SPARKLE AND SHINE

Deltaville, VA
N 38º 18.46 | W 76º 24.78

All pretty and shiny and ready to go back in! It's been an idyllic boatyard stay, mild weather, no problems, good friends, short stay.

We're scheduled to drop in the water at 7:30 tomorrow morning, then off to Hampton! In and out in six days, a record for us.

A SHINER

Deltaville, VA
N 38º 18.46 | W 76º 24.78

Chip doing the scaffolding shuffle.

Polish. Paint. Wax.

BEFORE

DURING

After sanding, before painting.

CLEANING HER UP

Deltaville, VA
N 38º 18.46 | W 76º 24.78

Chip chipping barnacles.

On & Off Gel dispatching the mustache.

Boatyard worker sanding the bottom.

A BOAT OUT OF WATER

Deltaville, VA
N 38º 18.46 | W 76º 24.78

Anchored in Deltaville last night and, gasp, a squall blew over. What a year. No harm done. Love that anchor.

Picked the girl up out of the water this morning. We have stopped in Deltaville to give Cara Mia a bottom paint job and a hull wax, because we're getting her ready to put her up for sale. (If you are interested in buying a sweet and well-loved Island Packet 380, contact us!)

I've mentioned before that we're planning a new and exciting adventure. More about that SOON.

For those non-boaters among us, this is a travel lift. Two slings go under the hull, and then they lift it so the keel is above ground level. Then they drive the boat onto land and put it on jack stands.

For the record, this is an AFTER picture.

The bottom was slimy, and we had a good 'ICW mustache,' which is a brown stain from South Carolina waters. Lots of work to do!

And so begins what we hope will be only five days out of the water. Let's hope we don't find any problems! The boatyard is going to sand the bottom for us. We will do the rest of the work.

The weather is finally, finally smiling on us. Our mid-July weather calls for highs in the low 80s and lows in the 60s, perfect weather for working -- and sleeping without AC.

Strict haulout supervision provided by the crew of To Be.

BUSTING IT UP THE COAST

Deltaville, VA

Charleston to Deltaville in 89 hours over 8 days of travel up the ICW and into the Chesapeake. Whew.

Rain at Mile Hammock between Wilmington and Southport.

Close encounter on the way to Oriental.

Slogging through the cranky Albemarle, our home waters.

A joyful reunion with the crew of Anastasia in Hampton and To Be in Deltaville.

Hauling out of the water tomorrow. Now for some bottom paint and a hull wax!

Done with this well-worn guide for a while!
(The ICW ends/begins in Norfolk, now far south of us.)

CHARLESTON MAGIC

Charleston, SC

That little bout of seasickness on the overnight passage to Charleston was quickly forgotten when we tied up in our favorite marina next to our Norwegian friends on To Be.

The crew of To Be: Tina, August, Stian and Agnes

And then we saw the Spoleto Festival schedule! Spoleto is a 17-day arts and culture extravaganza, a non-stop binge of theater, dance, music, visual arts, opera, oh my.

The highlights of our cultural bath:

• TWO Puccini operas
• Celtic music performed in the enchanting Circular Church
• Oedipus as performed by several British theater troops but adapted and directed by Steven Berkoff
• The Other Mozart, a one woman show about Mozart's older sister, an amazingly talented musician. Why didn't she become famous as well? She was a girl. 
• A Paper Sculpture Exhibit. Outrageous stuff. The video in the link is just one of the exhibits.
• Tropical Storm Andrea

Well, we were not expecting THAT, even though Chris Parker, weather guru, suggested it might happen.

The wind was supposed to blow along that arrow, at the tip of which was our marina, straight fetch out of the Atlantic. Other boats at the marina were spinning around, pointing bow into wind and waves. Thanks, but no. We bolted and docked where that A is on the upper right, a whole barrier island between us and the ocean. Barely felt it. 

It took a tropical storm to peel us out of there.

Bye, bye Charleston. You are awesome.

Amazing book sculptures