I spent the afternoon in Beaufort, SC.
I tied up to the free dock, took a dollar shower and did laundry at the city marina. I even got a ride to the grocery store in the marina courtesy car. John whom I met through sailnet, is staying the night at the marina and gave me a ride.
I'm back in territory I covered last Fall. But I'm seeing it backwards, traveling north now. And the weather is nicer. It all looks vaguely familiar, but still new and different from this perspective.
It is easier when every day is not into the unknown, like the trip south. I now anticipate a bridge ahead, an area of fast tide, or a stretch without a marina to gas up at. I'm not constantly checking charts and bridge schedules.
But I have had some trouble adjusting. On the trip in the ICW south, the red triangles are on the right, green squares are on the left. Going north they're opposite. Lulled by hours of motoring, I sometimes revert to that old habit. Lucky I only have a two foot draft, or I'd be stuck on some sandbar in Georgia right now.
Pic is a nice wooden sailboat and a cruise ship in the ICW by Hilton Head. I've seen these small cruise ships a few times. If you wanted to travel the ICW but weren't up to doing it on your own boat, this would be the way to do it. You would miss the fun of running aground, engine troubles and powerboat wakes. But you'd still see some of the sights.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Deja Vu
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7 comments:
Hi Scott,
Let's be honest with each other. Do you really expect that any voyage, with any boat (even brand new) is not going to lead to some type of equipment failure? We both know the answer to this and this is why you and I carry tools and stuff. Yes, it can sometimes be a pain, cost more money and it always happens at the worst time. My gem is only 7 years old and "Sh!T Happens" We consider it part of the journey and each failure teaches us something new, and improves our troubleshooting skills. I say our, because my Wife is always there helping and does not mind getting her hands dirty.
Look how creative you have become performing jury rigs to rudders and such. As sailors we are constantly being "tested" by the sea, lol. What you are doing is priceless, trying to be as self sufficient as possible and enjoying whatever the Gods of Neptune throw at you. Just look at what you have accomplished so far, I for one am proud of you for having the guts to stick it out and keep going on no matter what. Lesser Men have just given up, left the boat at a marina and flew home. And you are ALONE most of the time with no one to help, at least in my situation, Meg is there to offer assistance.
This is why we enjoy your blog so much, you are just a regular Joe, enjoying the journey. Not some rich hotsy-totsy who gets towed by Sea-Tow when an issue comes up, who has a marina perform all his repairs, and stays every night at an expensive marina. Oh wait, some of these folks even have a hired Captain even pilot the boat for them!
Nope, that would not be sailing to me, I would be bored to death and feel no accomplishment whatsoever. We have never met, but would bet you feel the same way. As far as running aground, there are those sailors that do, and those that lie about it. It happens to all of us, and in the past 2 years we have owned our gem, we have run this boat aground more during that time, then all of any boats we owned in the past 23 years, put together.
Do the Gemini's have a special attraction to low water? I ponder the thought. In our case we "dare" to travel where no sailboats have gone before (sounds trekish, huh?) With retractable centerboards and rudders, we are more apt to try a new anchorage or shortcut. So far we have only needed assistance once to get off a bar. Two clammers pushed us off after we retracted the centerboards and rudders. Mud bottom in this area, no harm done (except to the Captains Pride, lol).
So the moral of the story is keep ENJOYING the journey and you will look back afterwards and laugh at the crappy things that have happened, and remember all the GREAT times! We will continue to "share" your journey, even if only in spirit (and BoatCam).
Take Care,
Louie & Meg
Scott: I've been following your trip for several months, both here and on the Gemini list-serve. We Live in Richmond, VA and sail our Gemini 105Mc out of Deltaville, Va. If you need anything on the way North or for your future plans surrounding Richmond, Let me know.
Gavin
Cut today's trip short. There was just too much wind, even on the ICW. There's lots of marshland and not too many trees to hide behind. Even with the tide running in my favor, the wind was just too much. The boat really catches the wind when it's headed straight into it.
Hopefully I'll still make Charleston tomorrow, and then have some good weather to go offshore for a couple days.
Louie, I second everything you said. The trip can be made on a small cruise liner, a small boat or anything in between. But there is a big difference in the experience between those extremes.
I would like to be doing more of this trip in the ocean. Everyday I see more seaworthy boats motoring the ICW. Brand new Beneteaus and the such. And I think to myself how I'd love to be cruising the coast in that boat. Unfortunately, with my old boat and the state it's in, I have to pick my ocean windows carefully.
Thanks Gavin. Amy and I will be moving to the Richmond area this Fall. Deltaville is a possible home for Split Decision then. Please keep in touch.
I'm really looking forward to experiencing some of the "real sailing" this summer, when I get to spend a couple months as First Mate. (Scott will still address me as the Admiral, of course.)
Maybe with an extra pair of hands on the boat, Scott will get to enjoy the sailing even more.
Lou, Scott will deny this, but I assert that his confidence in taking on all the challenges that he is facing with his boat is at least in part due to his experiences as a Boy Scout (and as an Eagle Scout), despite his dissing them in his remarks about learning knots. Some of his earliest sailing experiences came about through Indian Guides - a father son organization for kids younger than Cub Scouts. He will rag me on that too.
Aye, aye Admiral Amy!
Grampa is reminding me of one of my early sailing experiences. The Indian Guides spent a weekend at Camp Letts, a YMCA camp near Annapolis. Grampa rented a small sailboat and took me out sailing for an hour or two.
It was pretty windy, and I remember the boat heeled over pretty well. When it was time to go back in, grampa headed toward the dock, but couldn't figure out how to stop the boat.
We zoomed by the dock a few times. I don't remember if grampa figured out to let the wind out of the sails, or if we crash landed into the dock.
Guess it was one of grampa's early sailing experiences too.
I told you he would rag me about that.
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