Hanging out

Got you, didn't I?  You didn't think it would re a picture of someone actually hanging!

We've been wanting to clean the green mold off the bottom of the spreaders since we got the boat.   I'm always saying, just send me up in the bosun's chair and I'll do it.

The day came for that, we were all set with the chair and the hose and the bucket and I acted a little hesitant ("acted").

Tom immediately volunteered.  And this is him "hanging out" from the main halyard, with me at the winch to get him up.   

Doesn't he look like superman in the the top picture?

I've found a great place to go for walks, across the main road from here and alongside the inland river/marsh.  Lots of lovely big trees and open space.

One time, I sneaked up behind a tree and got to watch the bird below.  He had a downward curved bill at least 8 inches long.  I took a picture with my phone camera.   This is a cropped, blow-up of that.

I went back later with my better camera and he wasn't there.   Will always take my camera in future, in case. 

I believe he is a glossy ibis.

Okay, now the other "hanging out" part:    We are here in Beaufort SC at a very nice marina, waiting to see who will take responsibility for our new transmission going bad.   The people that make this decision are off work until after the new year.   No matter who takes responsibility, the transmission we need will likely be just leaving on a boat from Italy to come here, not arriving until February.   If it's on that boat, it won't be available for being shipped by airmail.    Our only alternative is to have a different motor, already attached to a transmission installed in the boat, then just take money or suffer when the new transmission does arrive.     Right now, now matter, we just have to  "hang out."

Streaming lots of movies, meeting some very nice fellow boaters.   Today will be playing cards with a couple that just came in last night, heading south.   After looking around here, they have decided to stay through the new year and are hoping we'll all rent a car and check out the surrounding area.    All is well.

Merrily we row along, row along etc.

This title means that we have no transmission in the big boat so we used the little one yesterday to explore the waterways around us.  We did use the newish motor that we bought to replace the one broken by the neighboring boater in the last marina.  It is just the right power to go fast, but not tip us up too far, as did the one that was broken.






The waterside park has 20 or so porch swings facing out.  You don't even have to compete to use one.

Tom got this picture of an osprey when he flew up from across from our dock.  Earlier, one osprey took a fish away from a blue heron and we heard the squawking.   Later, another waited for his turn.   They are sitting on piles of oyster shells.  These shells are everywhere here.

The last few days have  been  nice and warm.

A couple from Chapel Hill let me take their picture as they rowed past us at the dock.

Off for the dinghy ride

The latest is that when they took the new transmission out, it had very little fluid and a bearing inside was collapsed.  It will take a while over the holidays to determine whether it was the transmission or the installation that caused it and to have a new transmission sent here.    We might as well get over it and enjoy this place instead of wishing to be somewhere else.

Once again, hope all enjoy this turning of the seasons into a new year.

Another new home

From Folly Beach we made the 67 miles down to Beaufort, SC in two days.   We used the foresail for much of the way, with it pulling us about 1/2 knot faster, usually with light wind.  It rained most of the second day as we crossed a large river (two hours crossing and up the river) before we came into Beaufort.   We selected an anchorage on the north side of a rotating bridge, thinking it would be closer to a grocery store the next day.   But low and behold, when we were driving the boat slowly to change the anchor location the next morning,   the boat's motor just stopped working and wouldn't start again ! ! !   Tom quickly put out the anchor right where we were, partially in the boat channel.  After calls to boat-knowledgeable friends (Jimmy, Johnny)  and then one to the nearby marina, we settled on letting  the marina operator tow us to a T dock there and here is where we are.



The pictures below are from Folly Beach before we left - the "usual" sunset"

 

Tom, at my insistence, smiling at a local restaurant

 

A neat entry we saw to another restaurant

 

Pigeons hanging out at the end of the public fishing pier that we walked out to after lunch where I took a nap in the sun.

 

Tom looked back toward shore at the surfers.

 

Now, back to where we are now.  Here is the new transmission, installed.

 

This was a flock of white pelicans that didn't fly up until we were just upon them, as we came here.

 

Now, at our new slip, we look across and watch the various birds stop for a while.  This probably is a blue heron.  

 

Last night we watched the almost full moon come up.

 Another view of us tied up at the dock.

 

Today, it was so warm, I took a cushion and my knitting out and sunbathed on the dock.  It's supposed to be in the 70s by Friday and sunny each day 'til then.

 

This would have been a GOOD time to go on down south, but instead, we are spending each day having our boat's mechanical system looked at.   Tomorrow a very good local mechanic is pulling the engine forward, into the galley, and taking off the transmission to deduce which needs repaired or replaced - the engine or the transmission.

 

Strangely, Tom and I are in good spirits.   This is a lovely place.   Palms, mosses, wildlife around, with the  historic Beaufort just across the bridge from here. (We know it's nice because we spent a weekend there in July during their water festival) The marina has free laundry machines, bikes use, courtesy car, thrice a day cleaned bathrooms and very friendly staff and it is very reasonable priced.   A Publix supermarket is close by  as is a place we can get our propane tanks refilled - a veritable cruiser's paradise!  We really don't care how long we have to stay here, although we DID hope to spend some time in clear, warmer blue water of the south this winter.   Guess we'll have to wait and see.   Thanks for your patience in reading about our many travails.   Have a fun peaceful holiday season if I don't post again before the 25th.

Downs and Ups

 

 

 

This is a view from the county park at the end of the island alongside Folly Beach Inlet to the ocean. 

 

And below is a view back to our marina from that park.  You can see Tumbleweed Too, the boat farthest to the left.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I walk this beach about every day.  Sometimes Tom goes with me.  We find several large horseshoe crabs  as you see above.

We've been having very high tides.    The ocean comes up to all the wooden stairs to the beach each morning and again each night.   Our floating dock rises so high you can't see the oysters growing on the poles the docks float around.

 

 

On one of our trips doing errands we drove into Charleston, hoping to have lunch.  Streets were blocked off for a parade and we couldn't find a place to park.  We did get to drive over these stone roads that are paved with rocks that were the ballast for early sailing ships coming here.

 

 

 

 

This picture shows how the dinghy was torn around the transom when the neighboring boater rammed into it.  The picture below shows where he put his boat after the incident until he obtained insurance and is allowed back into the marina.   He now has his boat her in the marina and  has visited with Tom personally to make a plan how to pay for the damage.

 

 

We came out of a neat Sunday brunch place and saw people gathered outside at the place below having at the oysters while a band was playing alongside!   We wished we were still  hungry so we could have joined them.  Looked like fun.

 

 

Now, see our somber expressions on Thanksgiving Day as we sat down to the meal we'd prepared.   Tom had roasted a chicken and made some mashed potatoes.  I came up with the dressing, cranberry sauce, green beans and gravy.   A lovely meal, considering . . . .  

 

 
 
 
But we have not been happy the last week or so.  The new transmission was supposed to be delivered on November 25 and it's not here yet on Sunday, December 8th.  Lost in the shuffle between Florida and here after being shipped by boat from Italy.  It "should" be here by Monday or Tuesday. 

Tom has been particularly unhappy, feeling that we can't trust the boat not to have problems so that our focus is always on them, not our journey.  "I'm not cut out for this," he said.  For a few days there, we were looking into selling her and doing something else.

 

But a few sunny days and visits with several people around us have reminded us that it could really be fun to have the boat in clear blue warm waters in the winter - as opposed to other places we could be.   So now we're back on track to continue South.  When we get into Florida, we can decide which way to go.   For now, we will focus on just getting us and the boat there.