Norfolk, Portsmouth, bottom paint and gone.

Norfolk is a very nice city; at least the parts of downtown Norfolk I walked through seemed to be.  There is a mix of new and old buildings, mostly new, and everything seems very well maintained.  I stayed at Waterside Marina for two nights before moving across the river to Ocean Marine Yacht Center.  I have no idea why this marina is not completely full all the time.  The price is fair.  The docks are well maintained. The staff could not be more helpful and friendly.  Yet, it seems like the place is always almost completely empty.  Perhaps folks don’t like the noise of the environs.  The marina is right on the public park and plaza where there are at least two restaurants and nightclubs that stay open late, as well as a hotel and shopping mall.  It is also right across the river from a large ship yard where there are at least 6 large navy ships having work done 24 hours a day.  Yes, there is a lot of noise there, but it’s what is referred to as “white noise”, meaning it’s in the background and if you focus on something else, you tune out the sounds.  Nevertheless, there is plenty of activity around this particular marina.  I guess it doesn’t help that there are two places on the other side of the river (in Portsmouth) where travelers can tie up for free.  However, there you will find no power or water, and there is absolutely no security of any kind.  In fact, one of the cruising guides recommends that you not leave your boat unattended.  There is also a decent anchorage in the heart of it all.   I enjoyed my time at Waterside.  I was able to take off and walk wherever and whenever I wanted without concern and the noise didn’t bother me at all.

After two days, however, it was time to leave.  I had an appointment with the folks at Ocean Marine Yacht Center for bottom paint.  No, not for me, for the boat!  I scheduled an 8:30 a.m. haul out so I left Waterside at around 7:45.  This gave me plenty of time.  When I got over there, however, I called and they told me I could tie up on the long face dock and wait because they were using the travel lift to move another boat in the yard.  No problem.  They had someone meet me out on the dock to help.  It was pretty breezy and it would have been very cumbersome to try to dock this boat by myself, especially with the wind blowing me away from the dock and the river current working against me as well.  I did not have to wait more than half an hour before they called me and told me to make my way over to the lift.  Ocean Marine Yacht Center has the ability to lift boats in excess of 200 feet out of the water and place them in a huge warehouse.  They do this on a special platform that drops down into the river more than 40 feet.  Prior to lowering this platform, however, there are a series of small steel platforms that move on rails that are fitted with the makings of a wooden cradle on which the boat will be secured before being lifted out of the water.  This process involves divers and a lot of pre-planning by both the yard and the boat’s owner.  While I did not get to witness such a lift take place, it was interesting taking a look at the hardware involved and listening to Steve, the yard manager, describe the process.

 

To lift our little boat out of the water, however, all I had to do was drive the boat into this narrow opening in the sea wall and into the waiting slings.  The operator was in the crane watching and waiting until the boat was in the right spot, then he would lift the front slings which basically stopped the boat where he wanted it.  Then he could adjust the position of the rear sling to where he wanted that one to be.  Ultimately, with a little nudging here and a little nudging there, the boat was properly supported and was lifted up out of the water with me in it.  The operator stops when the bow of the boat is even with the yard, and another guy puts a ramp across to the front of my boat so I could get off.  Pretty slick operation if I do say so myself.  Fortunately, I am no expert given I spend so little time in boat yards.  Then, they temporarily block the boat on a concrete pad and pressure wash the bottom.  Having sat in the Pasquatank River for a year, Abreojos’s bottom was stained black.  There were no critters attached nor any obnoxious plant life either.  The prop, shaft and rudder all looked to be in fine condition, al beit stained black.  However, the nasty tanic blackness of the Pasquatank River was no match for two yard hogs and a pressure washer.  Within minutes, all that nasty stain was just about completely removed and I could see the underlying paint my friends at Anchors Way Boat Yard in Oxnard put on in January of 2010.  I was very impressed with how well that paint job held up over the last three and a half years and almost 10,000 miles in everything from Atlantic ocean water to Mississippi River drainage canals, the Great Lakes, and the Gulf.  The paint had really been tried and tested and held up wonderfully.  I could have probably held off another year, but given that the price was so reasonable in Virginia compared to California, I decided to get it done.  I’m sure it will last a long time.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, due to OSHA rules, OMYC would not let me stay on the boat while it was in the yard.  So, I took a room at the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Portsmouth.  It was very nice and it was AIR CONDITIONED!  It was hot the last three days in Portsmouth.  And it was humid.  It takes some time to acclimate.  This was not like “out in the country” hot and humid.  This was “in the city/concrete jungle” hot and humid, which I can tell you is a whole different kind of miserable.  Brenda and I explored Portsmouth the first time we passed through this neck of the woods so I was not necessarily compelled to go running around trying to figure this place out.  I was content to merely remain in my room where it was nice and cool and enjoy the pool.  I managed to read a couple books and otherwise relaxed.

Last year, Brenda and I spent three months working at a marina in Deltaville.  We made a lot of great friends.  I told you about my friend Jerry who was kind enough to go out of his way to fetch me at Norfolk Airport and deliver me to Abreojos.  Well, while in Portsmouth, my friend Robert visited.  Robert and I worked together at the marina and had many opportunities to fine tune what can only be described as a very special friendship.  Imagine landing in a place and meeting someone with whom getting along is effortless and with whom interesting and often intriguing conversation is so simple and readily available.  I figure the chances of landing in a strange place and leaving a few months later with a lifelong friend are not real strong.  But it happened.  We met others in Deltaville who will be lifelong friends and it’s a shame I did not get to see more of them while passing through.  But again, I am just passing through. I’m sure some of our paths will cross again somewhere, somehow, sometime.

So, this morning, just as the sun was starting to come up, I fired up the engine and started heading north.  It was a great ride out of Norfolk.  I had an outgoing tide and saw speeds of 10.3 knots using very little throttle.  The sunrise was beautiful and then, it’s always exciting to be heading out onto the Chesapeake Bay.  Those wonderful and effortless speeds were short-lived, however, and as soon as I turned left and started north on the bay, I slowed down dramatically.  I was fighting the tide until almost 4:00 in the afternoon as I approached the mouth of the Great Wicomico River.  The wind had picked up as well and was certainly blowing the better part of 15-20 knots.  But, it was behind me so no big deal.  I’m anchored for the night at a place called Sandy Point on the Great Wicomico River.  This place provides great protection from the southerly winds but is a bit “rolly” since the wind chop is blowing in around the corner.  The wind will settle down with the sun, however, and I’m confident  I will be able to make myself a nice dinner and catch a movie and turn in early.  I am going to push another 70+ miles tomorrow in similar conditions to pick up my friend Brian who is flying in from California to Baltimore and then to Annapolis, to make some of this trip with me.  Brian is an excellent waterman so I’m sure he’ll fall right into the routine of east coast cruising which I understand is something he is not familiar with.  This will be especially true when we get up onto the Hudson River and into the Erie Canal.

Call me strange, but every time I think of the Erie Canal, it reminds me of a spooky/eerie joke my friend Dave posted the other day:  What did the ghost say to the honey bees?  Booo Bees!   Ah ha ha ha! 

I’ll leave you with that and catch up some more soon.

Out

In Portsmouth awaiting haul out

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY FROM NORFOLK, VIRGINIA
THE BATTLESHIP WISCONSIN
 

I left Camden early yesterday(around 0615) en route to Norfolk/Portsmouth, Virginia where Abreojos will be hauled out for bottom maintenance.  She hasn't had new bottom pain in about 3 years so it is time.  The last time I was under the boat, the paint looked good but was getting thin and there was little to no paint on the bottom of the keel.  We have the Atlantic ICW and some rather shallow spots in Georgia and South Carolina to thank for that.  Every now and then running the keel across some shallow bar is to be anticipated, but it doesn't help the condition of the paint on the keel, that's for sure.

The weather yesterday was absolutely spectacular.  There was not a cloud in the sky and a light breeze.  The temperature was a comfortable 68 degrees and the bugs were minimal.  I have transited the Dismal Swamp Canal 4 times now, and this time was the best yet.  It certainly seemed to go quickly and I was actually tied up by 1500.

The Dismal Swamp Canal is one of two alternate routes along the Atlantic ICW between Chesapeake Bay and Albemarle Sound.  Though it was built more than 200 years ago, today it is operated and maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers.  When it was built, it's purpose was commerce.  Why is it called "Dismal"?  Colonel William Byrd II of Virginia was the first to propose taking advantage of a channel to connect Albemarle Sound and the Elizabeth River.  He took an expedition party out to survey the area and found the swamp, the dense forest, and the thick undergrowth quite repulsive.  It is for this reason that "Dismal" was added to the name. 

Construction of the canal started in 1793.   Digging took place at both ends.  The canal was dug by hand, mostly by slaves hired from nearby landowners.  Of interesting note is the fact that, during the construction of the canal, the slaves became so familiar with the swamp that it eventually became a haven for runaways.  The cost of digging the canal became so prohibitive, however, that in 1796, the company building the canal stopped and decided to build a road to connect the two disparate canal sections.  Ultimately, it was finally completed in 1805.

In the beginning, the canal was so shallow that it was only useful for flat boats and long rafts.  It was considered a far cry from what material merchantmen envisioned as a trade route.  Moreover, over the years, Byrd's company stopped maintaining it and it fell into disrepair, and water levels tended to fluctuate radically.   Now, there are two locks, the South Mills Lock and the Deep Creek Lock that maintain the water depth at approximately 6 feet.

Those of you who know me know that, I love Edgar Allen Poe.  As it turns out, there was a hotel built near the North Carolina-Virginia line called the Halfway House Hotel.  It was constructed in the late 1820's.  This hotel was a popular spot for marriage duels and those escaping justice.  Since the hotel was on the state line, all one had to do was walk to the other side of the hotel to avoid being captured in either state.  Notably, however, as it pertains to Mr. Poe, it is said that he wrote "The Raven" during one of his stays there. 

Today, the Dismal Swamp Canal is the oldest operating artificial waterway in the United States.  Although I have been through it 4 times, it never looks the same.  Imagine water as slick as glass, and as dark as a moonless night; trees of many variety and every shade of green.  It is so well protected that the water remains mirror like even when the wind is blowing elsewhere.  As such, the reflection of the banks and the sky completely obliterate definitional lines such as the banks.  I often refer to my radar to see where I am positioned in the canal.  It is not deep, that's for sure.  Although they say the ACOE maintains it at 6 feet, I didn't actually see less than 7 feet anywhere.  And although bumping something sticking up from the bottom, floating, or healing in from the banks is generally par for the course, I only bumped one time (compared to the 6 times we bumped things the last time through.)

Locking through single handed was interesting, but easy, thanks to the help and understanding of the lock operators.  As I approached the inside wall, they used a boat hook to grab my forward spring line before stepping aft and helping secure a stern line.  Then, I would take each line in hand and control them both from the gunwale amidships.  It was a very easy run.  All systems worked well.

ABREOJOS AT THE DOCK AT WATERSIDE MARINA, NORFOLK, VA.

So, when I got to Portsmouth/Norfolk, I considered several options and decided for various reasons to stay at Waterside Marina.  It is very convenient to just about everything and is across the water from where I am going tomorrow morning for haul out.  I took a long walk this morning and enjoyed downtown Norfolk.  It's a beautiful day today, so I think I'll relax with a book and plan to get out early tomorrow to go to the yard.

So far, so good.

Bye now.

I've done all I can to prepare to leave on the long journey home.

Day 2

Today was a hell of a day.  I got a lot done.  It’s pretty hard work in the humid swamp-like conditions here in Camden.

I am still acclimating to the time change.  I think I have it backwards, however.  I should be up later being used to west coast time.  However, I find myself napping in the late afternoon and then staying up until midnight or so.  What I have to do is figure out a way to skip the nap.  Tough words under the circumstances.

I managed to wake up in the middle of the night.  No problem.  I was actually able to tick a few items off the five page list of things to do.  I went back to sleep for a while, however, because I was tired.  That’s one of the nice things about cruising.  You wake up when you wake up and you go to sleep when you feel like sleeping.  I stayed in bed until almost 0800 this morning.  Funny.  I felt like I overslept.  I have things to do and, as they say, you can sleep when you’re dead.  So I hopped out of my bunk and got right to it…..again.

I spent five hours today scrubbing a year’s worth of crud off the boat.  There was actually a plant growing in the port side scupper.  I eliminated at least 6 wasp mud nests, tossed overboard a bunch of spiders, and generally rid the vessel of grime.  Everything I touched with a brush I did twice.  five hours later and gallons of sweat eliminated, the old girl is finally presentable again.  After I finished washing the boat, I re-installed all those little things that made sense for a long time such as the grill and its propane tank, pumped up the dinghy, unfurled the American flag, put a burgee up on the bow, put the carpet back on the back deck, etc, etc, etc.  I even went to the store and picked up some additional and much needed provisions.  Then, I took a nap.

After napping for a couple hours, it was time to move on down the list – fuel system.  I always hate changing the fuel filters.  Generally, it’s a messy job.  I have lots of knicks on my fingers and the diesel fuel doesn’t help.  Moreover, I tend to go through rolls and rolls of paper towels.  The process went well and the fuel system was serviced.  On to the cooling system.

Here, I had a slight problem.  I managed to crack the cap on the expansion tank.  It’s like a radiator cap.  Well. It was kinda stuck and I kinda had to use some of that brute strength I have a reputation for.  I’m not sure there was any avoiding it, but there it is.  My goal is to go out tomorrow early and find a replacement.  If that doesn’t work, I know who to contact and I’ll have it sent to me overnight. 

Tomorrow, the oil and filters will be changed on both the main engine and the generator.  I figured out how I am going to get rid of the old oil, so that is taken care of.  Again, as I have said before, I am peeling off layers of anxiety one at a time.  So far, so good. Well,  except for that damn cap.  There is a courtesy car here I can use, so it’s not that big a deal.

Little by little this old girl is starting to look pretty good again.  There is no doubt she could use a total paint job, and doubtless I shall likely be contracting with my friend Tim to completely refurbish the bright-work.  Right now, however, she looks presentable.  Most important, however, all the mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems seems to be working.

Day 3

It was a rather frustrating day.  I feel like I did not get that much done.  Priority one was to try to find a replacement cap for the expansion tank.  I hit the road early this morning and drove over to a Napa store in Elizabeth City.  Of course they did not have the part I needed.  So, I went on doing some additional provisioning.

When I got back to the boat, I started looking on line for a Perkins parts supplier.  I knew who to call on the west coast, but I needed someone on the east coast who would be open at east coast time.  I found a great one located in Tennessee.  I spoke with a dude named Pat.  He was very helpful.  Of course he had the part I needed and was prepared to send it to me overnight.  Unfortunately, he called me back and advised that neither UPS nor FedEX deliver to this area on Saturdays.  This meant I would have to wait until Tuesday before I could leave.  While I am certainly enjoying myself here, I am ready to start knocking some miles off this delivery. 

This guy I talked to on the phone was great.  He called me back again and told me that he had a distributor in Virginia who, although she did not have the part, was able to provide a cross-reference number for a Napa part.  Funny how the guy at Napa said they didn’t have one.  So, I called Napa again, only this time I was equipped with a part number.  The nice gal I spoke to on the phone would be able to have it by 0900 Saturday.  Hope at last. 

Later in the afternoon, the owner of the marina brought the fuel truck over and I took on around 113 gallons.  I was surprised at how little I took.  Based on my calculations, I expected to take more.  I’m not complaining since, thus far, I over budgeted for fuel.  Full of fuel, I reset the trip odometer and notated the log. 

For the rest of the day I did other projects trying to keep my mind off the possibility I would be stuck here until Tuesday.  I got all the remaining filters changed and serviced the transmission.  The running lights and anchor light seem to work fine as did the inverter and this parallel electrical system.  Dinner was a drag and I got to bed early.

Day 4

I woke up this morning full of hope.  I said to myself, “Today is going to be a good day.  Something good is going to happen.”  Well, I was right.  I was at Napa’s door at 0900 and, lo and behold, my part had arrived.  I brought the old one with me for sake of comparison.  It sure looked similar and the spring felt right.  But, would it actually fit?

After making a couple more provisioning stops, I ran back to the boat, went into the engine room, and tried the cap on for size.  Perfect fit.  So, I was able to fill the coolant basin and close the system with no leaks.  Now, I could start the boat to get the engine prepared for an oil change.

It’s always nerve wracking starting an older engine, but this time I was pleasantly surprised.  I turned the key and pushed the button and the engine roared to life.  She sounded very good and there was great water flow.  I ran it long enough to bring her up to operating temperature and then shut her down.  The oil change went seamlessly – nary a drop spilled, and, because the temperature dropped so significantly overnight, I hardly broke a sweat even in a heated engine room.

After cleaning up and putting all the tools and other stuff away, I determined that I had completed all the tasks to prepare the boat.  There is nothing overlooked; nothing within my control or ability, that is.  I am ready to leave Camden tomorrow morning.  I expect to make Portsmouth late in the day.  I’m not certain where I am going to stay.  I have charted three possibilities so I have all my bases covered.  Tuesday morning, I will move the boat to Ocean Marine Yachting Center to haul out for bottom paint.

In the interim, I have had a nice time in Camden.  Larry Lamb is a very nice man and is very generous and helpful.  I also had the pleasure of spending some time with a friend Brenda and I met nearly 2 years ago under a bridge in Hampton, VA.  My favorite Brit, Arnold, aka “Captain Parky” has been bouncing around North Carolina and Virginia for a few years now.  He spends quite a bit of time at Lamb’s Marina.  I cannot possibly describe the conversations we have, but they are spirited and very enjoyable.  I’m leaving Lambs tomorrow morning and I can’t help but wonder if I will ever see my friend Arnold again.   Wherever your vessel takes you, Arnold, we’ll always remember and appreciate you.  Here’s wishing you fair winds and following seas.

Tomorrow, up the Dismal Swamp Canal……again, and then Portsmouth.  The part I ordered from the Perkins supplier will catch up with me, thanks to Arnold who will catch the delivery and forward it.

Later.

THE ADVENTURE CONTINUES......FINALLY ANOTHER BLOG POST.

So, where do I begin?  Actually, I really don't need to bein as this is a continuation of the blog, The Adventures of M/V Abreojos; only this time, the focus is on the new second part of the title, "The Adventure Continues.  On December 29, 2011, Brenda and I completed a nearly 10,000 nautical mile journey around America’s Great Loop.  The journey involved travelling on a variety of different waterways to accomplish a circumnavigation of the eastern half of the United States including, but not limited to, the Gulf Coast Intercoastal Waterway, the west coast of Florida ICW, the Okechobee Waterway, the Atlantic ICW, the Chesapeake, the Delaware, Long Island Sound, the Hudson River, the Erie Canal, the Great Lakes (excluding Ontario and Superior) and the Western River System, including the Illinois River, the Mississippi River, the Tennessee River, the Cumberland River, and the Tenn-Tom Waterway.

After completing the loop, we spent the next three months making our way all the way back around to Deltaville, VA and spent a few months working in a marina. We had some good times and met a lot of wonderful people.  However, working in this marina got old pretty fast, so we left Deltaville and headed south to berth Abreojos at a wonderful little marina called Lambs located on the Pasquatank River near the mouth of the Dismal Swamp Canal.  She has been resting quietly there since July 1, 2012.

We have been “boatless” for almost a year and it has been difficult to say the least.  Some of our finest moments over the last 23 years of marriage have been aboard our own boat.  We have travelled over 40,000 miles aboard Abreojos and love her very much.  Why did we leave her on the east coast?  That is an interesting story.

When we planned our trip around the loop, I secretly hoped in my heart of hearts that we would continue cruising for a much longer time; that we could stay afloat indefinitely and continue to enjoy the benefits of a cruising lifestyle.  Roughly translated, it never occurred to me to budget for a return trip home for the old girl.  You see, it is very easy to say, “cut the lines and just go.”  It is entirely a different thing to get back home again. (I’ll speak to this phenomenon in a subsequent post.) It is no easy feat to move a 25 ton boat across the country.  And it is not cheap either.  Perhaps we could sell her on the east coast.  We tried, having listed her with two different brokers.  Not a serious bite.  One guy apparently contacted our broker and offered to trade Abreojos for a couple acres of land in Puerto Rico!  I don’t think so.  Ultimately, to make a long story short, we decided that, she had been sitting long enough and that, the downside to leaving a boat like Abreojos sitting unattended significantly outweighs the cost of bringing her home where we can provide her with the regular care and maintenance she deserves.  The question was, however, just how to do it?

Originally, I contracted with a company called Moger Yacht Transportation to bring her from California to Texas to begin the long adventure.  So, naturally, I called them again when we decided we would bring her home on a truck from Norfolk, VA to Marina Del Rey, CA.  Moger provided me a quote that was within our budget and we accepted the proposal.  However, they would not commit to a date.  For five months, I contacted them bi-weekly for updates.  I was given the run-around by a woman named Carmen who told me over and over again that she would “talk with Warren (Warren Moger) and get some information”.  Ultimately, it was I who called again and again and she never once actually returned a call.  Recently, Carmen told me that Warren was just too busy and that I should consider getting someone else to do the job.  Can you say breach of contract?  I have a few other choice words of description which I shall defer at this point.  Brenda and I were crest-fallen to say the least.  Suffice it to say, I can no longer in good conscience recommend Moger Yacht Transportation to anyone looking to transport a yacht via truck.

Lemons.  Lemonade.  Lemon Meringue.  Lemon Tarts.  I developed a new idea.  What if we brought Abreojos home via an alternate sea route?  The Panama Canal was out of the question.  It would take too long, cost too much, and would have me out of touch with the world for a minimum of three to four months. I started to wonder if there was another way.  Another way might be to bring her to Superior, Wisconsin and put her on a truck to the nearest point on the Columbia River where Abreojos could be loaded back into the water and then come home via the Columbia River to the Pacific Coast and then turn left.  Zumba!  That’s the plan. 

I shall bring Abreojos from Camden, NC to Superior, WI.  How you ask?  It’s easy.  I will leave Camden and turn right.  I’ll take the Pasquatank River north and merge onto the Dismal Swamp Canal, pass through two locks and then float out onto the Elizabeth River to Portsmouth, VA where I will stop for bottom paint.  Then I will leave Portsmouth and turn right to the Chesapeake Bay, and then turn left and head north to the C&D Canal.  There, I’ll turn right and follow the Canal to Delaware Bay and run on down to the southern end of the State of New Jersey.  Then, I’ll turn left onto the Atlantic Ocean and head north for New York Harbor.  There, I’ll pass Lady Liberty and head straight on up the Hudson River to the Troy Lock.  I’ll pass through the lock and then take the first left onto the Erie Canal.  I’ll head to the three rivers intersection and take a right onto the Oswego Canal and head north to Lake Ontario.  Then, I’ll cross the lake and try to find the mouth of the Trent-Severn Canal in Trent (in Canada not far to the right of Toronto). I’ll take the TS Canal and it’s 40+ locks all the way to Severn Bay way up in Georgian Bay.  There, I’ll turn right (west) and cross Georgian Bay to the North Channel (northern Lake Huron) to the St. Mary’s River.  There, I’ll take another right up to Sault St. Marie and the entrance to Lake Superior.  Then, all I have to do is cross the entirety of Lake Superior to its western banks and the town of Superior, Wisconsin.  I’ll meet the truck there.  Then, Abreojos will be lifted onto the back of a really big truck and delivered to Umatilla, Oregon, a small hamlet on the Columbia River where a crane at the Port of Umatilla with slings will gingerly lift her from the back of the truck into the cool, clear waters of the Columbia.  Then, it’s just a down river run to Astoria, Oregon and the Pacific Ocean.  This is where I will conclude this leg of the trip.  There may be some additional decisions to be made:  turn left and come home, or turn right and cruise in the PNW for a spell.  Also, we could turn left and head for the California Delta region and cruise there for a spell before coming all the way down the coast.  Suffice it to say, there is still plenty of time to make that decision.

The part of this journey that really sucks, however, is that my second captain, Brenda, will not be able to make this trip with me.  I have journeyed on the water with a number of good captains, but none give me the same level of confidence Brenda does.  So, to say I am experiencing some trepidation would be an understatement.  Hopefully, she will be able to join me for some of the trip later.  Nevertheless, not having her along is stressful.

Thus, I have decided that what I must do is peel off the layers of anxiety, one layer at a time.  To start, I will be on the boat for about 5 days before she moves an inch making sure all systems are ship-shape and ready to make what is going to be a nearly 2000 mile passage from Camden, NC to Astoria, Oregon on the Pacific Coast.  Most of it should be pretty easy, but there are parts of this trip I have not done before and which present some significant challenges, especially since I will be single-handed for most of it. 

There are various other layers to peel off, but I will take them one day at a time and describe them as I go.  I have spent the better part of the last year thinking about this day and what it would be like.  I have had some amazing experiences after coming home.  I have practiced law, taught school, catered parties, brokered insurance, coached sports, raced on a sailboat; I spent quality time with family and friends, and did several other weird things I cannot think of at the moment.  But now, I finally get to go back to what I love the most – facing the challenge of the unknown.  For many of the next 2000 miles, I have never seen the water or travelled over its surface.  The charts are new, some new techniques will have to be learned, and ultimately, for most of the miles ahead, I will be relying totally on me to get it done.  I am confident that I am up to the challenge.  I just wish Brenda were going with me.

I’ll have a lot more to write about over the next couple months.  I hope you’ll follow along and enjoy the ride with me.  It gives me untold comfort knowing that someone is reading this dribble and experiencing inspiration or wondering what it would be like to do it, too.  

Post script:

I got back to Abreojos yesterday.  My friend Jerry picked me up at Norfolk Airport.  It was great to see him again.  Jerry was one of those great friends we made working at that marina in Deltaville.  It was fine that there was some traffic.  That just made it possible to talk a little longer.

WHAT A MESS!  While the inside of the boat was very clean like we left her, the outside, on the other hand, is going to take a lot of work just to be presentable.  She wasn't as well cared for as we had hoped.  So, you might not hear from me again for a couple days.  There are a couple resident hornets that seem to have made mud nests in some rather interesting places.  In the interim,  I'm working on arranging for fuel and the removal of used engine oil.  Fortunately, there is a courtesy car at this marina and I'll be able to get around to find the bits I need to get this show back on the road.