Monthly Archives: June 2018

Welcome summer

6/11/18
Southport NC
Posted by Bill

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Well we are glad winter is over! We picked a hell of a year to skip traveling south in the boat…coldest winter in NC for over 10 years! We were glad to have our house to be in, instead of the boat. There were many days where the docks were frozen over, and lots of people had issues with their boats because of the deep freeze. There is typical no need for winterization of the boat here as long as you keep a small heater running, but that was tested big time this year. Thankfully, we did not have any issues with Island Bound.

We thought we would be able to use the boat some, especially after February, but we only made one trip to Wilmington for St Patricks day, and had a great time. Spring brought more than the usual amount of rain and record cool temps, so that affected our time at the boat. To top it off, the dredging of the marina was delayed a year. Because it has shoaled over, we cannot leave or come back to the dock unless we have mid tide or above. That has put a damper on boating for sure. They tell us they will dredge come this fall…fingers crossed.

So, we have spent most of our time on the house, and we needed to! Still haven’t hung any pictures, but the outside is pretty much done, and the inside still needs a couple of projects and some decorating. We have been able to have parties and overnight guests, so I guess that is what is important!! Life is so different going back to the house. Lots more room, real flushing toilets, really good internet access, a fantastic shower, but most of all we spend our time so differently. Lots of TV watching, unfortunately, and only a fraction of the time with nature as compared to our cruising lifestyle. It was a nice break but we are itching to get moving again.

The weather got back to normal in May for the most part, and we have been going to the boat daily to work on her, and just to sit and hang out on the water. Many of our happy hours are sitting in the cockpit or on the dock with other friends. Also, the seasonal happenings around town have kicked in, and there is almost always live music within walking distance. Actually, that is one of the best things about living in the historic district…we walk everywhere, and the boat is only 3 blocks away. We will go for days without driving, which is awesome.

Now we start to focus on getting the boat ready to head south. We are planning to leave mid-October and take our time. We really enjoy stopping and spending time at what have become our favorite places to hang for a few days. We have a reservation for a month in Key West again starting mid-December, but that is our only scheduled commitment. Let’s hope hurricane season doesn’t wipe out our cruising grounds this year!!! The Keys really took a beating last year, but most places have done a great job recovering.

If you are cruising south this fall, or doing a beach vacation nearby, come visit!