by Judy Handley | May 2, 2015 | Little River, SC, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 204, Year 10: Still in Little River
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC
We are still in Little River. It was a lovely day on land but we made the decision to let the seas settle for the day before heading out. Cape Hatteras had a storm last night and the seas were 10 feet early this morning. They were dropping and should be down to 4 feet tonight. The ‘thing’, currently being referred to as a possible tropical low pressure system, is still brewing in the Bahamas and it looks like it will be a named storm. But it shouldn’t cause us a problem as we head north. We’ll take off around 8 am tomorrow morning and hopefully be home by Saturday morning. We have decided to try to do the whole trip offshore. We are going to have to do a lot of motoring, but we would have to motor if we went inside, so we’ll call it a draw. The good news is that the weather should be fairly settled for the entire week.
This morning we got things ready aboard Windbird for the trip north. I’m sure the people in the marina wonder what we are going to do with rotating compost bin and a huge bundle of nested tomato cages, but they didn’t ask and we didn’t tell. Those items are now onboard and ready for the trip north to Heather and Jed’s garden. We did our final fresh food shopping and then went to Patsy and Joe’s for the afternoon and evening. I washed all of the vegetables I bought at the supermarket and laid them out to dry. While they were drying, Patsy and I got out the floor plan of the new house and did a little furniture placement. We also ordered a new bedspread online as she wants to get rid of her current comforter. It is just too big and too heavy to handle easily. I made Toll House squares to add to the brownies Patsy had already made for Mark. And I did the very last load of laundry. While preparing dinner, we stopped long enough to watch the Kentucky Derby. When I watched the jockeys walk out, I immediately made my pick. I went with the guy in a hot pink shirt with huge polka dots. Actually it wasn’t a bad choice as he came in second. But as we watched the race, Joe called the winner as he saw him pulling up from behind. For dinner Patsy made a great salad and baked sweet potatoes while Joe grilled the thickest steaks I have ever seen. And he called the winner on those as well as they were perfectly done. They weren’t tenderloins, but they were melt-in-your-mouth tender and tasty. Joe also made more of his world class shortcakes to have with strawberries for dessert. The dinner was a great way to end our time here with Patsy and Joe. We always enjoy our visits here with Patsy and Joe so much and we’re really looking forward to visiting them in their new home near Nashville. We won’t be sailing there, but we can do land travel when the need arises.
by Judy Handley | May 1, 2015 | Little River, SC, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 203, Year 10: Weather Worries
Date: Friday, May 1, 2015
Weather: Threatening Clouds, Intermittent Spits of Rain, Windy from the N
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC
The first day of May was definitely a day of weather worries. I get up every morning at 8 am to listen to the weather on the HAM radio. Chris Parker gives a great overview of what’s happening for those of us wanting to make long ocean passages. And his report this morning gave warning. Previously there had been no agreement in the different weather models as to what is going to happen this coming week with a weather system that has been developing near the Bahamas. But this morning Chris announced that the different weather models, both the GFS and the EURO, are in agreement that there is an 80 per cent chance of a tropical LO developing by mid-week. This is not a hurricane, but it can pack hurricane force winds. We watched the weather channel at Patsy and Joe’s later in the day and the constant headlines hinted at an early season hurricane. I don’t think it will be a hurricane, but the strong winds could be off North Carolina, further south, or further north, depending on the development of this system by mid-week. So we need to be particularly watchful for the next few days. After hours of pouring over weather information today, Mark and I agree that we should leave here tomorrow in the early afternoon hours. That gives the seas time to settle after the cold front that came offshore this afternoon passes further out to sea and it gets us far enough north to take advantage of some SW wind on Tuesday. Other than that, it looks like we will probably have to motor most of the way home. But when we look at waiting another week, there is another weather system out there that will probably cause similar problems. So as of tonight, we are leaving here tomorrow afternoon. That gives us the opportunity to have a farewell lunch with Patsy and Joe and we are looking forward to that. So unless things change, we’ll be leaving Lightkeepers around 2 pm tomorrow with the hope of sailing into Quissett Harbor on Cape Cod next Friday morning. Just remember that I said that is our ‘hope’. The weather could change our plans radically and we could duck into the Chesapeake Bay or the Delaware Bay or into Sandy Hook to find refuge should the weather turn bad. So we have back up plans that we hope we don’t need to use.
Early today we went to see Lee and Lynda’s new condo. They call it a house and rightly so. It is a condo in that maintenance is taken care of by the association, but otherwise it is a house connected to another house via two car garages. They bought this sight unseen while we were sailing this winter. Their realtor is a friend who knew what they were looking for and they trusted her judgement. We’d say she made a great choice in finding a ‘just right’ place for them. After our tour of Lee and Lynda’s new home, we went to Patsy and Joe’s. While Mark was doing his weather worrying and watching the weather channel, I was finishing one more cleaning job. Then Patsy and I went to the recycling center to get rid of few items that had been lying around in the garage. When we returned, it was time for Mark and I to get ready to go to a Lightkeepers Marina party. The theme was Mexican, so I took what I call Burrito Bites. We ended up talking with Lee and Lynda for most of the evening. It was cloudy and windy and felt quite cool, so after a while, we decided to go sit in the comfort of one of our boats. We ended up in Windbird’s cockpit. It was nice to have one last quiet evening with Lynda and Lee before we leave here.
by Judy Handley | Apr 30, 2015 | Little River, SC, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 202, Year 10: Final Touches
Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny, Cool Morning Warming by Afternoon
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC
We are putting the ‘final touches’ on our visit here in Little River. We got a slow start this morning but then we went to Patsy and Joe’s and launched into a window cleaning frenzy. Mark’s shoulder was enough better today that he was able to help some, but his energy level is really rock bottom. Since he had his last infusion, a week ago today, he has really struggled with low energy. At first we thought it was the pain from his shoulder injury, but that is better and he still has no energy. Since all of his blood work is absolutely normal, we have no idea what is going on. But he was able to help out today in between rest periods. In addition to cleaning windows inside and out, I also did a bit of cooking for our passage north, did a couple of loads of laundry, and made a key lime pie to take to Lynda and Lee’s for dinner tonight. Lynda fixed ribs which were melt-in-your-mouth good and we got to visit with Roger and Jane Bonner who were also invited to dinner. It was a fun evening. We are now back home, checking the weather, and making plans for what needs to be done tomorrow to get ready to leave here on Saturday.
If the weather doesn’t change radically, we will leave here at 10 am on Saturday morning and head offshore for Cape Cod. We will duck into the Chesapeake Bay if the weather changes and we need protection. But if the forecast stays as is, we might make it all the way home by Thursday or Friday. We are concerned about Mark’s lack of energy, so we will also monitor that and stop in the Chesapeake Bay if he is not able to do his night watches. Somehow I think once we are out on the water, he will be fine. As has been the case much of this winter, it looks like we will have to motor a great deal of the time, but that might be easier on Mark than having to worry about changing sails constantly. One way or another, we need to be home for Mark’s next cancer treatment on the 14th. As things looks now, that should not be a problem.
by Judy Handley | Apr 29, 2015 | Little River, SC, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 201, Year 10: Transported to Italy
Date: Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Weather: Overcast and Rain, High Temp in the 60’s F
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC
Tonight Patsy and Joe transported us to Italy for a couple of delightful hours. They took us out to an Italian restaurant in Little River called Chianti South. Mark and I pass by this place every time we drive to and from Patsy and Joe’s, but we had never taken notice as it just looks like an old home sitting back from the road when you pass by. On closer inspection, it is an old home converted into a restaurant serving wonderful homemade pasta, bread, and salad dressings with their wide array of entrees. The wine menu must weigh five pounds and they even serve the Italian beer, Peroni, for beer lovers like Mark and me. Joe arranged for us to have a table next to the windows looking out on the side yard where there is a stand of 100 year-old live oak trees dripping with Spanish moss. After sunset, we watched little critters running around the under trees–a possum, a raccoon, and a few cats poised at the edge of the woods waiting for their dinner. The food was wonderful and we’ll all be eating left-overs for days as the portions were more than generous. Thank you, Patsy and Joe, for such a delightful evening.
The earlier part of the day was taken up with visits to doctors, one for Patsy and one for Joe, and a haircut for Mark. When we all returned to Patsy and Joe’s, we spent the afternoon completing the packing of special dishes and glassware and we then moved on to pack photo albums. It must run in the family. Patsy has as many photo albums as I do. But we got them into three large boxes and emptied another bookcase. Tomorrow is window cleaning day, so I’m hoping for some sunshine.
Mark is into passage planning mode. I start every morning listening to Chris Parker weather on the HAM radio. I take copious notes and summarize those for Mark. He then takes that information and checks other weather sources on the internet. We still don’t have a final plan, but it is looking more and more like we might leave here on Saturday morning and head straight for Cape Cod. But it is not Saturday yet and things could definitely change by then. So we will watch the weather, make the best plan we can based on the information we have, and then take off and see where the weather takes us. If we have to go inside, it will be more than two weeks before we get home. If we stay outside all the way, we could be home by next Friday. Only weather and time will tell.
by Judy Handley | Apr 28, 2015 | Little River, SC, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 200, Year 10: Cleaning and Packing
Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Weather: Mostly Sunny, NE to NW Wind, High Temp Upper 60’s F
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC
It was another day of cleaning and packing. Mark and I worked together to get the dinghy down from our foredeck to the dock to do a major cleaning job. This dinghy is a very light gray, almost white, and it was looking pretty grungy. So I scrubbed and scrubbed with Inflatable Boat Cleaner and then topped it off with UV Protectorant. It won’t take long for it to get dirty again, but at least we can start the summer season with it looking like new. And yes, I do know it is not yet summer, but there’s no such thing as spring boating season. Thus, I proclaim the summer boating season has begun . . . even if I do have to wear polar fleece and keep a propane heater running to keep from freezing as we sail northward.
The dinghy cleaning took all morning and then we headed to Patsy and Joe’s. I started attacking the garage today and will continue tomorrow afternoon. Patsy and I got her good China and her Christmas dishes packed up, so progress is being made. The movers will pack most everything, but some things are being packed for long term storage and Patsy wanted to do those things in special boxes. We’re still trying to figure out just the best way to deal with the garage, and that will be tomorrow’s project. But first, I will be taking Patsy to the eye doctor early and then shopping at Costco on the way home. So go the days.
by Judy Handley | Apr 27, 2015 | Little River, SC, Sailing Logs Year 10 |
Day 199, Year 10: Packing is for the Birds
Date: Monday, April 27, 2015
Weather: Sunny, NE Wind, High Temp 70 degrees F
Location: Lightkeepers Marina, Little River, SC
I was trying to come up with a title for tonight’s log that included birds and packing, so I came up with ‘Packing is for the Birds’. And although that is probably true, it is not really how I feel. It just worked as a title. We spent the afternoon and evening at Patsy and Joe’s continuing to work on packing things up for their move in June. Mark, Joe, and I also worked together to post some furniture for sale on Craig’s List. Getting rid of things is just as important as the packing of things to be kept. The bird part of the title came in before and during packing. As we were leaving Lightkeepers to go to Patsy and Joe’s, we saw a mommy and daddy goose and their tiny little goslings by the pond near the marina office. I had to stop and take a ton of photos as they were so, so cute. At Patsy and Joe’s we have been watching two little birds that have taken over one of Joe’s bluebird houses. We think they are young Brown Nuthatches, but if anyone has a better idea after looking at the photos, please let us know.
Tomorrow morning I’m going to get the dinghy off the front deck and give it a good cleaning. After that we’ll probably head back to Patsy and Joe’s to do more packing. Mark is not able to do much right now. Whatever he did to his shoulder last week is really painful . . . so much so that sometimes just picking up a little bag of crackers sets it off. I guess I’ll get my share of exercise raising and lowering sails on the way north.
