Doing the Ditch

Yup, it has been since Yumsuch that we have headed south on the ICW, but we are doing it this year.  There is a stubborn low sitting off the northern coast of FL and it is causing a large swell all the way up to Charleston.  One of those things where the marine forecast looks perfect, but the buoy data shows a different story.  Seas over 5' from Charleston down and up to 8' near Jacksonville.

We are currently right near the Savannah River.  Still in SC in the New River.  It is just 2 miles from the Georgia border. Weather has been perfect, so we can't complain about motoring the ditch.

 First night on the hook, in Awendaw Creek, deserves a celebratory Walking Dead beer.  We got caught up on season 6 later that night.

 

First sunset of the winter cruising season.

On the Move

Water has come down, at Osprey, about three feet since last week.  That makes us comfortable going under the bridges again.  We left this morning and are hoping to be in Charleston tomorrow.  There, we will wait for the right window to go outside and sail to FL.

Besides a few details, the remodel is done.  We spent last weekend finishing teak, waxing and provisioning.  So, we'll finish things up as we move along.  Everyday, the new look still surprises me.  Makes the months of work worth it. 

Pictures will follow soon.

    

Living on the ARK

We are just about done with our renovation and have moved back aboard for the winter season.  Our new couches have shipped this week, so once we receive, we can take final pictures.  we are both working on a final cabinet, teak and waxing for our trip south.

It has been a long haul getting the boat the way we want it.  Looking forward to cruising and spending time together again. 

You all have heard about about the historic rainfall and flooding in NC and SC.  To be honest, Myrtle Beach was spared the worst. But, we still had road closures, water half way up the tires at our resort and docks approaching the limit at Osprey.  No damage to any of our properties, so good news there. 

The water still hasn't peaked here at Osprey. Osprey is a designated hurricane hole, but the water is now higher than any hurricane has ever brought.  Full flood isn't expected until for up to a week.  No one is sure. 

This may delay our couch arrival, as parts of I95 are still closed in SC.  In terms of departure, we are shooting for the 17th.  But, debris and lowered bridge clearances may delay that a few more weeks.  Only time will tell.  One thing for sure, we don't plan on any overnight sails when there will be so much debris floating out there.  One Active Captain comment was about witnessing water exiting the inlet during a flood tide. 

 You can see the weld seam right above the black collar.  that was where they added height after the last hurricane that hit here.  That seam is usually above my head, so we are 5-6 ft above normal water levels.

 This is the cart path that leads to the transient dock along the canal.  It is now completely under water.  Even though it stopped raining 3 days ago, the water is still rising about 2 inches per day.

           This is the transient dock.  We spent all last summer in the same spot as this cat.  The ramp, that is going up right now, is usually going down at a pretty good angle.   

Update

Countertops are going in today.  My first day off since June.  Nice to watch someone else do the fabricating for once. 

We are hoping to still finish by the end of the month.  Mid-October is our fall back time, but things seem to be falling place right now. 

The hardwood flooring material gets delivered today, so I hope to be cutting floor tomorrow and get it dry fit by the end of the weekend.  Then it's my favorite part.  Nothing better than the smell of varnish in the morning.   

Pictures to follow soon.

Buried in Details

Hello all.  Wanted to let you know the project is still moving forward.  All of the cabinets are built.  We had to change suppliers of the drawers we wanted and for the countertops.  Looks like we have finally made decisions, so that helps us move forward at a faster pace now. 

Don't really want to spoil the surprise by posting progress pictures.  But, I will tell you the granite is from Granite Transformations and we will have some copper flakes in the finish.  Some may remember our copper countertops in Yumsuch.  The granite is only 1/4" thick and will be epoxied to the Coosa composite that we are using for the substrate.  Total weight will be about 130 lbs for the 40 sq. ft. of countertop. 

Making the boat comfortable, while saving weight, so we can sail fast. 

  Thinking of the good times at Burdine's listening to Cory and Ty.

Still Working

Don't want everyone to have to wait for the months it will take us to complete the renovation.  I also wanted to clear up some confusion.  The previous pictures were of before and after demo.  We are still creating the new interior.  The old interior, while beautiful, was uncomfortable for living aboard.  Too many curves in the seating.  A refrigerator door that would not fully open.  Reach in freezer that eliminated any usable countertop.  And, as usual, a sink that was too small.  Part of the new design will include a full size sink like you have at home. 

I have been working with 1/2" Nida Core with a fiberglass skin.  I chose that method because the skin is made with a polyester resin.  This allows for easy gel coating to match the interior white.  Gel coating is a lot more work than painting, but I like it's durability, lack of fading with age and easy repairs.  The Nida Core is also 1/3 the weight of plywood.   

Nida-Core material

 This is a front that came through right before our overnight from Cumberland Island to Charleston.  We were well past it, but when the wind started to build, we started to furl in the Code 0.  Then a 90 degree shift and winds to 30 knots make you happy that skin grows back.  The next one had a warning from the coast guard and that brought winds to 46 knots.  We were more prepared and were sailing with a reefed mainsail only.    Luckily, they blew through and we had a clear night with steady following winds. 

Open Concept

Pictures, of before and after demo, will show you what I mean.  I say bring a lawn chair and cooler.  Sure would save us a lot of time. 

Material is coming in next week, so rebuild will begin.