  The waves probably reached 4-5 ft towards the end, but we were riding/surfing with them and the distance between the crests was farther apart (than the Chesapeake Bay or Pamlico Sound) so more comfortable.

The Captain yelled, "Dolphin coming up behind us!"  We watched him swim by and spotted him once more before he disappeared.  Voted the best dolphin siting because we got to watch him swim just under the surface for a few seconds and he definitely looked up as he went by.  Cool.

The channel markers for the Masonboro inlet were hard to spot.  I was at the helm while the Captain lowered the sails.  It was supposed to be a "local knowledge" inlet according to the guidebook, so we double checked ActiveCaptain.com, then followed a local fishing boat in (there is a large shoal between Red 6 & Red 8.  Denoted on chart.  It's not a straight line.  Pretty obvious based on the people standing on the beach!)

A bottle of Bordeaux!

We were anchored on the second try (first time we drifted back too close to another sailboat and had to move back forward).  On my last flight, a friend of the boss gave me a bottle of Bordeaux.  We'd been saving it for a special occasion.  This was it!

Stats:  Total time 13:33, total mileage 76.7, avg speed 5.7

Summary:  Everything went according to plan.  Waiting for a good weather window was worth it.  If anything, we were both a little bored but that's better than the alternative!  I personally am relieved that no one got sick, or worse had a panic attack.  You don't know until you do it.  We're ready to try an overnight run.

Waiting for our "outside" weather window

Beaufort to Cape Lookout Bight:  We couldn't get out of Beaufort fast enough.  We won't be back.  We headed out the channel towards the Beauford Inlet with excitement and a little nervousness.  It would be our first short jaunt into the Atlantic Ocean!  We immediately started giggling when we were passed by the fisherman going OUT in TINY john boats.  OK, but it was still exciting!  We get the sails up pretty quickly and turn onto an easterly heading towards Cape Lookout, the eastern end of the same island as Ocracoke.   I was at the helm while the Captain raised the main sail and unfurled the genoa.  I yelled, "Lighthouse in sight," before he could get the genoa unfurled.  "What?!"  Well, we were still 5 miles out (1 hour of sailing), but his face was hilarious.  We had a nice, comfortable sail (waves are at 8-9 sec intervals out here instead of 4-5 on the Chesapeake & Pamlico sound.  Fingers crossed!)  I stayed at the helm and the Captain furled the genoa as we entered the channel, not dropping the main until we were halfway across the bay.  We saw 2 rather large turtles as we motored across looking for an anchoring spot, "Did you see him?  He was HUGE!"  There are 6 or so other boats in the anchorage that is 1.5 x 1.5 miles.  We're anchored next to a decent sized yacht with a little Hobie catamaran (Captain is trying to figure out, if we skip the SUP and sell the kayak, could we get one onboard?)  I wish we'd bought that snorkel gear the Captain said we didn't need yet.  The water is slightly clearer here (but it ain't the Bahamas!).  We can see our rudders.

The water keeps getting clearer! (Cape Lookout Bight)

Stats:  Total time 2:21.  Total mileage 11.4 nm.  Avg speed 4.8 kts.  Sailed the whole way.

We hang out on the boat for awhile and around 5:00 pm, the current and wind seem to let up.  I jump in the dinghy and have the engine running before the Captain can get his flip flops on.  On the way over to the beach/lighthouse, I say, "gee, that looks shallow." and let off the throttle.  "Nah, it's fine.  The fishing boats go through here"--and we're aground.  A quick shove off with the paddle and we're floating again, only to look down and see several HUGE turtles down below us!  It's our longest dinghy ride yet--you can barely see the boat from the beach!  We drag the dinghy up onto the sand, then return to drag it up a little farther.  (It looks like a long swim from here).  We reach the lighthouse just as the ferry drops off another group (so much for getting off the beaten path).  However, the door is locked.  The people behind us track down the maintenance crew who say the lighthouse closes at 4:15 pm and the park rangers are long gone.  Now they have to wait an hour for the return ferry.  "Do they know they left the light on?"  BAAhaaahahaha.  We crack ourselves up.  The Captain ponders, "could we buy a ferry ticket to go back into town to the grocery store?"  Why not?  We've been watching for several days and tonight is officially the full moon.  Beautiful.

Day 2 Cape Lookout:  We wake up to rain and after checking the radar drag a few more things inside.  The Captain makes grits for breakfast.  A rainy day is the retired sailor's version of a snow day--read, take a nap, read.  The yacht anchored next to us leaves mid-day so we are one of 3 sailboats left in the anchorage.  We begin the "weather window" waiting game.  Originally, the weather looked good for an offshore passage on Thursday, then Friday, now Sunday.  (I'll give it a week, then press for the ICW so we can explore our options for the summer.  Insurance says we have to be north of the Florida/Georgia line by July 15th because of hurricane season.)  I catch up on blogging and play with the satellite communicator (a satellite phone that texts & emails.  Expensive, but we can send pings so family & friends know where we are.  Cell phone coverage has already been a problem in some rural areas).  Amelia takes a nap with Daddy.  Lunch is some canned soup heated up on the stove.  

The rain lets up in the afternoon, so we move out into the cockpit.  We learn a new term from the NPS websight:  rage tide.  "Most paddlers will want to avoid the rage tide, the time when the current flows the hardest, as ½ of the total water volume passes through inlets during the third and fourth hours of tide flow. During this time, flatwater will turn to whitecap waves and intermediate terrain can become expert."  After checking the tide, the kayak is dispatched only to find out--we are REALLY far from shore!  A lot of paddling made the boat smaller but beach still far away :-(  Changed direction to find the shoal with the turtles and didn't make it there either.  When I turned back towards the boat and tried to take pictures, I almost got blown by the boat (Captain had just come out to check on me when I blew bye.)  "Where are you going?"  "A little help here, please."  Apparently, I'm a wuss, but here's a link to the paddling trail for the Outer Banks (http://www.nps.gov/calo/planyourvisit/upload/OuterBanksScenicByway_DownEastPaddleTrails_06-2014_web.pdf)

The First Mate has been whining about the possibility of sand getting back onto the boat, so the Captain reinstalls the stern step shower with a spare piece of hose and a spare nozzle, then makes stir fry from leftovers in the fridge.  He's awesome that way!  After dinner (we had to wait for the cat to wake up to turn on the second water valve.  It's under her "bunk") I washed my hair in the cockpit with the new stern shower.  Awesome.  Clean up is--hose down/overboard where you were standing.  (Captain approves of low water use.  The water pump didn't even turn on.)

Day 3 Cape Lookout:  It rained hard over night.  The Captain's morning was 1)  stove ran out of propane while I was making coffee.  Change propane tank (11 lb tank lasted 2 months!)  2)  Dinghy full of water & "and the aux fuel tank is floating upside down!"  Bail out dinghy.  3)  Have a cup of coffee.

Captain reading on the trampoline while anchored at Cape Lookout

Sun is out.  The two other sailboats leave, so we have the place to ourselves (besides the fishing boats, jet skis and occasional pass by the Coast Guard or Navy helicopter).  The Captain sets up the jack lines (so you can clip your harness onto something if you need to go on deck underway).  Thirty minutes later, he trips on the jack line running across the back of the cockpit on the way to the dinghy.  Glad we set that up a couple days in advance!  The Captain digs out some snorkel gear, but with the current only makes one lap around the boat before he says,  "Hand me the soap."  The Captains first stern shower.  We're cruisers now!  Speaking of that, pillows are airing out on deck.  Underwear hanging from life lines.

Later, a Navy helicopter circles over the island several times so we turn the VHF radio to channel 16 to see what's going on!  Credit card company calls to confirm that we didn't join the online website postmates.com.  No.  (Real world crashing in on our carefree lifestyle.)

A Gemini catamaran comes in and anchors on the other side of the bight.  HI!

Cape Lookout to Morehead City:  The weather window keeps sliding back, so the Captain elects to head into Morehead City to provision (we're out of cookies & low on rum).  We find a marina for $1.50/ft and close to the WalMart SuperCenter, West Marine, PetSmart and Dicks.  Score!  We only have a short distance to cover, so after getting a hold of the marina, we casually pull up the anchor at 9:00 am with the First Mate at the helm.  As we clear the bight the genoa is unfurled ("Channel in sight"  Dang it!) and we motor sail for an hour before entering the channel.  Several small pods of dolphins make brief appearances and we are passed by numerous sport fishers heading in and out.  We reach the narrow channel into the marina and dock with little fanfare.  (We are informed a weeklong marlin tournament with a $1 million purse starts on Monday with a $15,000 entry fee.  Gonna need a fishing pole.)  Backpacks are immediately deployed for errands.  Amelia gives Dad her list before we head to PetSmart ("more greenies please, cat food in broth and more litter!"), a quick stop at West Marine (dock line is on sale and it turns out 70 ft of line is heavy!), a quick stop at Dick's for a few more Nalgene bottles and then lunch at the Mexican restaurant.  Backpacks are full, so we pass the grocery store and head back to the boat for naps.  (Greenies are served and litter pan is changed).  Back to WalMart for round 1.  Captain has cookies for dinner with grapefuit juice & vodka (because we're still out of rum!)  We discuss a new way to attach the fender to the boat (First Mate masters a clove hitch) and then the decorative chain sinnet (so we can look cool!)  Showers with unlimited hot water and hot and a Big Bang Theory marathon.  Nice.  Bonus--it was a cool evening with a breeze.  Perfect for sleeping.

Sailboat stumbles into a sportfish marina

Stats:  Total time 3:01, Total mileage 16.7 nm, avg speed 5.5 kts

First Mate learns the decorative sinnet knot for our docklines
http://youtu.be/w1CNRzZ4aI0

I make an early run to the WalMart SuperCenter for another grocery run (lots of organic and gluten-free).  I overshop, but manage to load my backpack and two light plastic bags for the walk back.  The Captain headed to Dick's (for a backpack, because I'm not sharing anymore) and the liquor store (seriously, love NC.  Hate ABC.  Husband can drink a 24-pack, but a bottle of rum is a separate trip).  He calls because he forgot the map.  I score my first ride back to the marina.  At the stop light, someone stops and says, "Are you going to the marina?"  YES.  Nice guy.  Lives 3 houses down from the marina.  Husband returns with two large bottles of Cruzan (good job, Captain).  Then returns to WalMart for an 8-pack of ginger ale (turns out it doesn't list ginger as an ingredient!) & lunch meat.  I made another batch of simple syrup (for coffee & Hemingways), a "pitcher" of Hemingways in the new Nalgene bottle, and cold orzo Med pasta with homemade greek salad dressing for dinner.  I've got the departure checklist started, so when when Captain returned and filled the water tanks, we are ready to go.  It's a short motor to our next anchorage--positioning for our offshore hop.  However, it's Saturday and the amount of power boats is awe inspiring.  We are constantly waked, some actually heading towards us, then turning away away at the last minute and waving.  This is our house.  Not our idea of fun!  We anchor next to the Coast Guard Station at Fort Macon.  We count no less than 19 sport fishers entering the inlet at one time.  It's our roughest anchorage yet (Yep, worse than Fort Monroe.  Captain has a theory about anchoring at forts!)  Things were on the floor that have never been on the floor before.

What is a sportfish?  They come in all sizes!

Stats:  Total time 1:15, total mileage 6.5 nm, avg speed 5.3

Beaufort, NC (sigh)

Adams Creek/ICW

Oriental to Beaufort:  First Mate is a little slow this morning.  After a quick shower and smoothies for breakfast we head out at 8:00 am with Bill throwing us lines.  (We'll be keeping in touch and surely run into him next winter in the Bahamas.)  It's a little warm without much breeze this morning and the sun in shining in on my side of the boat. We crossed the Neuse river and rejoined the ICW southbound as we entered Adams Creek, another wide beautiful section of the ICW.  The parade of boats begins as we pass 6 headed northbound including a Lagoon catamaran, a schooner and black trawler with wood trim.  I whine about not seeing any dolphins and three appear, including a baby!

Barge traffic on the canal

We enter the canal and find this section has been more developed.  There are several large marinas as we exit and are greeted by a few more dolphins spouting.  Again, we forgot it's Sunday so we're waked by power boats as we near Beaufort.

Beaufort Bridge to the right and commercial shrimping fleet on the left

First impressions of Beaufort are not good.  We pull into Taylor Creek, running along the downtown area and see a line of sailboats.  We motor by to check it out, and decided to go back and drop in line with 3 monohulls.  We're squeamish about tight anchorages, but we are both happy with our spacing.  The only concern in swinging towards the beach.  We know we draw less than the other 3 boats, and worst case, we're on sand and wait for tide to come back up (we've actually anchored at low tide).  As I head down below to open hatches, the Captain is greeted by the Captain of Mambo, the Beaufort-based monohull off our bow, who said, "I'm on a mooring ball, and you are going to swing into me when the current switches in an hour.  The guy behind you is anchored and broken down."  So basically, move.  (And he's not on a mooring ball--I got a pic after his boat swung that shows his anchor chain running under the mooring ball).  The Captain smiles and says, "we're staying on the boat.  We won't hit you."  We're not ones to promote more rules, but apparently local liveaboards and/or derelict boats drop private mooring balls out here, with no authorization, and then tell you to move because they're moored.  Why wouldn't the city do something?  Because when transients give up on anchoring, they go to the marina and pay an average of $3/ft (the highest we've seen in NC).  It's also a Sunday--our bad.   We're even waked by the National Park Service ferry.  (OH, and the current didn't change in an hour.  He left in his dinghy which was a fishing skiff, so I guess he wasn't too worried.) 

Stats:  Total time 4:21, Total mileage 21.7 nm, Avg speed 5.0 kts, motored the whole way

A group of 3 dolphins visited in the evening. And we're underneath the departure path for the airport, so that's entertaining. 

You'll have to zoom in to see the wild horse on the island/Rachel Carson Reserve

Day 2:  OUR TWO MONTH ANNIVERSARY ON THE BOAT!  

I got up early and took my coffee outside hoping to see dolphins or wild ponies on the Rachel Carson wildlife reserve.  I'm greeted by no-see-ums so I retreat inside.  The Captain goes out and say, "pony!"  Dang it!  We started the morning with a walk/reconnaissance through town.  A quick stop at the local grocery reveals honey, Bahamian ginger ale, jelly belly cinnamon bears and a decent wine selection--except their cooler is broken--actually the opposite--it's heating things!   (So no, they don't have any ice!)  We retreat to the boat for awhile and return to a better dinghy dock for lunch, the maritime museum, swing through the bookstore for a Bahama chart/guidebook and then the dock masters office for a block of ice (which was a boater's wild goose chase--Captain said "upstairs", ice cream store said across the street before we finally found it below the coffee shop we'd passed 5 times--and not across the street.)

Sunday Money, formerly owned by Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Beaufort is full of characters. The people/boat watching has been much more entertaining on a Monday. We've watched 6 megayachts come in including the 102 ft Sunday Money (built for Dale Earnhardt Sr) and the 96 ft Hideout, and the winner--130 ft Black Sheep from Bloody Bay also working their way north (just watching the crews clean the boat for 4 hours looks exhausting).  The National Parks ferries, local ferries, HUGE sportfishing boats, sailboats off the ICW (including a Manta 42 catamaran), kayaks, little sailing dinghies and a little barge with a crane, similar to Discovery's "Bering Sea Gold."  "You should have taken a picture of that!"  Overheard in the cockpit, "No, not the big pirate ship in the channel.  The little pirate ship turning into the marina."

Hideout

Black Sheep hailing from Bloody Bay!

After dinner (grilled chicken & mashed potatoes) we went for a walk on on the Rachel Carson wildlife refuge.  Do you know who she is?  You should.  Because of her work, and her book Silent Spring, DDT was banned and the EPA was formed.  The First Mate went for her first swim off the stern (after wading out to the dinghy after out walk and determining the water was warm and the clearest yet.  We can see our keel).

If you looked one way, you saw downtown Beaufort.  If you looked the other way, you could see the Rachel Carson wildlife refuge beach.

(A new saying was added to our list.  "At least we're not in Beaufort!")

A week at the dock to do projects

Our home for the week in Oriental.  Whittaker Pointe Marina off the Neuse River (Odin is the far left mast)

Oriental is a mail and maintenance stop.  The mailbox in St. Louis is full and it's our first West Marine in a month!  We have a minor repair to do where the anchor roller/forestay chainplate & port bow hull meet, so we've also situated ourselves next to several maintenance facilities in case the Captain needs some fabrication help (he couldn't fit the metal press and welder on the boat, but he wanted to!) 

While sitting on the trampoline one evening, the Captain noticed the port bow chainplate was pulling up on the fiberglass hull.  He tightened everything down, but wanted to take off the chainplate for further inspection.  As soon as we docked in Oriental, the work begins  (Warning:  lots of boat terms but lots of pics!)

Area of concern:  port (left) bow under anchor

Closer pic of the metal plate attached to the fiberglass hull (holds the weight of the anchor and  attached to the forestay--that helps hold the mast up)

Day 2:  The Dock Master is out of town so Bill is filling in.  He's a liveaboard (for the last 18 years), that spends the winters in the Bahamas.  The next morning, while we are checking in, he gives us lots of advice of the next part of our trip.  I spend the holiday Monday watching a few more people run aground right next to us, in the narrow channel.  Morning chores for me are showers and laundry.  The Captain has already started taking things apart, so we borrow the car for the trip into West Marine and the grocery store.  As we pull back into the marina, we see the Nautitech "Misto" from Ocracoke come through the channel and dock at Deatons.  Since we are staying a week, they move us off the transient T-head into a regular slip.  This puts us closer to the clubhouse, but also situates us so we have the prevailing wind off the river blowing through the hatches and the cockpit.  Perfect!

Tool explosion!

Amelia took a nap. 

After the chainplate is removed

I was hoping to see a lot of marine life and we've seen a few dolphins and quite a few fish.  However, the birds of NC have been a delight.  We've seen a bald eagle heading back to his nest.  The geese that flew so low over my head while I was kayaking, that I could hear the airflow over their wings.  The hawk that did a low fly by while we were anchored out.  The pelicans that swooped down over the sound and rode the cushion of air, then flap their wings with the tips in the water as they rise back up--only to do a kamakaze/cannonball dive on a fish.  Yep, the pelicans are hysterical.  Their bodies are full of expression.  The sea gulls that line up on the pilings of a marina, all facing into the wind.  The little sparrow ("Tweety") that came and sat on our dock line and chattered away every afternoon.  (The Captain is not a fan of the sea gulls that started squawking at 5:00 am in the morning--we aren't in Kansas anymore!)

Look at the right side, where the fiberglass was damaged at the screw holes

Day 3:  The work on the port bow continues.  I take care of some paperwork.  Another sailboat runs aground.  In the time it takes me to defrost the fridge (yep, I've never done that before.  I googled it just in case--take food out & put in cooler, turn fridge breaker off, prop door open.  Got it.),  the Captain pulls the port engine for routine maintenance.  I'm called out because, "You're gonna want a picture of this!  Hand me the service manual."

Reinforcing the fiberglass begins

Lifting the port engine out of the well

Ssshhh!  He's reading the manual!

In the afternoon heat, we don't have any cold drinks (see above), so we head out for lunch (and a stop at West Marine) and stumble into the Silo.  I usually avoid Italian restaurants since I'm a celiac, but I'm surprised to learn they have an EXCELLENT gluten-free pizza crust--and it's buy a second pizza for $3 day!  Score!  We stop at the hardware store on the way back (sometimes they also have an excellent selection of marine products) and I throw another bottle of bug spray in the pile.  "Do we have to buy bug spray at every store we go to?"  Yep.  

The pile of power tools in the cockpit and on trampoline resulted in another cruiser stopping by to ask for help with his windlass.  It's our second 80+ degree day, and the Captain decides to start the a/c.  "Yeah, that's not working anymore."  Pump quit.  Put it on the list.  Luckily the afternoon breeze makes it comfortable in the cockpit or under a hatch.  Amelia & I took a nap.

Day 4:  Port bow.  Port engine.  West Marine.  Repeat.  

Black bean salad for lunch (with an avocado donated by Joan from Compass Rose)

Finishing the port bow fiberglassing

After approximately 20 layers of fiberglass were applied, the port bow repair was completed when the anchor plate (not damaged--good news!) and anchor were reinstalled.  (A few more tools went in the water but retrieved with the giant magnet.)  This turned out to be the easier project, and went well.  The Yamaha engine, however, turned into a debacle that will haunt the Captain for quite awhile.  He pulled it to do some lower end preventive maintenance, but the lower end wouldn't come off (apparently quite common on Yamaha's used in salt water).  He had 3 choices 1) replace the engine 2) replace the lower end after buying a bigger hammer 3) put it back in the water and wait for engine's natural demise.  After banging on it with a hammer all day, he let it sit (actually hang) overnight and decided, after changing the upper and lower oil, to reinstall as is.   He's still "thinking about it."

A new transient (Ken) stops and asks us if "we are really from St. Louis?" because he's from O'Fallon, MO!  No way!  He's moving their Catalina 36 (Good Winds) from PA to GA by himself.  Wow.  He shares some more routing info (including Cape Lookout), since he is also headed southbound!

Bill invited us to join him at Silo's Restaurant for open mike night.  What a treat!  There is an amazing amount of local talent in this small sailing town.  (I even saw the Captain tapping his feet and singing along.)  I was in awe.  We will be consulting Bill on a regular basis for more bars/musical venues as we head down the coast.

Oriental Day 5:  I went to breakfast with a fellow female sailor I met through a sailing forum.  She introduces me to her friends, we take a walk through town and I got a tour of her Dickinson 41 currently under renovation.  Beautiful.  She sends me off with an arm load of fresh herbs from her garden. Our forwarded mail shows up.  The  Captain takes another look at the air conditioning (the main unit is UNDER the anchor chain locker).  Yep, it's still broke.  And in the process, he discovers the wooden floor of the anchor locker needs to be reinforced.  Good times.  We go back to West Marine to pick up our order which includes a new offshore life vest for me (we couldn't get a recharge kit for my life vest, so we'll have to order it later) and lots of spare pumps (it turns out everything on a boat is run by a pump).

Day 6:  The Captain replaces the recently failed deck wash-down pump (makes rinsing off the anchor & chain SO much faster!)  He does a minor fiberglass repair on the aft starboard step.  The sim card for our Iridium sat communicator shows up, so I waste a couple hours trying to get that set up.  In the evening, we headed back to the Silo's to listen to George Bailey play on the outdoor stage behind the restaurant (The Red Rooster).  They had an outdoor bar (with gf cider!) and another gf pizza was ordered.  We were greeted at the boat by an unhappy, glaring cat who doesn't like us wandering away in the evenings--apparently.

Day 7:  The Captain does a few chores (clean refrigerator filter, add water to batteries, refill water tanks, refilled fuel tank) before we dash off on a few last minute errands. The Inland Provisioning Co in downtown Oriental turns out to be an excellent stop.  We bought 5 yards of marine grade sun-cloth for $75, and using a snap kit the previous owner left us and the old snap holes from when the boat had a canvas bimini, the Captain had a sun shade across the back of the boat in less than an hour.  Cherry Garcia smoothies for lunch (1 banana, frozen cherries, 1 c milk--preferably coconut, 1 Tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa, 1 scoop protein powder, sweetener, optional--but you may not need it!)

A fully-shaded cockpit and some privacy.  Very nice job, Captain!