New Year's Eve was a lot more festive than Christmas. The couple in the slip next to me have been here a few years, and they invited a bunch of the other folks at the marina over for a potluck. Festivities began around 6pm and lasted until around 10pm. Just about all the attendees were couples. The median age was somewhere in the 50s. I'd only met about a half dozen people here until last night. Now I've met a lot more. Not that I remember their names or the details of our conversations. I'm not very good with names to start off with. And trying to remember a bunch of new ones all at once while half lit doesn't usually work out well.
Before I bought this boat, I almost never socialized with powerboat people. If I passed a sailboat on the dock and the owner was there, I'd often say hi and ask about the boat. But I didn't feel I had much in common with the powerboat folks. Now that barrier seems to be dissolved by our common cruiser/live-aboard status.
In Baltimore, my boat fit in with all the others, and the guys at the marina weren't all that different from me. It was an eclectic group. It does feel a bit strange to be part of this group in Hilton Head where the guy or gal I'm talking to usually lives on a a large yacht and often has a home elsewhere. But everyone was very friendly last night and curious about my adventures. They certainly didn't treat me like an outsider.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year!
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4 comments:
Sounds like a lot of fun! Looking forward to experiencing this marina's culture in a few days...
Congratulations on the Michigan win!! They did well to win, giving up 4 turnovers in the process. I trust you were able to watch it in HD, given the perks of your location.
Hey Scott -
Glad to read that you're having some fun with the big money set down there in HH.
I hope that being connected to shore power you've got some form of heater going because it's supposed to get especially cold the next few days.
I still can't get over what happened to your last anchor. I was telling a friend about it and he suggested that I mention the possibility that you're getting into "Bermuda Triangle" territory!
It's really amazing how the shank was bent at a clean 90 degree angle. It had to have been hung up on a pretty immovable object . . and even then I don't understand why nothing else appears to have been damaged (flukes, etc.). Very strange.
As I mentioned before, I liked to go with a single large anchor with lots of chain. I also favored a design that would easily re-set when the tide/wind moved the boat and imparted pull from a new direction. Although the danforth is reputed to provide great holding power, it can be fouled more easily than some other types and may not re-set well. I used to like the CQR, however some recent testing done by Sail mag indicates that the Rocna (sp?) is the new 'best'. FWIW.
I enjoy reading all of your posts - it allows me to vicariously go cruising - if only for a short while.
Happy 2008!
Ross
Hi Ross,
I have a little ceramic heater going. The trip to the restroom on land for my morning constitutional was a chilly trek. The wind is what is most bothersome. It's coming in from the mouth of the basin. Any other direction and the trees would block it much better. I also have my stern pointed into the wind, so it's catching under my bimini and rattling it a bunch. I might turn the boat around in the slip. This morning is the first one that I won't be going for a run on the beach.
I have no explanation for the anchor. It held fine through that night, and wasn't particularly difficult to weigh in the morning.
Thanks for checking in, and glad to have you aboard. Have a warm and happy new year!
Scott
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