No captain ever wants to find his vessel in tow behind an assistance towing boat. But here we are getting dragged from the Oriental Inn and Marina to Sailcraft to begin the process of putting in Mavis’ new powerplant.
It was blowing about 25 knots right on the nose and it was a short but rather unpleasant trip. Still I found myself happy to be “out on the boat.” Captain Aaron of SeaTow Crystal Coast was a pro and helped get us docked up better than I could have with our engine running. We are now tied up at our new home marina for the next few days. We are right next to the crane which will be used to hoist Mavis’ old engine out on Wednesday. Then I’ll immediately get to cleaning out the bilge and possibly painting in preparation for the new engine being installed on Friday.
Today we did a major provisioning at the Piggly Wiggly supermarket who offer free dockside pickup and drop off in the pig mobile. How we can spend over $250 on groceries for two people is beyond me. Sometimes it’s not easy or convenient to get provisions so when it is, I think we go a little overboard. It’s good to have a boatload of fresh fruits and veggies and plenty of meats.
We have been doing lots and lots of walking here in Oriental. The town is really beautiful but everywhere you look there’s evidence of hurricane damage. Other than walking, I haven’t been doing much physical activity at all. I feel myself getting weaker. I need to get to a gym. I could do bodyweight exercises but I just don’t and I’m not sure why. Maybe tomorrow.
That’s it for now but I’m trying to update the blog frequently as I promised I would. Cindy and I are happy and looking forward to continuing the voyage as soon as I’m satisfied that the ship is ready to depart. Stay tuned for more… And boaters, do not forget to renew your Sea Tow memberships! It’s one of the greatest values in boating and after years of paying the annual fee, I’ve finally been able to take advantage of their fine services for today’s dock to dock tow.
Goodnight from Oriental.
Capt Frank