The most beautiful girl in the world

Her name is Dee and wherever she is, she always has my heart with her.

Getting ready to start traveling

I have been working on the boat a lot getting it ready to travel
Solar panel mounting
Now that the project is almost done I am getting ready to head to New York for the summer then back down this way as I head to Texas for the Winter.

Some weekend shakedown cruises until the storm season is over on the east coast.

Well it is time to get ready to head out again. Now on the little dock I am learning things about the boat. I burned up my charger so I am getting a bigger and better charger that can handle charging a 500ah charge. My battery bank is 2 sets of 2 6v 250ah Trojan 105 deep cycle batteries. What can I say they are big and I got a great deal on them. So I think I should get a charger that charges at about 50amps per hour. I found a good one made by Iota but will be checking with the consignment store first when my new visa card gets here.

My first weekend trip will be sailing up to the City of Washington N.C. for 2 days.

they have a 48 hour free public dock and it is a beautiful little city. I went up there to help Jeff get one of his boats back, and you can see some pictures from day 2 of that adventure on my Face book page. When I go there it will be to enjoy the town and take some pics as I relax.










Then after I get back here in Oriental for a few days to address any issues I might find and to check in with friends the next 2 day trip will be to Elizabeth City NC

I am told that it is a beautiful city as well. there is no reason that a shakedown cruse can't be fun. It's a big world and we only take up a small part of it.












If all goes well on those two trips then by the time I am done I will provision the last small Items I need to start heading South in the start of Nov, and onward to see as much of the world as I can.

The little dock time forgot

Well I moved my boat to the in town public dock last week but stayed on the hook in the harbor first, and that morning I got a lesson on why to double anchor when in a crowded harbor. When I woke up and looked out the companionway all I could see was a large mast. When the water changed I drifted and was then caught in another boat's anchor line. Well thats one of those things that wakes you up better then coffee. So I freeked and started doing what a good sailor does,,, went in to action. First I started my motor and as the people on the other boat slacked up their line I pulled forward was still tangled then set the motor in reverse and motored back a bit then forward again and we were freed. At that point I headed to the town dock. The town public dock is a dock you can tie to for 2 days every month. That night I ran i n to a friend who told me when your time is up I know the perfect place for you.

This is the dock that time forgot

As you can see the Shire is parked there now and it is a perfect spot for the Shire for a while.





The only thing about this spot is at the dock the water is about 3' and my boat draft's 4.5 so I have long lines and pivot the boat in the mud on it's keel to pull the bow in and board. But I love it. As live aboard boaters it's always good to remember meeting friends and helping others pays off. If not for the friends I had made here I would of never known about this little spot. So for now the Shire is a happy quiet peaceful place for me to stay until the storm season is over and it is time for me to start heading south again

Deer Fly

I was wondering if I should rename my boat 'Deer Fly Magnet' as I was out working yesterday. I think about 20 of them found their way over to me. If you have never dealt with them, they are a fly that likes to feed on blood, my blood. So after I put my porta bote back together one of the things on my shopping list is Deet (AKA Off) and I plan on getting those candles they sell to burn in my cabin that repel all the little nasties that seem to think I am a walking snack.

My first day on the hook in Oriental NC

Well today is my first day out on the hook here in Oriental. I pulled out of my slip around 7am and found a nice spot not far away. I think I am ready for sleep I was up all night with the friends I have made here in town. We talked of many things from politics to adventures past. All and all I would call it a good night and time well spent.

A picture on my boat here in the waterway. When I finely leave I think this will be one place I will always remember

Learning to throw a cast net

My friend Cindy from the Oriental Consignment shop loaned me a cast net to catch shrimp with, and I have been learning how to use it. Funny thing about cast nets, you can watch 10 youtube vids on them, and see 10 ways to throw it that works perfect in the video. Then when you try all 10 ways to cast it, not one of them work. I did catch 1 shrimp with it so I know the little guys are out there just waiting to come to my boat for dinner. I just need to learn how to cast it better. So every day I am out there for a few hours casting it and pulling it back in. I know at some point I will learn the throw that works for me.

My time here in Oriental is growing shorter by the day. Right now I am waiting for a check to clear and then I will be getting my final provisions to put out to sea. So my excitement level is pretty high.

I leave you this time with a quote from Homer's Odyssey 

'Odysseus spread his sail to the wind with joy, and steered the raft cleverly with the oar as he sat there. At night he never closed his eyes in sleep, but watched the Pleiades, late-setting Bootes, and the Great Bear that men call the Wain, that circles in place opposite Orion, and never bathes in the sea.'