Beaufort waterfront
sunset in Beaufort
a good friend and his catch
the day's catch on the grill
camping in the cockpit & eating watermelon
Each day that we remain anchored at the Beaufort waterfront (while we wait on the professional mechanic), is another day of getting small jobs done. One main priority is to achieve a lower waterline, especially at the bow. This means thinning out what’s onboard, as well as moving some heavier items towards the stern.
Saturday was a day of work and play. We had a visit from some good friends. They showed up in their power boat and rafted along side. After helping us wire in the chartplotter and radar power supply, the boys took off for some fishing. They also had the excitement of seeing multiple sharks while they were swimming from their boat. All persons exited the water immediately . . . and then they tried to catch one!
On Sunday, we organized spare lines and tossed the ones that weren’t worth keeping. We sorted through all of our flares and spares that came out of the life raft when it was serviced. All good flares were placed in one well-sealed case, and all of the old flares were put in a variety of older flare containers. Old glow sticks and raft paddles were tossed. Fishing gear and emergency food rations from the life raft were spared. With all of the reorganizing going on, we were able to fill 2 large trash bags. Wil moved 100 feet of anchor chain (to be used for the parachute anchor and series drogue) to a stern locker, as well as moved some anchor rhode to the spare anchor locker which sits a bit further back from the bow. We also raised the last new halyard (the staysail), and finally put dock lines and fenders away.
On Monday, we tackled the forward lazarette and the forward middle cabin. We almost completely emptied the forward cabin of its contents. Fortunately, many things were able to come out permanently. The LifeSling, horseshoe life buoy, and MOB light were returned to their mounts on deck. Seat cushions were brought out to the cockpit. The items that were returned to the forward cabin went back in an orderly fashion, with respect to their weight and amount of usage. Items in the forward lazarette were handled in the same manner. In the end, another bag of trash was filled.
Another item tackled on Monday was to get at least one functional shower. Up until now, we have been showering on the transom after the sun goes down. Not quite the full monty! But now we have one good shower and will attempt to have a second functional shower within the next couple of days.
After a full day of work, it was time to relax and cool off. On went the swim suits and we all jumped overboard. The guys off the bow, and the girls off the stern. We hung out on the anchor chain and bridle watching boaters go by. There was even some entertainment from a super yacht which is docked nearby. Three young guys were jumping from all deck levels and into the water. The highest must have been jumping from at least 25 feet above and across all lower decks before hitting the water. Pretty spectacular!
Since a weather front was approaching for Monday night, we were looking forward to a bit of rain to rinse the decks. We have accumulated 3 years worth of boatyard dust, plus the newly added salt residue. All trash was dinghied to shore, and all items that didn’t belong on deck were picked up. We wanted no spot to go unrinsed.
We were also a bit nervous about potential wind strength with the approaching front and the possiblity of dragging anchor. There are too many multi-million dollar boats sitting downwind from us, and we didn’t feel like getting close enough to say hello. With the engine keys sitting in the ignitions when we retired early to bed, knowing we may be busy through the night. After all of that anticipation, the frontal production was extremely tame. We were happy for no big winds, but we were highly disappointed in the lack of rain. Our decks are still quite yucky.
Today, Wil continues to work on the refrigeration system which is still non-functional. He will also try a couple of ideas with the overheating port engine. He will look at the anti-syphon valve and check the flow of radiator fluid through the heat exchanger. I will most likely spend the day stowing more provisions and getting the abandon ship bag ready. And of course, we will enjoy the ever-growing livable space on the boat!
