Bad Decision

The longer we've cruise the more unabashed weather wimps we've become. It seems like every year we reduce the wave height and wind predictions that we consider acceptable. Hey, it's suppose to be fun!

We have learned to be perfectly content sitting at an anchorage or dock for days, even weeks, until the winds die and the waves subside, preferably to glassy calm. We're happier and the kids are definitely happier. It has worked very well for us.

So how did we end up in rough choppy seas in the Chesapeake on our final day of cruising? In fact, it was the worst day of weather we'd experienced in at least 2 years. Well, you start by forgetting everything you know, then you add a touch of impatience to get to your destination, and you finish by ignoring the signs around you.

We left Portsmouth after two great days on a picture perfect morning. The day stayed beautiful so we decided to go a couple of hours further than planned to shorten the next day, our final cruising day of the season. Going the extra distance left us only 30 nm to get to the dock were aCappella will spend the summer.

We were thrilled that we would have 2+ weeks there with good friends Robin and Jim, and Pat and Chuck. A 5:41 am email from Robin (she was awake, we weren't yet) let us know that boats were being shifted around to open up our spot. We awoke at 7 am to rain and some wind, so we decided to make blueberry pancakes and wait for things to clear.

When the sun came out mid-morning and the winds died down, we decided to go. First mistake, we didn't take a final look at the weather radar, predictions, or existing buoy reports.

We warmed the engines, prepared the pilothouse, and Jeff went on deck to pull the anchor. It started to rain again and the wind rose making it difficult to hear each other on our headsets. It did occur to me that maybe we should wait, even stay one more day at the anchorage, "but it's only 30 nm," I thought. Mistake number two, listen to your gut and heed the signs around you.

We started off in a moderate chop but were convinced we could see clearing up ahead. Now I must digress. Can someone please explain why it always looks like it's clearing up ahead and that the waves are subsiding when they rarely do? Or more importantly, why are we able to convince ourselves of this illusion time after time?

So we soldiered on. With each turn in our route we hoped the conditions would improve. 4' waves, then 6' waves, then a few 8 footers thrown in just to test how well we could avoid getting seasick. We hoped for relief in vain. The kids went from giving us dirty looks to circling up in a tight ball and ignoring us. This was the worst weather this canine crew had ever experienced (Tucker knew much worse weather but this team has only grown up in our newfound avoidance mode for weather). All waves vanished when we pulled off the Potomac and it was flat-dead-calm when we pulled onto the dock greeted by Robin and Jim who said, "We were surprised you guys left. It must have been bad out there."

Full disclosure, the wave pictured above was not taken by us but is symbolic of how rough it felt.

Saying goodbye to dolphins...

From the moment we reach Beaufort, NC heading south in the Fall, dolphins are a common sight any time we're in salt water and especially offshore. Dylan loves dolphins. From that first sighting in October/November, every time he runs to the bow over the next 6+ months, he looks over the side for dolphins. In Charleston, the dolphins would come into the basin every afternoon. Dylan was always there watching, studying, barking, and crying. Did I say he loves dolphins?

Offshore going north back to Beaufort, I took the team out on the bow for an afternoon romp before the sun set. As always, Dylan ran out and looked over the bow. This time there were a good seven dolphins over the side.

When we're offshore, dolphins love to ride our bow wave. As our bow moves through the water it creates a pressure wave that allows them to be pushed along with seemingly no effort. A pair of dolphins turns into a set of four. In this case, seven came along for the ride.

As we enter the Beaufort inlet the next morning and make our way up Adams creek on the ICW, the dolphins will disappear. Dylan will keep looking. Every day. Fall will be here soon enough and he'll be back crying for his dolphin friends once more.

Electronics meltdown at sea...

We departed Charleston before 7 am on Monday headed offshore, directly to Beaufort, NC.  The 205 nm offshore route would take us all day and all night. We'd arrive in Beaufort/Morehead City around 10 am on Tuesday morning.

We've gone offshore here quite a few times. Going straight offshore saves a lot of day trips by skipping the two large scallops of the coast in South Carolina and North Carolina. The only hazard is a very long, 15 mile shoal that extends from our beloved Bald Head Island out to sea. It is too shallow to go through although there is one small "slue" passage about 12 miles out. Taking that shaves a few miles from the trip and maybe saves an hour.

The slue is marked with a few non-lit buoys but they show up on radar miles ahead. Our path would have us reaching the slue at around 11:00 pm in pitch darkness since the moon wasn't supposed to rise until 2:15 am.

The seas were a bit rougher than we prefer but definitely within our comfort range. Everything was going well as we approached the slue. Our darkened pilothouse was filled with electronics providing position on multiple screens, radar overlay, autopilot, depth, wind, rudder, sea floor image, a second depth sensor - all designed to keep us in the right position.

Just as we were approaching the first mark on our route for the slue, all screens showing our position went dark. Our main chartplotter just blinked and turned off. It controls the main GPS on the arch so it went down too - nothing would bring it back. The autopilot gave up and went offline forcing us to manually steer. The phone next to the helm running the exact same route showed a red GPS location meaning there was no GPS signal being received (I wrote that software). We had no radar display in the pilothouse with 4' waves coming from the south on our starboard side and no way to "see" our position nor the position of the upcoming buoys.

Even though we're in our 9th year of doing this long range type of cruising, it was unsettling but we were quite calm about it. Within 30 seconds, a backup GPS was flipped on. We now had full position display using the same route we were following but on a 2" phone screen.  In 2005, as an experiment, we traveled from Maine to Key West only using that 2" screen so this wasn't uncomfortable at all.

iPhone's and iPads were all turned on monitoring our exact position on the charts. In another 4 minutes, Karen's laptop was booted and we were running Coastal Explorer using a second backup GPS. The autopilot was now operational as we had it following our planned route. Karen had just been testing Coastal Explorer's latest version so we knew it was current with the latest charts loaded. We could have easily selected one of 5 other software products to use.

The issue was radar. We have a backup screen but it's on the flybridge. The radar was on and displaying an image, but we'd now either have to stay all night up there, or walk up and down to take a radar view every 10 minutes. We have some strict rules about going outside when the other is sleeping so we decided that the person off-watch had to sleep in the pilothouse and a 10 minute timer would alert us to make a radar view, up and back to the flybridge.  Looking out 6 - 24 nm on radar, 10 minutes would be enough time to have any non-ship come into view. Any ship would be visible by lights for many miles ahead.

We moved along like this until daybreak when radar became less important given the clear day. We arrived at the Beaufort inlet at 9:00 am, Morehead City by 10:00 am, and continued on to the Neuse River about 40 miles further along the ICW finally dropping our anchor in the South River.

The next morning, the chartplotter and all onboard electronics worked perfectly and have been continuously on since.

This is all a pretty good example of why backups are needed. We have more than 5 backup GPS's. We have a backup way to view radar although it adds an obnoxious procedure. We still have no idea what happened to the main chartplotter but we also know we're ready if it goes kerfluey again.

Farwells and Preparations

It's hard to believe we've been in Charleston for 2 months. This is the longest time we've spent aboard at one place. But what better place to hang out than Charleston?

This morning was bittersweet as Dyna and Dylan made their way to their final romp at the dog park with BFF's, Huck and Goose. If you've followed D and D for awhile you know they first met Huck and Goose back in 2009 and became instant friends. Goose is the same age as Dylan and the two are similar in temperament. They love to chase and tug and basically act like goofs.

Huck and Dyna are both "more mature" and generally stay out of the rough and tumble antics. Although each has occasionally decided maybe they could still keep up and joined in.

Of course, none of them realize it will be many months before they meet again. And they won't until we throw the lines off early tomorrow morning and Goose looks in vain across the dog park for Dylan.

But this morning it was business as usual. Finally, the tug-of-war slowed to a stop and their people hugged and said their good-byes, wishing us all better times this year. Then, as if they knew, Dylan and Goose got a second wind. A final tug-of-war to last them until next Fall. After two months at dock, we had many preparations to make so we reluctantly said good-bye.

Tomorrow we head offshore, overnight to Beaufort, NC and then on the ICW. We'll be moving daily now, weather permitting. There's laundry to finish, items to stow, the liferaft and ditch bag to bring out, water tanks to fill, and our traditional overnight meal of chicken fried rice to make. Of course, we need one final run to Harris Teeter. We move to the fuel dock at 3:00 to fill up and spend our final night before heading out early tomorrow morning.


So we say good-bye to Charleston knowing we'll be back, knowing we'll see our friends both old and new, and looking forward to that tug-of-war with BFF's again.

My Older Brother

Joel was born 30 minutes before me, so technically that makes him my older brother. For most of our lives he has been quick to point that out. Yesterday was no exception.

A few weeks back Joel called to say that the East Coast Kayak & Canoe Festival was taking place near Charleston the third weekend in April. He wanted to go and wanted to know if he could stay with us. I not only like my brother, I like kayaking, so I said yes. He arrived Friday to a beautiful afternoon. The weather quickly deteriorated giving us a bouncy night and high winds Saturday as the storm ravished states to the north and west as it moved towards Charleston.

We headed over in the morning, not sure what we'd find. We went to the registration booth to pick up our packet, "Are you together?" "I'm her older brother," he said. Our morning class on Kayaking Support Strokes was on. We found the tent. The women checking us in said, "Are you together?" "I'm her older brother," he said. The instructor came over to introduce himself and said, "Are you related?"  "I'm her older brother," he said. Yeah, by 30 minutes!

Unfortunately, they canceled the sunset paddle we were looking forward to due to tornado warnings which thankfully never came. But we managed to pass the evening with good food, some Dark and Stormies, and great conversation.

By bedtime the water was glassy and we had a perfect morning to meet our good friends Jeb and Linda for breakfast at the Hominy Grill - eggs, thick bacon, a southern biscuit, creamy grits, and great coffee - perfection.

So now he is on his way home to his wife and children. It was a great weekend and I already look forward to the next time we're together. After all, I have known my twin brother longer than anyone else in the world. We shared that miraculous day of birth and every milestone growing up. We've been there for each other for the most joyous and the most devastating times of our lives.

I love you, big bro.

PetStep



One of the first acquisitions we made for the boat was the PetStep. We originally purchased it to help our beloved Tucker get on and off the boat in a variety of challenging dock situations. He quickly learned to navigate up and down the ramp when the combination of fixed docks and notable tides meant stepping up or down to the dock.

Our current kids first encountered the PetStep in September 2009 when we docked at Somers Cove Marina for the MTOA Rendezvous. True to form Dyna just barged her way forward, while Dylan had to be coaxed, cajoled, and finally bribed with treats. Since then the PetStep has become a familiar prop in our boating adventures.

The Maritime Center is a great stop, right downtown, walking distance to anything you could want. But it can be bumpy at the docks as it is along side a major shipping channel and sees lots of activity. Note our last entry.

We protect the boat with extra large ball fenders which means going between the dock and the boat requires a step over about a foot of water. Nimble Dylan leapt this each morning easily but Dyna usually caused us to hold our breath. Finally one morning when the front paws landed on the dock and the back paws went into the water - fortunately her dad made a quick grab of her harness - we decided that the PetStep could help even on floating docks.

So now the morning ritual is for Mom to attached harnesses, collars, and to gather other dog park essentials while Dad unfolds the PetStep and lays it across our moat. Excited to be meeting their dog park buddies there's no hesitation from Dyna or Dylan.

They're happy to walk the plank anytime.

Bustling Charleston

We received a call this weekend from our good friends Gene and Kathy wondering what was up as we have been remiss with our blog. Yes, it's true. We finished our big push with the new ActiveCaptain functions last week and took a couple of days off to relax a bit.

We've been spending alot of time on the boat these past few weeks, mostly working but still enjoying being on the water. The Charleston Maritime Center is definitely in the middle of things. There is something coming or going all day long and we can view it all from our slip right at the entrance.

When Dylan isn't watching for birds and dolphins (cormorants have become his newest enemy), he is watching the many vessels that pass by. For several days he watched the Coast Guard checking depths. There's numerous tour boats.



At the terminal next to the marina they used to load BMW's. They now pass by and go up the Cooper River.

The cruise ships now use the terminal.

Next to us has been The Spirit of South Carolina a beautiful schooner. When they were gone for a cruise we enjoyed two other large boats, the Spirit of Massachusetts for several days and Gunilla a square-rigged training vessel from Sweden.





In addition, there's the water taxi, boats coming in for the fuel dock, sailboats, trawlers, and sportfish pulling into slips, and last weekend there was the annual Cooper River Bridge run. There were around 50,000 runners who crossed the bridge Saturday morning. Trust me they're there...

In Charleston whether on the boat or off, there's never a dull moment.



Puppy Chow



Our first Lab was an 80 pound black male named Duke. He lived to the ripe old age of 15 but never was able to adapt to the old lobster boat we had at the time. As a puppy Duke ate Purina Puppy Chow. Since then all of our dogs have learned that "puppy chow" meant mealtime.

You don't ever, and I mean never ever, say "puppy chow" unless you mean it. There is no more sacred word to a Siegel dog.

Since then we have learned much about nutrition in dog foods - or rather the lack thereof in the vast majority of dog foods. The morsels that pass through Dyna and Dylan's lips are hand formed by virgins on a remote tropical island. At least we think it must be, given the cost and difficulty involved in obtaining it.

After many, many hours of research, literally, our two babies receive Innova brand dry food, adult for Dylan and senior for Dyna.

Innova is not available at Walmart or Publix or Pet Smart. In fact, we know of only two places on the east coast where we can readily get it from the boat, Solomons, MD and Miami Beach, FL. So we must have 30 lb. bags shipped to us along the way.

This means we need to be somewhere long enough to receive ground shipping. Trust us you don't want to be paying overnight shipping for this stuff. We have calculated that 60 lbs. of dog food will last for 3 months. That's per dog. So we generally stock 120 lbs. of dog food, ordering more when we open the second bag.

Then there's the issue of storing it. This is accomplished in 3 phases. There are two 2.5 gallon containers that take half a shelf in our pantry, one for each dog. These last about 5 days. Two bags (one of each), along with treats, travel bowls, etc. are stored inside the larger of the two side tables we have in the saloon. The other two bags are stored in the hatch underneath the guest bunk.

Today the last two bags came out from under the bunk. We'll be in Charleston for another month but we have a little over 2 months left on the boat before we'll be back home in Maine. After ten minutes online, two more precious bags will arrive next week. So the best part of the day will continue to be when we say, “Dyna, Dylan, do you want some puppy chow?” and we watch the tails wag.

The Kids Are All Right

One of the most common questions we receive about life onboard is, "How do the dogs like the boat?" Two big dogs on a boat can certainly be a challenge at times, but trust us, these kids are just fine on the boat. Dyna is happiest laying on the stern on a nice day. Even Dylan can't disturb her reverie.

But don't worry even inside Dyna manages to find a comfy spot.

Sometimes a pillow does the trick.



And at bedtime they share the space - with each other, we have to make do.

So some may think we're crazy to live on a boat with two big dogs. And maybe we are, but we're not alone (right, Stephanie and Bob?). All in all the kids have a great life on the boat and we're glad they let us share it with them.

Temperamental Charleston



Since we've been here the weather has seemed to change every time we turn around. One day it's warm and sunny, the next cold and blustery. Each morning as we pull on clothes to go to the dog park we debate how many layers to put on - or not.

A few days ago the winds were so strong we felt as if we were underway and were tempted to make sure we were still tied to the dock. The boat rocked like we were miles offshore with whitecaps coming alongside.

The dolphins seem to come into the basin when the winds are strong and Dylan has learned to keep watch. Dyna stays in her bed resting from her morning romp until Dylan sounds the alarm. Then she joins him, not always sure why she's barking but determined not to miss out.

For now they're predicting a sunny weekend in the 70's. We'll believe it when we see it. At least there's no predictions for snow.

BFF's Reunited



Dyna and Dylan don't care about Charleston's fine dining and shopping or historical architecture or the many cultural events. All they care about is the dog park next to the marina.

Every morning around 7 am they're up and ready to go, pacing, whining, staring. Mom and Dad seem to take an eternity to get ready, then they make them use the bow before they leave, then there's gathering leashes, collars, throw toys, locking the boat - why don't they just get going?!?

They have a regular early AM date with BFF's, Huck and Goose. Those of you who have followed them for a while already know about Huck and Goose. Huck is about a year younger than Dyna and Goose is near Dylan's age.

Dylan and Goose run, fetch, chase, tumble, and generally act like the two young boys they are. Huck holds his lacrosse ball securely in his mouth and either sits nearby watching or leans heavily into whoever is near. At over 90 pounds you really have to lean back not to get knocked over.

Now and then Dyna tries to get in the chase and occasionally gets barreled over but mainly does her walk abouts around the field sometimes going over to Huck with a look that says, "Can you believe those two ruffians?"

For now they are both sacked out on the sofa resting up for tomorrow morning. That's the reward Mom and Dad get for keeping their early AM appointment.

Visitors Underway



"aCappella, this is the United States Coast Guard. When was the last time you were boarded?" It was five years ago. A year or less and they typically give you a pass. But we don't mind getting boarded. It's an important function and we have always found the Coast Guard officers to be polite and friendly.

So we slowed a bit, opened the transom door, and warned them that we had two dogs onboard. Or as we like to refer to them, the killer security team. The kids knew something was up and were on high alert.

Within minutes Luke and Nick were onboard. What!?!? Dyna and Dylan had no idea we could have visitors while underway! I mean, they meet all kinds of people at the dock and on land. Folks have come onboard at marinas and even when we're at anchor. But while underway - no way!


Luke and Nick were great even while D and D gave them the standard Lab greeting, covering their navy uniforms with short blond hairs. Hopefully neither one has a jealous wife or girlfriend.

We passed our inspection with flying colors. But couldn't convince them to give us extra credit for having life vests for the dogs as well as for us. They posed with the kids for a farewell picture. They looked great but Dylan was still in greeting mode and couldn't sit still. In a moment they were gone.

We received the much prized "gold document." So next time we hear, "aCappella, this is the United States Coast Guard. When was the last time you were boarded?" we might get skipped by providing the gold serial number. Or maybe not. Dyna and Dylan thought it was pretty cool to have visitors while underway.

My Dirty Little Secret



I love Walmart. Well, maybe love is a bit strong. But as a liveaboard I have learned to appreciate, and sometimes long for, access to a Walmart. Why? Because at Walmart I can find anything I need - food, clothing, household goods of all sorts, even engine oil for the John Deere's.

Note, I said need not want.

At Walmart I may have to settle for a package of Hanes All-cotton rather than sexy Victoria Secret or Folger's coffee rather than one of the gourmet brands. But what I like about the boat is the paring down to what I value most.

There are many things we forgo living onboard due to space limitations and/or access. In exchange, we live aboard our boat. The trade-off seems obvious to me.

She's Walking!



One of the things we like about the boat is that we walk - alot. We both enjoy walking and like the exercise it gives us. We've walked miles to restaurants, shopping, for propane refills, dog parks, you name it. We're both in need of haircuts and just found a salon that's "only 2 miles away."

One of the things we have at times lamented and at times found humorous is how the rest of the world reacts to people walking. It's just not too common nowadays.

We've finally figured out never to trust someone telling us, "Oh, it's just up the road. Real close. 5 minutes maybe." Which would have been true - if we had a car. We thrill at finding a decent sidewalk, especially if it doesn't abruptly end for no apparent reason. We've had cars stop and ask if we broke down and need a ride. People walking are considered a strange sight.

One thing I'm liking about being here at Grande Dunes is that there is a great Loews grocery store just up a hill and across the street. Every 2-3 days I've set out to bring back fresh fruits and veggies, ice cream which we can eat relatively guilt free due to walking, fresh meat for the grill, and whatever other treats we feel like. And it even has a Redbox for movies.

I have a one of those foldup rolling crates to bring the loot back. We actually have two for bigger trips when we both go. I enjoy the break and the walk.

So today I set off with a short list of fresh items to feed us for the next few days. As I got to the check out I lifted my folding cart out of the shopping cart and began opening it up. The young woman who was bagging commented, "Oh neat, you brought your own cart."

"Yes, it's really convenient," I said.

"Yeah, you can just wheel it out to your car."

"Well, actually, I'm walking."

"You're walking!"

"Yes."

"Hey, (name of cashier), she's walking!"

"You're walking!?!" he said.  "How far do you have to walk?" she said.

"Yes, I'm on my boat in the marina across the street."

"That must take you 15 minutes to walk that," he said.

"No, only about 5," I said.

"Wow, you do that in only 5? Hey, (name of supervisor walking past), she's walking."

"Wow, good for you," she said.

I finished paying and the cashier thanked me and beamed, "You have a great walk!"

I have to admit I walked out of the store feeling a bit like a super hero. I imagined that the rest of the work day they were abuzz about that amazing women who bought groceries and then walked. "Yes, I saw her. She just walked through the parking lot and across the street. Amazing!"

Bald Head Island

We promised a week ago to relate our experience at Bald Head Island. The ActiveCaptain website has had unprecidented traffic and use this month. We've also been working on rolling out new promotional programs, so it's been too busy and hectic. Sorry to take so long.

Bald Head Island has become a special place to us. We stayed longer at Bald Head Island Marina then we have ever stayed at any other marina - even with the two weeks we spent off the boat.

The island is something not to be missed. Whether you come by boat, rent a house for a vacation, or visit for the day by ferry, it is a place of great natural beauty with a community committed to preservation. Miles of beaches, acres of maritime forests, huge wetlands with streams to kayak through, and quiet paths to walk or bike without the roar of cars.

Needless to say it will be quite some time before the kids find a place they like better. How do you beat a romp on the beach every day at low tide? Add to that the various accumulated smelly things that the ocean washes up and you are describing dog heaven.

But Dyna and Dylan's people enjoyed the experience also. We rode our bikes somewhere most every day, saw scores of birds and other wildlife, and also enjoyed our daily walks on the beach.

The marina is well maintained and the staff is friendly and helpful. There is a wonderful market a short bike ride away along with an amazingly stocked hardware store. We made that trip every couple of days. There is a bar and restaurant right at the marina and two nicer clubs across the island.

We were fortunate to meet Suzanne Dorsey, Director of the Bald Head Island Conservancy who filled us in on the islands unusual history and took us to some great out of the way places. In season they offer a wide variety of programs. And we are already plotting to figure out how we can convince our insurance company to let us south early to see the hatching of the baby turtles.

We think that Bald Head Island is so close to being the perfect boating stop that we began nagging (well, we called it advising) them on how to make it even better for boaters. Either they are extremely polite or they really are interested in making Bald Head Island one of those places every boater stops at for a few days when heading south or north.

We'll definitely be back.

Time To Go

The plan was to get up at 6 am and head out for Myrtle Beach. All night we listened to the lines groaning as the boat was pushed and pulled by the wind. The morning greeted us with high winds, cold temperatures, and black ice on the docks. We quickly retreated back under the covers. Even the kids were happy for a bit more snooze time. We'll try the plan again tomorrow.

The day has been cold and dreary and the docks icy; none of us has left the boat. By mid-morning there were snow flurries. Dyna and Dylan were fascinated by the snow pile that blew up against the bow.

We have really enjoyed our time here at Bald Head Island and certainly needed the quiet downtime it gave us. We'll need a future post to fill you in on what makes this place special.

But seriously. Snow on the boat? It's definitely time to go.

What We'll Miss

We plan on leaving Bald Head Island on Saturday and heading farther south to Myrtle Beach. What we have loved most about our stay here has been the great natural beauty that surrounded us everywhere we went. Most every night we were presented with a gorgeous sunset out the stern of the boat. We will miss these things and are already planning on coming back - maybe getting a chance to see the hatching turtles next time.

What Dyna and Dylan will miss is Beach Access 4. Once or twice a day we took the kids off the boat for a romp. As we approached the end of the finger pier we'd either turn left to go to the field or right to go to... Beach Access 4. They'd pause, look at us, and then prance down the dock when we'd head right. Beach Access 4 has been the entry to many hours of swimming, chasing birds, and finding all variety of disgusting things washed up on the beach. Dyna and Dylan are hoping to be back also. And they wouldn't mind catching a glimpse of those turtles either - they're surely slower than the birds that Dylan has been chasing.

Kids Update

The kids have finally regained their rightful position at the center of the universe. At least of our universe. We are back on a schedule of daily romps on the beach, chasing birds, and running in the field.



On New Years weekend, Will, who works for the Bald Head Island development group, loaned us a golf cart. Dyna and Dylan thought that was pretty cool.

We promptly took them out to Frying Pan Shoals, a shoal area going out over 17 miles into the ocean which we have circumnavigated many times on our trips up and down the coast. It was beautiful and we went back several times.

If there's reincarnation, then I want to come back as my dog.

Aw Shucks



About.com, you know that place you go on the internet to find out about anything, released a review of ActiveCaptain today. You can find it here:
http://sailing.about.com/od/sailingareasdestination/gr/Activecaptain-Interactive-Cruising-Guidebook.htm

Personally, we think that Tom Lochhaas is a pretty bright guy.  He's our new favorite reviewer!

Taking Pause

When I was 4 or 5 my family went to the World's Fair in New York. I was young enough that I do not remember much but there are a couple of things that I clearly recall. One was the giant green Sinclair dinosaur and the wax replica they gave me. The other was “the home of the future” which extolled the many “modern conveniences” we would have in just a few short years, such as pushing a button and having dinner simply appear.

All these years later and few of those predictions came true but we still seem obsessed as a society with convenience. What we eat, where we live, who we see is decided by what is most convenient. And if it's inconvenient we often choose not to do it. It's sad because I have come to learn that the greatest joy can be found in the inconvenient. In fact, it is often the inconvenience that makes it special.

By most measures living on a boat is definitely inconvenient. Tasks that are trivial at a land-based home often require more time on the boat. Everyday things like groceries, laundry, and the mail require planning and coordination. A five minute run by car to the store for milk turns into an hour walk or bike ride.

So as we schlepped our suitcases and masses of dog paraphernalia onto the Bald Head Island ferry 3 weeks ago to face a second crisis in so many months and waited in frigid weather to meet a rental car only to do it all in reverse two weeks later, I pondered if the inconvenience was worth it. I decided that convenience is way overrated.

Without the inconvenience of living on my boat I wouldn't know what it's like to see the stars many miles offshore. I wouldn't have met hundreds of interesting people. I wouldn't have seen beaches and islands inaccessible by land. I wouldn't know what it's like to test and push my skills and comfort level. I wouldn't live so closely with those I love. I wouldn't know the comfort when friends and strangers rush to help in a crisis. I would be without the thousands of experiences this life has given me.

What I have discovered is that, while it may take a bit more time, all things can be worked out. Rental cars can be procured, boats can be tied up and secured, and folks everywhere are willing to offer a helping hand. A walk to the store can be a beautiful stroll. A trip to the laundry can lead to interesting conversations. “Inconvenience” makes us slow down and experience where we are. And I think where we are is pretty great.

David Leslie Hillhouse

March 13, 1924 - December 20, 2010

I miss your quiet presence, wry humor, and loving support. I thank you for giving me a love of music and learning, the strength and confidence to follow my beliefs, and a taste for adventure.

I love you, Dad, and will miss you always.

Love,

Karen

Dark & Stormy...

It was definitely a dark & stormy night. We knew some wind was coming and it had been raining off and on. At 3:30 am we awoke to a lot of movement and 40 knot winds. We got up to add some more lines and fenders and found that 1/3rd of one of the spring lines had frayed from the incredible stress. We added 4 additional lines, 3 fenders, and cocked the boat in the slip slightly to keep the bow in and stern out. The extra lines did a great job and we got back to sleep around 5.

In the morning the wind was still blowing around 30 knots so we headed out to the beach with the dogs. The wind blowing against the sand made it look fog-like and strange. I had to capture it on my phone.



When we got to the point where the inlet meets the ocean, it was quite rough outside the large sandy shoal that extends out. Definitely not a day to be out in a boat.



Dyna continues to run along the beach - she is happiest when surrounded by water. Dylan found a large sand crab trying to find a new home and almost got badly nipped in the nose by a pincher claw. How much you wanna bet he heads right back to the same spot looking for that crab tomorrow?

Life's a (dog) beach...

Thankful

Today was our first holiday on the boat. In the past we've either been at our land-based home in Maine or at my folks. We had to settle on a turkey breast rather than the whole bird as that's all that would fit in the stove. Still the meal was as good as any we've had on land - turkey and stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, steamed broccoli, noodle kugel, gravy, of course, and pecan pie. Add a nice bottle of wine and a meal at a 4 star restaurant couldn't beat it.

It was a low key day, warm but overcast. We watched the Macy's parade, took the dogs for a walk, and did nothing in particular. It's quiet and beautiful here on Bald Head Island.

Still sometimes it's hard to be thankful. We've had a few hard weeks. My brother's wife is better but still fragile. My father just entered hospice and I wonder if I will see him again. My mother struggles with losing her mate of over 60 years while also struggling with care-taking.

But I am thankful. Thankful for a father who has loved and cherished me. Thankful for a mother who is loving and an example of strength and devotion. Thankful Chris is there for my brother and their two children. And immensely thankful for my husband, my two four-legged "kids", and that I am able to live this unusual and rewarding life.

As for Dyna and Dylan, they're thankful their dad gave them some turkey.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Morehead City offshore to Bald Head Island through video