Happy Mother's Day tomorrow!
We really switched things up since the last post.
Persephone was in Fernandina Beach, FL for a couple of days before heading up to Charleston, SC. The wind was from all different directions and barely enough to sail. We arrived in Charleston and then took a route we never take - the ICW! Only 50 miles or so from Charleston to Georgetown, SC. Donna and Jerry on Bluejacket were a day ahead and we caught up with them in Georgetown. I was able to schedule Covid vaccines for all of us in Georgetown! Thank you South Carolina for allowing out-of-state residents to be vaccinated.
From Georgetown, SC back to the ocean for another short weather window to Beaufort, NC. All southerly winds all the way to Donna and Jerry's place in Oriental on Broad Creek. This is where I got off the boat. My brother-in-law Tom (Susan's husband) drove 15 hours to Oriental on a Friday for a sailing adventure starting Saturday around Cape Hatteras to NY with Jerry. This was really Tom's first long-distance sailing opportunity. He sailed aboard a big Bermuda Sloop - The Spirit of Bermuda a couple of years ago from Maine. The sailing ship was intending to sail to Bermuda but because of tropical disturbances near Bermuda (Jerry and Karen - really! those were the storms/hurricanes) and some problems with the ship Tom had to get off the boat in Newport, RI. Jerry and Karen owed Tom a sailing opportunity on the Atlantic Ocean!
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| Tom and I at Donna and Jerry's in Oriental, NC. |
I drove Tom's car back to New York to help out at my parents place while the guys sailed north.
Thanks to Tom's Facebook page, I was able to find some pictures to post from their journey.
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| Saturday morning at the Bean in Oriental with Donna, Jerry, Tom and Jerry. |
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| Persephone leaves Oriental headed for Beaufort and the Atlantic Ocean. This is the first time Persephone has ever left for an ocean voyage without me on board! What a strange feeling watching your home sail off. |
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| Persephone's track from Oriental, NC to Sandy Hook, NJ |
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| Tom's picture of Persephone at sea. |
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| A tug at sea. |
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| Tom takes a picture of Jerry in the cockpit out on the ocean. |
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| Looking back on the Newburgh Bridge on the Hudson River. |
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| Motoring on the Hudson River. |
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| Thanks, Tom, for taking pictures! Another shot along the Hudson River. |
Here are some pictures from my land trip - after visiting with Jerry and Donna I spent the night in NC with my cousin Georgette and left early Sunday morning. First stop - the Dismal Swamp Welcome Center south of Norfolk to meet my friend Kari's daughter Haley & fiancee Matt. Persephone - rum runner.
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| Matt and Haley. Great to meet Matt and transport rum and hugs from Kari in St. Thomas. |
Next stop - Kim's in Charlottesville, VA for lunch. Kim and my sister Susan were best of friends in high school, roomed together for a while near Richmond years ago, and stay in touch. I had the opportunity to meet Kim's husband Adam, have lunch, catch up on 20 years and relax for a bit before getting back on the road. Thanks Kim!
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| Me and Kim |
I figured I'd drive until dinner time and find a place to stay. After stopping at a hotel and finding out how expensive a room is and realizing how cheap I am, I found a campsite in Falling Waters, WV and pulled over for the night. By chance my nephew Owen had a sleeping mat in the car. Perfect!
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| My "camp" - no, not the tent - the black station wagon back in the trees. |
Although our arrival in New York State was sunny and fairly warm at first it sure took a turn yesterday! Rain and 50 degrees or so for the high. We'll begin our projects on the boat and on land dreaming of sunshine, sandy beaches, and toes in the sand. Sure hope to catch up with everyone while we're in New York for the summer!
