FREEDOM FROM THE DOCK

DECEMBER 30, 2012


9 AM- Its Perfect pulled away from the dock at Ashley Marina, Charleston, South Carolina.  The weather is clear 40 degrees, water temp 54 degrees & the wind is variable up to 25 knots.   After 3 months of living on the dock we are once again on the water moving south.  Freedom at last.



LOADED & READY
 

Preparing for departure kept us busy for more than a week.  Living on the dock is more like living in a house you become complacent about keeping everything in its place.  All the things we used daily had to be put away.  While at the dock Rod was able to finish some of our wood trim & 2 of our storage compartments now have doors.  A few more places to put things.

Provisioning has been done over several weeks.  Limited access to transportation makes carrying heavy loads to the boat a challenge.  All the hard good provisions were stowed as it was brought aboard.  We left the dock with over 450 cans of veg, meat, beans & fruit.  3 things we cannot live without, peanut butter-12 jars, jelly-10 jars & Hellman’s mayonnaise-12 jars. We also carry 15 lbs. of flour, 10 lbs. rice, 10lbs. sugar, 5lbs. brown sugar.  There are 10 lbs. of dry beans & peas, dry milk, pasta, cereal, condiments, frozen meat, dairy, paper & personal products.  I plan on adding beer, wine, alcohol & extra fresh veg & fruit before leaving the mainland.  Even with all this I am certain I have missed some necessities.

Rod spent days on preparing It’s Perfect for departure.  Maintenance on the engine included, oil & filter change, new belts, new hose clamps, cleaned the strainers, drained the fuel filter bowl & changed the filter, replaced the sea water impeller & checked the coolant.  After pampering the engine it was time to move on to other things.  The generators received an oil change, the anchor chain was remarked, bowsprit refinished & installed a new larger anchor roller.  The dingy & motor were stowed.  After all of this, in a 30 knot wind he went to the top of the mast & replaced the steaming & deck light bulbs & finally installed a new radar reflector.  The tools were put away, the deck cleared & the bikes secured.

We left the dock with some growth on the bottom, most of our major components for the water maker & much nicer teeth.  All in all our stay in Charleston was very pleasant & we were sorry to leave our new friends on the dock.  We are on the move again.