Waylaid in Charleston

How does a planned 2 week stop turn into 2+ years!?? Two words, BOATS & LIFE. We have loved our time in Charleston, although much of it has been in the boatyard with E on the hard. We’ve completed many projects in that time, including a repower, all new thru-hulls and below the waterline hoses, a whole new lithium charging system, 1400w of solar (400 of which zips into our new Bimini), all new soft finishings for the boat, a new dinghy, refer, freezer, sonar, propeller shaft & prop, and the list goes on and on. And the truth is, we could work for another year and still have plenty of things to keep us busy, but boats are meant to sail and we are itching to go. The apartment is in boxes and we are sprinting to the starting line of a 1000+nm passage from Hampton Va - Antigua on or about November 1st, 2026.

We have decided to make the trip south with a group called the Salty Dawgs. There are about 100 boats that will travel the same route, with shore side support, including medical support, weather routing and advice on a variety of subjects. We are loving the experience so far and already learning much.

Nick is dealing with a surprise rebuild of the windlass, VHF antenna replacement and a malfunctioning freezer while I coordinate things for the rally, crew, working with our offshore captain, the apartment move into storage, updating medical supplies, inspecting safety gear, ordering spare parts, acquiring updated paper charts and on and on. The goal is to leave Charleston the first week of October, and shake things out on the way north to Virginia, which should give us some time to make any last minute repairs. We are excited about a change of scenery and to put E through the paces.