The dream is still alive.
We spent the summer with our new boat at the New Bern Grand Marina in New Bern, NC. Gail and I really enjoyed our time there. We spent the Spring getting the boat into shape. Southern Style spent a solid 6 weeks in the boatyard at Jarrett Bay getting some work done. We also replaced both Water Chillers on board with brand new ones. That hurt the wallet a bit. However, we now have confidence that we will never be without a comfortable living environment.
We did lots of side trips to Oriental and Ocracoke over the summer. Then in July, we did a big 3 week trip up to the Chesapeake Bay. We really got to "live" on the boat and started to get use to the idea of being "full-time cruisers".
The fall saw Hurricane Matthew come through. Fortunately for us, it did very little damage to the New Bern area. We only saw winds of 40 mph at the marina. Gail and I stayed on the boat during the storm and only lost power for a few hours. To my knowledge there was no damage to any boats at our marina. Even the flooding that came after the storm on the Neuse River did not affect us or the marina. We were very fortunate.
In August, we listed our house for sale. It was time to continue to get our "ducks in a row" and this was the next logical step. It didn't take long before we had an offer from an absolutely crazy family from Washington State who relocated to NC. They clearly don't understand how things work in the south. Even the real estate agents were fed-up with them and there constant whining. We were all extremely glad to get the transaction closed. It made me realize there are two types of people in this world. There are those who are positive and work to achieve harmony and mutual understanding. Then there are those who are negative, self-serving and generally have no regard for anyone or anything other than themselves and their own self interest. You have to steer clear of negative people. They suck out all of your energy and they thrive on that. Always work with people who search for a win-win. Life is too short.
On a more positive note, as a result of putting our house under contract, we went ahead and had an estate sale. We literally sold everything we owned out of our house including Gail's long-arm quilting machine and my Harley. That was really hard, but as we all know, there is no room on a boat for those. It some ways, it was hard to sell all of your "stuff" that you have spent a lifetime accumulating. In other ways, it was cathartic. It was liberating to be free of the things that hold you in place.
We still have a few loose ends to tie up, but the big hurdle in now out of the way. The light at the end of the tunnel is beginning to get a bit brighter. Spring of 2018 is still off in the distance, but we are beginning to feel that the dream is now within reach.
As I write this post, our boat in now in Wilmington, NC where she is getting all of her bright work redone. We are stripping all the varnished teak rails down to the bare wood and will bring it all back to a perfect, mirror finish. We will also be sanding and oiling all the teak decks. We will be installing a second Stidd helm chair to the pilothouse and finishing up a little engine room work. By March 1st, Southern Style should be ready to make her way back to New Bern for the Spring.
We have already joined AGLCA (America Great Loop Cruiser's Association) and will be attending their Spring Rendezvous in April. We are looking forward to speaking with current and past "Looper's" and finalizing our plans to begin the Loop the following year.
Each small step brings us closer to living the dream.
