Hilton Head Island: restored

 

You have often see this view before.  It is normal here.  I saw an article recently about the ten restaurants with the best views in South Carolina.  One of them is a mile to the left of the photo. Almost the same view, but not as good because of absence of the live oaks.  As the sun lowers the colors will become more intense.  They are now so in the few moments I have been typing.  We live in beauty.  That is important to me.  I expect it is to most people, but not enough to do something about it, if they can, and most can’t.

I came out here with a glass of wine to listen to music after I complete this.  

The marsh has been perfect for several days.

The dangerous summer heat, which began in May, has been broken by a string of sunny days, moderate temperatures in the 70s, and abnormally low humidity.  Wonderful.

Each morning around 8 or 8:30 I bike down to work on GANNET.  Yesterday I was able to mark six tasks off my ‘to do’ list, but discovered two more to add.  Today I marked off four and added two.  I like to consider this progress.

Among the tasks marked off is ‘depth sounder’.  I wired the display directly to the battery and it came on which established that the problem was in the wiring.  I found the loose connection for which I am likely responsible.  It was a located near where when I am sleeping on the starboard pipe berth with the lee cloth up I place a flotation cushion to brace my knee against.  Probably when GANNET heeled too far I put too much pressure on it and loosened the wire.

So GANNET’s limited electronics, all of which had failed before or during the last offshore sail have been restored.  Not repaired, but replaced.  A new Velocitek for COG and SOG.  A new Raymarine I40 depth display.  A Calypso wind unit.  

I still have lots of work, mostly cosmetic, to do.  I just checked and my ‘to do’ is fourteen items long, three of which are optional.

I like routine.  I liked going to our guest bedroom every morning for seven or eight months writing.  I now like biking down to GANNET each morning and working on the little boat.

The sun has set beyond Pickney Island and a Great Blue Heron just squawked.

I am going to sip wine and listen to music.

It is a life.

L’Chaim.