Going South Annapolis, MD to Palm Beach, FL
Sailing In The Rain Sailing isn’t all pretty sunsets. This is what the cockpit looks like in rain at sea. Karen and Charlie are suffering bravely through it as they sail south through the Chesapeake bay in October, 2003.
Aground This is actually only one of a dozen groundings we had on our way south. However, it was one of our first and most graphic efforts. Due to a misunderstanding in helm orders we turned before we should have when maneuvering into Barefoot Landing in Myrtle Beach. This was the result. What you can’t see from this picture is that Barefoot Landing, one of the largest shopping centers in Myrtle Beach, is just behind the photographer. When we screw up, we do it where everyone can see.
On The Hard Hague Marine, Myrtle Beach, SC. This is what a boat looks like when it’s beached like a dead whale. If Karen looks distressed, she was, as were we all. Fortunately, we only have to do this sort of thing every 2-3 years.
Rust NEVER Sleeps SEABIRD is a steel boat. Steel rusts. One of the solutions is to paint the steel surface with a good paint. We use an epoxy that sticks like the devil but is also VERY toxic. Here is Karen getting ready for one of the nastiest jobs during our haul-out: Repainting the chain locker. Since the chain brings in lots of salt water and filth whenever the anchor is raised, this location is a prime refuge for rust. So, one hot day, Karen put on all her protective gear and curled into this tight space with a pot of toxic paint. She did a great job, we have had no rust there since. Karen, THANK YOU!
Bob At His Computer Computers are great but tough to keep running. Here I do the best I can to keep mine up. The printer took too much power and had to go.
Karen Can Sew! Here she is making a sheet sleeping bag. She has also made lee cloths for the settee bunks. Unfortunately, we don’t have AC power on the boat so she has to suspend the sewing efforts. Next time we are settled, though, we are all expecting great things…
Karen Feeds The Crew This is a very important event for the crew. Notice that the engine is visible. It was covered with a heavy plywood plate which made the ladder hard to remove. We decided to do away with the partition and have not regretted it. After all, this is a boat, right? So, hey Martha Stewart, get used to seeing the engine…
Life Is A Beach OK, our retrofit at Myrtle Beach was not all work. Hey, we all have to have fun, right?
Where We Sleep The V-Berth is our bedroom at anchor. Here our daughter, Jodi, hangs out during a visit.
Another Dirty Job Grinding off old bottom paint is one of the nasty jobs. A really nasty job. Here Karen is attacking it. The mask, goggles, and face mask are necessary as the old paint is almost as toxic as the new stuff.
Finally Back To The Water The big day: Going back into the water. Yes, this funny ugly wheeled thing will pick up my lovely boat, swing it through the air, and place it back into the water. The idea alone makes my stomach hurt. My poor boat…
Back Home Seabird back in her element.
Spike Tries To Get Petie To Jump No, he didn’t jump, though he and Spike both fell into the water several times. Thank goodness they can both swim and the shore was close.
First Test Run The first run after our retrofit: everything went well.
The Life Our first test run with me at the helm. Ah, this is the life.
Spike’s Last Boat Ride We didn’t realize it as Karen rowed Mr. Murphy and the dogs in to shore at Georgetown, SC, but this was Spike’s last boat ride. Several hours later, as she was walking the dogs back to the dingy, Spike died under the wheels of a local car. Yes, if it looks cold here, it was. We just finished, with Dwight Murphy’s help, in bringing the boat down from Myrtle Beach along the ICW. A front had just passed through the day before and it was cold and very windy. Thank you for the help, Dwight, we really appreciated it.
Empty Spaces There really are some wide-open spaces still left along the ICW. This is an anchorage we stayed at for almost a week. The picture is not exaggerated, we could only see a few house lights in one direction. Otherwise, what you see is what was really there: solitude. The picture was taken in the Awendon Creek, SC, about a day south of Georgetown, SC.