3:38 P.M. Eastern Time. And GANNET is ready to sail. But won’t for a while.
After we drove over to Hilton Head this morning and took a lovely bike ride out to Dolphin Point, we went down to GANNET where I filled the four five gallon/19 liter jerry cans with water, stowed more provisions, and wrestled the little boat’s interior from harbor to passage mode. This is hard, sweaty labor, with a lot of lifting and pushing unwieldy objects from awkward positions warned against by doctors.
Stowing GANNET’s interior is a Chinese puzzle of interlocking parts that must be assembled or reassembled in a specific order which can only be done by first moving most of them onto the deck. Anyway it is done and I could cast off and sail across the Atlantic without adding anything more. However I will add a few more bottles of orange juice, some more protein bars, skin lotion and more cookies. I like chocolate, but in this heat it would instantly melt in the Great Cabin
We stopped for lunch of fish tacos at the Dockside on Skull Creek a mile southwest of our condo, then returned to the rented Airbnb where I showered and have treated myself with an atypically early medicinal glass of Laphroaig. I earned and am enjoying it.
Not for the first time, all my effort may have been purposeless. The above image shows the possible position next Tuesday of Florence, now a tropical storm, by then a hurricane. Other projections show her passing farther out to sea or making a direct hit on Cape Hatteras. At this distance in time, the cone of possibly is too wide, so I will wait and watch. I expect that Saturday is my earliest possible departure
I will move on board Thursday.
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From Bernard in the Netherlands where he sails with his family on a Drascombe gig on which he has built a small cuddy cabin comes this charming drawing of Water Rat and Mr. Mole made by the late Hans Vandersmissen. Bernard shares my admiration for the drawing and THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS.
A few days ago a friend asked what is the title of my talks at the Chesapeake Maritime Museum.
Having just finished THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, I replied that I hadn’t even thought of a title, it will just be an old sea rat talking. Then I realized that would make a good title: an old sea rat talking. For a speech or this journal.
I thank Bernard for sending the drawing to me and wish him and all his family continued small boat sailing joy.
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Of small boats, GANNET is no longer the smallest sailboat at Skull Creek Marina.
When I walked down the dock Saturday morning I passed this 18’ Cape Dory with a Torqeedo on the transom. She has the same overall length as did CHIDIOCK TICHBORNE. I have not seen anyone on her yet and do not know where she came from or is going.
