So Tuesday was our "Snow Day". We were waiting for the part for our sea strainer to come in and it was a gray and overcast day, so we opted to relax and enjoy the day on the boat.
Wednesday morning, our part wasn't due in until late in the afternoon so we were going to spend the morning touring the island. As we were getting ready, my Uncle Jim called us. He had been following the blog and had seen that we were in St Simon's. Did we know we had a cousin there? Well, I did not, but quickly took down her information and called her as soon as we hung up.
We were in luck - she was available to meet up with us today! Leslie picked us up at the marina where we tied up our dinghy and took us on a tour of the island. It was a good thing she did, because nothing was within walking distance and there were few cabs on the island. She jumped flawlessly into the roll of tour guide and carted us all around the island, showing us the history and telling us stories of her childhood.
The island is beautiful - filled with old live oaks draped in Spanish Moss that are hundreds of years old. Georgia is the birthplace of golf here in the States and this island is no exception - there are probably at least 100 holes of golf on this little island! And the clubhouses are beautiful old dark wood with elegant furnishings that take you back to the early 1900s as soon as you walk in the door.
After the tour was complete, the rain set in and we decided to have some lunch. So we stopped off and picked up Leslie's Dad, "Uncle Dick", and headed out for Mexican - their treat, to our surprise!! Finally, bellies full, they took us to the grocery store so we could stock up on a few provisions. This was a huge bonus for us, as we were running low on fresh food and had just planned to eat canned food till Savannah.
We had a great time with them and were so thankful for her carting us around all day. It was great to meet extended family members and they couldn't have been more generous! We were fortunate that Jim and Leslie were quick to act and helped us out so much while we were here!
We picked up our part from the marina office and headed back to the boat. Brad immediately set to work on fixing the strainer while I tidied up and put away our fresh groceries! But, as with all things boat, Brad soon realized that this project was no easy task. The roll pin that secured the bolt was lodged in place. After breaking a few drill bits and muttering every curse word in the book, the pin remained firmly in place.
A bit before sunset a new sailboat anchored right near us. Brad dinghied over to see if they might have some tools that could help us out, and as most boaters are, they were more than happy to help. He gave Brad a few tools that he thought might work along with some helpful hints.
Finally, after 5 long hours and the use of the new tools, Brad managed to get the roll pin out and the new bolt replaced. Looks like we will be able to leave tomorrow as planned! We returned the tools to the other boat first thing in the morning, along with a thank you note and a bottle of wine. And that is how you make friends in the boating community! They are heading our way, and we look forward to spending time with them when we next cross paths!
Today has definitely been a day we have been blessed to be surrounded by helpful people!!
Showing posts with label st Simons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label st Simons. Show all posts
Friday, June 5, 2015
Thursday, June 4, 2015
The only thing that works on a boat....
They say the only thing that works on a boat is the owner, and I must say that for most of our travels over the last five years, we have not found this to be true. We have had great luck with this old boat and we haven't had too many catastrophes - especially ones that come one right after another.
But recently, we have started tossing around the idea of selling the boat and moving back to dry land. Although nothing is set in stone, I'm convinced that she has heard us talking and has decided to revolt. Ever since we got back to the States, it seems that we cannot stay on top of the problems that arise. So why should today be any different?!
We actually had a really nice motor up from Cumberland Island to St. Simon's Island. We made it past the submarine base (which is spectacularly large!!) with no issues and made good time getting up the ditch. We had the anchor down just after lunch and decided to head in and get some fresh local seafood. Ever since entering Georgia waters, we have seen an endless stream of shrimp boats and I was just dying to get my hands on some fresh local shrimp! We were not disappointed - they were fabulous!
After an evening on shore, we rushed back to the boat to close all our hatches before the impending storm we could see quickly approaching in the distance. Once we had battened down and settled in, Brad decided to check our sea strainer. This is where the sea water comes in to cool the engine while we are underway; the filter is there to keep any debris from coming in and clogging up the pipes. We have been inundated with jellyfish down here and sometimes they can clog the filters, so we just wanted to make sure that we were all clear.
Everything checked out and we only had a few pieces of sea grass in the filter. But then, as Brad went to screw the bolts back in place to secure the lid on the strainer, the bolt sheared off. **Insert expletive here**
So, without the lid securely on the filter, if we turned on the engine the water that was supposed to be filtered through the strainer and into the engine would instead just come pouring out of the top of the strainer and into the bilge - at an alarming rate. Well, we can't exactly go very far when our boat is taking on gallons of water.
So, here we sit, waiting for a part to come in (hopefully tomorrow). Although we are safe here as long as we don't run the engine, this is definitely slowing down our forward progress and putting us even farther behind schedule. And although we don't actually have a set schedule, we do have the impending summer heat creeping up on us and we were hoping to make it up to the Bay before we were sweltering in the summer sun. *Sigh*
At least we get to enjoy beautiful St Simons today and most of tomorrow before we get our part and high tail it up to Savannah. Hopefully this is the end of our streak of bad boat luck for a bit!
But recently, we have started tossing around the idea of selling the boat and moving back to dry land. Although nothing is set in stone, I'm convinced that she has heard us talking and has decided to revolt. Ever since we got back to the States, it seems that we cannot stay on top of the problems that arise. So why should today be any different?!
We actually had a really nice motor up from Cumberland Island to St. Simon's Island. We made it past the submarine base (which is spectacularly large!!) with no issues and made good time getting up the ditch. We had the anchor down just after lunch and decided to head in and get some fresh local seafood. Ever since entering Georgia waters, we have seen an endless stream of shrimp boats and I was just dying to get my hands on some fresh local shrimp! We were not disappointed - they were fabulous!
After an evening on shore, we rushed back to the boat to close all our hatches before the impending storm we could see quickly approaching in the distance. Once we had battened down and settled in, Brad decided to check our sea strainer. This is where the sea water comes in to cool the engine while we are underway; the filter is there to keep any debris from coming in and clogging up the pipes. We have been inundated with jellyfish down here and sometimes they can clog the filters, so we just wanted to make sure that we were all clear.
Everything checked out and we only had a few pieces of sea grass in the filter. But then, as Brad went to screw the bolts back in place to secure the lid on the strainer, the bolt sheared off. **Insert expletive here**
So, without the lid securely on the filter, if we turned on the engine the water that was supposed to be filtered through the strainer and into the engine would instead just come pouring out of the top of the strainer and into the bilge - at an alarming rate. Well, we can't exactly go very far when our boat is taking on gallons of water.
So, here we sit, waiting for a part to come in (hopefully tomorrow). Although we are safe here as long as we don't run the engine, this is definitely slowing down our forward progress and putting us even farther behind schedule. And although we don't actually have a set schedule, we do have the impending summer heat creeping up on us and we were hoping to make it up to the Bay before we were sweltering in the summer sun. *Sigh*
At least we get to enjoy beautiful St Simons today and most of tomorrow before we get our part and high tail it up to Savannah. Hopefully this is the end of our streak of bad boat luck for a bit!
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