Tuesday, May 31, 1994 - Core Creek, NC

The can of paint Roy ordered arrived today. He was going to give the deck its final coat, and I was going to second-coat the roof, but it rained all day, so we couldn't.
I did the laundry and played with the weatherfax some more. Phoned the National Weather Service to find out about RTTY and Navtex. Was told they're both in plain English. Later, I phoned the software producer. Talked with a customer rep who was very nice and eager to please. Unfortunately, this was his first day on the job, so he knew even less about it than I did. He gave me a few suggestions, which I tried, but they didn't work. Maybe the problem is just crummy reception; maybe in Charleston or out on the open ocean it will come in better.
In the afternoon, Roy and I borrowed the truck and drove to the store for chicken and stuff.
We've arranged to go back in the water tomorrow, so we paid the bill of $512.15.

Monday, May 30, 1994 Memorial Day

Roy finished painting the bottom and began wiring the wind generator. I sanded and painted the wood on top of the doghouse. The boat at least looks good.
Got another weatherfax. I've learned we can get reception only in the morning. By noon, there's nothing. The only weatherfax frequency I can get anything on is 20013.20. Of course, everything will undoubtedly change when we move to a new location.
Got an RTTY weather transmission, too, but it was nothing but a meaningless assortment of letters, numbers, and punctuation marks. Tomorrow, I'll phone and try to find out where I can get a book to decode it and Navtex. I don't understand why they don't use plain English.

Sunday, May 29, 1994 - Core Creek, NC

How pleasant to have the boat to ourselves! The tension is flowing out of us; we're starting to feel human again. We've learned a very expensive and painful lesson: this boat is built for two people. It's okay to have a couple of guests along for a day or two, but no more than two people at a time and no more than two or three days. More than that is too stressful.
So many conditions led to the grounding, so many if's. If we hadn't had the crew; if we hadn't been under so much stress for a month; if we hadn't changed our plans so abruptly; if we hadn't been so hasty; if I'd paid more attention to the coastal charts; if Roy had checked the charts and course before we left; if we'd left at dawn instead of at night; if I hadn't been so sleepy; if I hadn't turned the wheel over to Butch; if Butch had stopped the boat; if I had taken in the headsail and changed course; if, if, if..... We'd be in Bermuda now, if.....

This was a pleasant day. Bright blue sky, fluffy white clouds, warm but not hot, pleasant little breeze. Roy continued patching the cracks and then started applying bottom paint. I got another weatherfax and even part of a Navtex transmission, but it was incomprehensible. At least, the equipment works, but it's irrelevant now that we won't be going to sea.
In the afternoon, I took a shower and then went for a stroll. This is pretty country, but I bet it's miserably hot and humid in the summer.
It's sure nice having a restroom and shower that's always available and that we don't have to go through someone's house to get to. This one's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Saturday, May 28, 1994 - Core Creek, NC

Memories of Monday night continue to haunt me. I wake up at night thinking about them. During the day, I can't get them off my mind. It just seems impossible that I didn't stop the boat before she went aground. That's such an automatic thing to do. Even brain-dead, I should have automatically stopped the boat. And why didn't Butch stop the boat? He was at the wheel; why didn't he pull back the throttle? I'm not blaming Butch; I just don't understand how both of us could have been completely out of it at the same time. I guess that's the fallacy of having two people on watch--neither feels responsible. If I had been on watch by myself, I would have stopped the boat. If Butch had been on watch by himself, he would have stopped the boat. Instead, both of us expected the other one to do something, so nothing got done.
My greatest regret is the terrible injury I did to the Jofian. She's such a good boat; she deserves much better treatment. A cement or fiberglass boat would have been smashed to pieces. Jofian held together and got us safely back to port.
My second greatest regret is ruining the vacation dreams of five people, especially Roy. Al and Lloyd are driving back to California in a rented car. That's miserable and expensive. We're sitting in this stupid boatyard at Core Creek, North Carolina, feeding the mosquitoes and paying $400 for the privilege. Roy worked so hard for months getting the boat ready for the trip. He should be out on the water having fun, enjoying the fruits of his labors. Instead, he's having to repair the boat all over again. All because of my inaction. We'd be sailing into St. George's Harbor right now if I'd just gotten my act together and stopped the boat. How could I have let her go on? How could I have not stopped her? I've asked myself that over and over. It would have been so simple to have taken in the headsail and changed course when the depth gauge first started dropping. Even later, when we were in less than ten feet of water, we could have stopped the boat, turned around, and headed back to deep water. Why didn't we? Why, why, why?
Roy has assessed the damage to the boat at twenty-five to thirty thousand dollars. The keel has separated from the hull. A number of planks need to be replaced. She needs to be refastened, something we did in Richmond a couple of years ago, at a cost, if I remember correctly, of around $4000. Most of the seams have to be recaulked. Finally, of course, she has to be repainted. All this just to get her back into the condition she was in at ten o'clock last Monday night when I took over the watch. And even then she won't be in as good a condition. She'll probably never again be capable of sailing across the ocean, but at least we'll be able to sail her along the coast and in inland waters. But the wonderful dream Roy has been dreaming ever since he bought the boat nine years ago has been shattered. And I did it. He's always been so good to me; how could I have done this to him?
The situation began deteriorating when Al invited two of his friends to go with us. When they all arrived a week early, everything really started going downhill. Roy couldn't finish the work the way he wanted to, the boat was too crowded, there was much too much haste. We should have sat in Morehead City until the wind changed and then sailed to Charleston as we originally planned. It was crazy trying to go to Bermuda without a sea trial. Haste really does make waste.

Tried printing the weatherfaxes today. To my surprise, the printer worked flawlessly! The faxes are much easier to read on paper than on the screen. They're still pretty blurry, though; we can't really interpret them. And I still can't get Navtex.
Roy spent most of the day patching the hull temporarily. He has sealed the gap between the keel and the hull, and has caulked many of the seams. He has concluded that the keel bolts can't be torqued without removing the engine and cutting holes in the beams, so they'll have to stay as they are for now. After he repaints the bottom, the boat should be ready to go back in the water Wednesday. If she doesn't take on water, we'll gingerly sail her to Charleston and haul out again to reinspect the hull.
In the afternoon, we borrowed the pickup, drove to a grocery store, and bought chicken, cauliflower, broccoli, and cookies. Nice day for a drive.
Around ten, Roy phoned his son, Steve, and told him what had happened. Steve said to think of it as another experience.

Friday, May 27, 1994 - Beaufort, NC

How delightful to wake up in a quiet, peaceful, empty boat! I'm starting to feel like a human being again.
It rained most of the night and morning, so I filled the tank with fresh, sweet rainwater.
Spent three or four hours trying to get the new weatherfax to work. It requires very careful tuning and excellent reception. I tried various frequencies and adjustments but got nothing but specks. By noon, I had just about concluded that it was defective, and I was thinking of phoning the company I bought it from. All of a sudden, to my amazement, here came a weather chart! I could scarcely believe my eyes. Granted, it's sort of fuzzy and hard to read, but at least it is a weather chart. It's easy to recognize the various states, including North Carolina, and it has a zoom feature, so you can magnify the area you want. If I can get it to print out on paper, it should be even easier to read. Later, I even managed to get some Morse code, which is even trickier to adjust. There was a lot of noise, giving extraneous characters, but some of it was readable. So far, however, I haven't been able to bring in Navtex at all. I don't understand why they gave it such a low frequency--only 518 kHz. A higher frequency would be much easier to receive. I got the weatherfax at 20.015 MHz. I'd like to be able to get Navtex, because it describes the weather in words instead of pictures.
Expected Roy back around noon. When he wasn't here by two, I began to get worried. Fortunately, he showed up, safe and sound, around 2:30 or 3:00. He had taken his time and done some shopping. He was thrilled when he found out we'd gotten a weatherfax.

Thursday, May 26, 1994 - Beaufort, NC

Well, it's over. We're not going to England or Bermuda. Roy called another meeting at 9:30 and "invited" Al to leave. Lloyd decided to leave also. They spent most of the day getting their gear and groceries off the boat and making travel arrangements, while Roy and I wandered around or sat in the lounge to keep out of their way. Since there was far more stuff than they could carry on a plane or train, they decided to rent a car (Roy suggested renting a truck, but it was too expensive). The nearest place where they could rent a one-way car was Raleigh, so they rented a local car from Enterprise and Roy went with them to the Raleigh Airport to get the Hertz car. Roy will drive the Enterprise car back tomorrow.
What a relief to have the boat to ourselves again!
I've gone over in my mind the events of Monday night a thousand times, always with a slightly different scenario, but every time I mentally bring in the headsail, turn the boat around, and head back to deep water. Why didn't I do that in real life? Probably because I'd taken two Dramamine, which always makes me drowsy, I'd only had one hour's sleep, and it was the middle of the night. My body was up walking around, but my brain was asleep. That combined with the chaos, confusion, conflict, stress, pressure, and haste of the past month. The boat just isn't big enough for five people, especially when one of those people is Al Snider. We've learned an expensive lesson, and, as Roy says, we're lucky to have survived.

Wednesday, May 25, 1994 - Beaufort, NC

We're paying $240 for the haulout and return plus $20 a day. We'd much rather be spending the money in Bermuda or England, not to mention the time.
Roy called a meeting at nine o'clock this morning to discuss the situation. He estimated it would take at least four or five days to repair the boat. Then we'll sail to Charleston, as we intended in the first place, and haul out again to see if any more seams have opened up. Based on the condition of the boat at that time, we'll decide what to do next. The trip to England is out. There is only a slight chance we'll go to Bermuda. Hurricane season is fast approaching.
We left in much too much haste. We weren't ready. We hadn't had a sea trial. We changed our plans too abruptly. None of this excuses my actions (or lack of them), but it helps explain them.
The boatyard has a courtesy pickup truck available for customers to use for two hours. Al borrowed it this morning. He and Lloyd drove to Morehead City. Al dropped Lloyd off after agreeing to pick him up in an hour at a certain place. Around one, Al returned to the boat alone. He said he'd been an hour late going back to get Lloyd, and when he got there, Lloyd wasn't there. He thought maybe Lloyd had hitch-hiked back. Both Roy and I insisted that Al immediately return to find Lloyd, unless someone else was waiting to use the truck. I checked in the office, and they said we could use it. I went with Al to help him find Lloyd and to get a few things that Roy wanted. When we got to Beaufort, Al asked me which store I wanted to go to first. I told him our first priority was to find Lloyd. Then he asked me where I wanted him to start looking. I said to go to the place where they'd agreed to meet. Sure enough, there was Lloyd patiently waiting. Al hadn't even walked around the corner of the building to look for him! True, Lloyd had left a few times for brief periods, so perhaps he hadn't been there when Al arrived, but Al could have waited for ten or fifteen minutes. Fortunately, Lloyd wasn't angry or even surprised.
Of the three things Roy wanted, I was able to get the mechanical finger and the plumber's tape right off, but we went to a dozen stores without finding the waterproof bag, so we returned to the boat. By then, it was after five, so the office was closed. Al left a note on the truck's windshield and took the key to the boat.
After supper, I phoned my daughters Barbra, Kathy, and Diane. Barbra is feeling some better but still has brief memory lapses. She's working but doesn't like the job. However, she'll soon have medical insurance, so then she'll be able to go to a private doctor. The company Kathy works for is on the verge of bankruptcy, so she'll soon be out of work. When that happens, she'll probably move to Visalia, where Brian's other grandmother lives. She can rent an entire house down there for $550 a month. Diane has lost her job and will probably soon be moving to Portland to start the mail-order furniture business she wants to get into.
Al changed the oil in the generator, messed up the choke, and left the generator sitting on the ground, in the dark, for several hours. Al also used the pressure cooker to cook black-eyed peas and messed up the valve, burned the peas, and then set the hot pot down on the formica. Roy was seething.

Tuesday, May 24, 1994 - Norfolk, VA

I don't know why Roy didn't throw me off the boat after what I did. I fully expected to be on my way back to California today. I've ruined the boat and everyone's plans and dreams. But Roy didn't even get angry. He keeps looking at the bright side and saying how lucky we are that no one was hurt, no one drowned, the boat didn't sink, and we're tied to a dock safe and almost sound.
We ate breakfast at Hardee's and then walked around looking for a boatyard. The one we found couldn't haul us until tomorrow, and then they wouldn't let us work on the boat ourselves, so that was out. They told us about another yard a few miles down the ICW, so we phoned and were told they could haul us right away and we could do our own work.
Butch is returning to California, so we saw him off and then took the boat to the yard and hauled out. Roy was too tired to check it out today. We slept most of the afternoon. Al, Lloyd, and I took all the canned goods out of the compartments under the floor of the main cabin, rinsed them in fresh water and removed the labels. The compartments are full of salt water. The spare starter, in a waterproof bag, got saturated with salt water, so Roy is trying to salvage it. The lazarette, fortunately, is dry.
I feel so awful. We should be sailing happily over the Atlantic on our way to Bermuda instead of sitting here in the middle of nowhere with the temperature in the 90's and 100's. Such a terrible waste of time and money and effort, all because of my incompetency.
(Note: this haul out is just two weeks, honest.)

Monday, May 23, 1994 - On Way to Bermuda and Return

At last blue sky and sunshine! Temperature in the 80's.
We've made a very sudden change of plans. The wind would be against us going to Charleston this week, but it's perfect for going to Bermuda, so we're going to go directly to Bermuda from here. I made a rush phone call to Kathy to ask her not to send the mail to Charleston. Fortunately, she hadn't mailed it yet.
This was a busy day, getting ready to leave. I went to the post office and got the part we'd sent for. Sure glad it arrived before we left. The guys finished the carpeting and mounted the wind generator. Al painted the deck. I washed all the dirty clothes. Also changed our course. Phoned the National Weather Service. Everything looks perfect for our trip.
The boat might not be 100% ready, but she's ready enough.
Returned the rental car. The guy at the agency asked me if I "laaked" the car. I said, "I don't think I locked it, but here's the key." Turned out he wanted to know if I LIKED the car.
Ate supper and left about 8:30 p.m. The first part of the trip was fine. Roy and Lloyd were on watch. They took us through the Beaufort Inlet to the ocean. The guys raised the mainsail, mizzen, and headsail. We were also using the engine at low RPM's.
At ten, Butch and I went on watch. I had grabbed an hour's sleep, which was probably a mistake. I might have been more alert if I hadn't slept at all. I don't know. All I know is, my brain was in low gear, and I did everything wrong and ruined the trip for everyone.
I was trying to use a small-scale ocean chart that doesn't show any detail. That was a major mistake. With Butch at the wheel, I blundered into Cape Lookout Shoal, which is the Potato Patch of the Atlantic. In no time at all, we were in less than ten feet of water, and breakers were crashing over the side of the boat. Obviously, I should have immediately taken in the sails, turned the boat around, and returned to deeper water. Why something that obvious never crossed my mind, I'll never know. I did try to change course, but the sails started flopping around. Instead of lowering the sails, I returned to the old course. Once, I told Butch to stop, but apparently he didn't hear me, and I didn't repeat it. I even thought of pushing the throttle into neutral myself, but unfortunately, I didn't do it. I seemed to be paralyzed into inaction. And the water kept getting shallower and shallower. Inevitably, we went aground, BLAM. That woke everyone up in a hurry. Roy leaped out of bed, took the wheel and kept the boat going, but the keel was hitting bottom every few seconds, BLAM, BLAM, BLAM. At Roy's urging, I found the chart I should have been using in the first place and saw where we were and how to get out of it. After an eternity and many jolts that shook the whole boat, we were back in deep water. Of course, we had no alternative but to return to Beaufort. We tied to the first vacant dock we came to and fell asleep. By then, it was morning.

Sunday, May 22, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Considerably warmer today, but still windy and overcast, with a threat of rain. Nevertheless, Lloyd and Butch managed to install the new carpet on the aft cabin roof. They did a beautiful job. Al worked on the auto-pilot, and Roy repaired the hot-water leak. I drove around to some stores and bought a few things. Also, plotted our course to Bermuda from Charleston.
Phoned Kathy and asked her to send the mail to Charleston. Phoned my daughter Carol and found out they're not going to England; they're going to Germany, Austria, and Italy. They'll be there during July, while we're in England.
In the evening, we took the guys to Shoney's for supper. Best meal we've had there yet.

Saturday, May 21, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Cold, windy, and damp all day, so the guys couldn't work on the boat. I drove to the post office in the morning, but there wasn't any mail. Picked up a bunch of groceries.
After lunch, Roy and I drove to a marine store in Beaufort so he could get some stuff he needed. It's just on the other side of the bridge.
Several Naval vessels came into the harbor today. I didn't know this harbor was deep enough for such large ships.
Unusually high tide today. The gangplank's flat, and the islands are nearly submerged.
I plotted our course to Charleston and entered the waypoints in the GPS.
Tried to phone Kathy and Carol, but no response. Also tried the weatherfax, after Roy solved the tuner problem by simply pushing the radio's send/receive button. Got some specks on the screen, but nothing meaningful. I'm going to have to study the manual to find out how to fine-tune the reception.

Friday, May 20, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Took a different route back. More scenic, less traffic, and even a few miles shorter. Ate brunch and lupper at Shoney's along the way.
After freezing in Maryland, we were looking forward to getting back to warm, sunny, North Carolina. Ha! It's colder here than it was up there, and the wind is blowing like crazy. But at least we have plenty of warm clothes here.
The guys put the new carpet on the forward cabin roof while we were gone, but this weather is going to slow things down.

Thursday, May 19, 1994 - Baltimore, MD

Gina took the school bus to school. I drove Linda to work. She took me in, introduced me to her co-workers, and showed me around. She works for a company that produces printer-ready copy. It's called Columbia Type and Art.
Linda's walking without a cane now. The pain has diminished somewhat, but she still has pain, especially if she has to stand or walk for a prolonged period.
Roy and I drove to the Inner Harbor in Baltimore. It was a very cold, drizzly day, so we went in the Science Center there to spend the day. Saw many very interesting exhibits. In the planetarium, we watched a program on eclipses, and in the IMAX theater, we watched a really interesting movie about sharks.
Returned to the house, showered, and dressed for the graduation. Linda had to be at the college by 6:45, so we drove her and Gina over there. Then we found a parking place and walked to the gymnasium where the ceremony will be held. Gina joined us there. The place was already half full, so we were lucky to find good seats near the front and right next to the aisle the graduates came down. Roy had Linda's camera, and I had my camera, so we took lots of pictures. Hope they come out good.
Linda got her AA in Secondary Education. She has been accepted into Phi Theta Kappa, the honors society for community colleges. That was announced when they called her name and handed her her diploma, but they accidentally omitted it from the program.
After the ceremony, we went over to the Administration Building for a reception. This is a surprisingly large campus, so we had to walk quite a ways. Finally found Linda and gave her the small gift we'd brought for her. We hadn't had time to eat much supper, so we devoured the cookies, brownies, and lemonade.

Wednesday, May 18, 1994 - Baltimore, MD

Got up at six and left at six-thirty. Ate breakfast at Shoney's. There was an all-you-can-eat breakfast bar for $3.50, so we pigged out. Really good scrambled eggs.
Followed the main highways all the way, with no problems until we were within a few blocks of Linda's place. I couldn't read my own writing and drove right by her street three times. Finally went to a shopping center and phoned her. She told me exactly how to find her place, so then I was able to get there, no problem.
We all drove to Gina's school. A lot of children took part in the recital. First the band played, then the violinists, and finally the chorus sang. Gina played very well.

Tuesday, May 17, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Boy, am I in luck! The car rental place I phoned yesterday still didn't have a car, so I asked them if there was another car rental agency around here. They told me Enterprise had just opened and gave me the phone number. I phoned Enterprise, fully expecting a higher rate. Instead, the weekly rate was actually $8 lower, and it's a brand new car! That includes 1050 free miles a week, just as at the first place, and they delivered it right away.
Drove to the post office and got a package of mail from Kathy, including my IRS refund. Took Roy to Beaufort to get some stuff he needed. Then we went to a carpet store and bought some outdoor carpet to replace the worn-out stuff on the cabin top. Also bought some of the goop that's needed to glue it on.
In the evening, I phoned Linda and reached her right away. She had been taking her final in Anatomy and Physiology last night. We're going to get a bonus--Gina's giving a violin recital tomorrow night. I hadn't even known she was studying the violin. Linda gave me detailed instructions for finding her place, so now we're all set to leave first thing in the morning.

Monday, May 16, 1994 = Morehead City, NC

Busy day. I got up early and walked about three miles to the Post Office. Got the weatherfax software I'd sent for, but nothing from Kathy. On the way back, I stopped at a drugstore and found generic Dramamine for $5.25 a hundred. I'd hunted all over Norfolk and been unable to find it. They only had one bottle left, so I bought it. They said they'd have more tomorrow.
Roy wants to go to Linda's graduation, too, so we're going to rent a car and drive up there. I phoned around and found a place that rents cars for $134 a week. Unfortunately, they were all out. I'll phone them again in the morning.
At slack water, we pulled the boat into the adjacent slip. It was still blowing about 20 knots, so the stern almost got away from us, but Roy and Butch finally got it cleated. Now we're facing out, all set to go, and are right next to the fuel dock, so we can easily fuel up without leaving our slip.
The guys continued working on trying to mount the wind generator. That's a major project.
The weatherfax software looks terrific. In addition to weatherfaxes, it gets satellite images, Navtex reports, and even Morse code, which it translates into English! I can hardly wait to install it. Unfortunately, the tuner for the shortwave radio isn't functioning, so I can't use it until that's fixed.
In the evening, I made several unsuccessful attempts to phone Linda. Reached Kathy on the first try for once. She mailed my mail Thursday, so maybe it will be here tomorrow. Brian has chicken pox from the top of his head to the tips of his toes. Kathy's planning on taking a vacation this summer and going to Mexico. She's not sure yet if she's going to Mazatlan or Cabo San Lucas. She also has a new boyfriend. His name is John, he's 29, and is a carpenter.
The wind died completely, and it was a lovely, balmy evening, so Roy and I went for a little stroll along the waterfront.

Sunday, May 15, 1994 - Morehead City, NC

Yesterday we made 74 miles, and today we made 65, so we reached Morehead City in four days instead of six. Really zoomed up the Neuse River and across Pamlico Sound. The wind was fairly strong and there was a little rain. Reached Dockside Marina in Morehead City shortly after seven. The office was closed, so we tied to the fuel dock for the night and will move in the morning.
Roy and I ate supper at a waterfront restaurant called the "Sanitary Restaurant". Strange name, but good food. The restaurant's been here since 1938, so they must be doing something right.
Phoned Nancy. Was surprised to find out she'd lost her job last December, during a corporate downsizing. She'd been there almost twenty years. Fortunately, she's found another good job and will be starting Monday. She told me the Guidos will be going to England in July, so I'll phone Carol and arrange to meet them over there.

Saturday, May 14,1994 - Dowry Creek, NC

We all leaped out of bed at five a.m. and cast off by five-thirty, but we only went a couple of miles. The fog, which they call "mist" out here, was so thick we couldn't see where we were going. Returned to the dock and ate breakfast. By then the "mist" had cleared, so we set out again. The rest of the day was sunny and beautiful.
We couldn't have picked a better day for crossing Albemarle Sound. Visibility was excellent. This is one of the few stretches of the ICW where the water is plenty deep. Arrived at the Alligator Bridge at exactly the right time to go through it during an opening. We were going to drop anchor after we got through the canal, since it was too late to reach Belhaven, but we saw a sign advertising a new marina at Dowry Creek, so we went in there. The wind was blowing toward the dock, and it was one of those places where you have to loop a line around a piling. We hadn't had experience with that type of docking before, so we sort of messed up, but eventually we got tied.
Really nice place. There's a veranda with rocking chairs where you can just kick back and enjoy the view. The restrooms are brand new. Each is its own complete, private bathroom, with shower, toilet, and wash-basin. We all enjoyed good showers, and the guys did the laundry.

Friday, May 13, 1994 - Coinjock, NC

Made it to Coinjock today. Tied to the same dock we tied to last summer. The owner even recognized us.
Al, Roy, and I walked to the Post Office, so I could mail a letter. Then we walked a short distance down the highway. Came to an old bell wagon, with bells that had been cast in 1886. Roy played a tune on them, while Al videoed it.
Went to a little grocery store and bought a bottle of orange juice. Al struck up a conversation with the owner and another guy. He was still talking when Roy and I headed back to the boat. When we got to the boat, I fixed supper and we had just sat down to eat when a pickup drove up. Sure enough, there was Al! The guy he'd been talking with had given him a ride back to the boat.

Thursday, May 12, 1994 - Under Way, Great Bridge, VA

We did it! We got away from the dock! Left around ten o'clock. Rounded Willoughby spit and started down the ICW. Reached Great Bridge about four o'clock and tied to the free dock. Our timing was perfect for going through the Great Bridge lock.
We only went aground once, and that was because Roy was busy in the engine compartment, because the low-pressure oil alarm had gone off. Fortunately, it was a false alarm.
What a happy surprise I had this evening. When I picked up the mail yesterday, I only opened the envelope that looked as if it had a check in it. All the rest of the mail, I put in my bag unopened. This evening, I went through it and was delighted to find an invitation from my daughter Linda, inviting me to her graduation from Howard Community College, May 19th. There was also a clipping, showing that she had made the Honor Society! I phoned her right away, congratulated her, and told her I'd be delighted to attend her graduation. She has changed her major to Secondary Education and will be attending a four-year college in the fall.
Linda sounded very cheerful. She's been feeling pretty good, except for a terrible time with her allergies last month when the pollen count was so high.
I'm sure glad the invitation arrived before we left Norfolk. I'm also glad the ceremony will be next week, before we head out to sea.

Wednesday, May 11, 1994 - Ready to Sail

Busy day. Did the laundry in the morning. Had to rush to catch the 12:53 bus, so I didn't have time to eat lunch. Grabbed a couple of slices of raisin bread and hurried to the bus stop. Got downtown at two. Found good mail in the box, including a $170 check. Turned in the key and the change of address form. Crossed the street to the bank and drew out $3000. Wanted to get $2000 worth of travelers' checks, but the bank charged 2%, so I went out to American Express, where they're 1%. Also, picked up some more of Roy's prescription at Revco. Missed the fast bus to American Express, so I had to take a bus that ambled all over the place. Took half an hour to do what the #6 bus does in six minutes. Finally got there and bought the checks. Returned to town on the #6, crossed the street, and got on the #20. Didn't have to wait at all. That bus took me all the way to Boat/U.S. Got the refund, bought some chicken at Food Lion, and returned to the boat.
Al painted the decks with gray primer. Didn't finish until ten o'clock. We're not going to apply the yellow finish paint until we get to Morehead City or Charleston. Rain predicted for tomorrow.

Tuesday, May 10, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

We're really on countdown now! Lloyd and Al are painting like crazy to get the decks ready. I spent most of the day running off copies of the log and mailing them. Butch got back about 4:30 and went right to work on wiring. Roy, of course, has been busy with a thousand and one things, as well as supervising.
We've received two of the three items we ordered April 19th. I phoned about the third and was told it had been shipped April 21st, so presumably it's lost. Boat/U.S. said they'd refund our money, so I'll go there tomorrow. Also have to go to the Post Office for mail and to turn in the key. Thursday we're off!

Monday, May 9, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

Pleasant day. Warm without being too hot. Roy, Lloyd, and Butch got a lot of work done on the decks. Al and I took the two cartons of unneeded charts to the Post Office and mailed them to Steve. Then we went to the Bosch service shop to find out why the router would no longer stay on. Turned out they'd installed a little spring, and all we had to do was remove it.
Went down to AAA so Al could get some maps and his International Driving Permit. Then we drove to the Makita place to find out what was wrong with the electric drill. Fortunately, there wasn't anything wrong with it; someone had turned down the speed adjustment. Stopped at Pep Boys for two cases of oil. Al dropped me and the oil off at the boat, and then he went to West Marine for some paint.
Butch finally got away around five o'clock.

Monday, Sunday, May 8, 1994 Mother's Day

In the morning, I drove to Food Lion to complete the provisioning. Bought out the store. When I came out, rain was pouring down, but it let up by the time I got back to the boat. I kept wondering where I was going to put all that stuff, but somehow it disappeared.
The guys worked on indoor projects. I drove to K-Mart and bought some stuff. When I got back, it was nearly 3 o'clock, so we went to lupper at the buffet restaurant. Their food keeps getting better all the time, especially the desserts. What a feast!
Butch had planned on taking the car back to Washington today, but he decided to keep it one more day.
I've started entering waypoints and routes into the GPS.

Saturday, May 7, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

Roy has set next Wednesday or Thursday as departure day. Butch is going to take the rented car back tomorrow. Today, he checked the batteries on the boat. We're going to have to replace one of them. I boxed up the Caribbean charts to mail to Steve and also started setting up waypoints for our trip. Everyone's busily working to get things ready.

Friday, May 6, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

Roy and I left around seven for his doctor's appointment. We ate breakfast along the way. This dermatologist turned out to be a good one. He identified the problem Roy has had for a long time with the skin on his hand. Wrote a prescription for it. Said the warts on his leg and the little growth on his nose were nothing to be concerned about.
On the way back, we stopped at Sears and got the socket we needed for the headsail winch. Also exchanged Al's screwdriver.
Got another coat of varnish on. Roy installed more of the stanchion bases, and the guys worked on a lot of things. Most of the day was warm and sunny, so we were able to get a lot done.
In the evening, we went back to the NASA Visitor Center to see "Titanica" in the IMAX theater. On the way, we stopped at a Chinese fast-food restaurant. The stuff Roy and I ate was crummy, but Al and Butch enjoyed theirs. Lloyd had stayed on the boat. The movie was interesting. We all enjoyed it.

Thursday, May 5, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

Less windy and not so cold today. A few sprinkles, but no heavy rain. I did the laundry in the morning and went to the post office in the afternoon, but didn't get much mail. Kept missing buses going home. Bought a few groceries along the way. By the time I got back to the boat, it was after six.
Al did a lot of shopping today. Roy, Lloyd, and Butch worked on the boat. She's shaping up nicely. With luck, we'll get out of here next week.

Wednesday, May 4, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

What nutty weather! Last week, we thought summer had arrived. Now we're back to winter. The wind blew out of the northeast all day at 30 or more knots, and it was cold and wet. Rained all day. No varnishing. No working outside, so we all drove to the NASA Visitor Center in Hampton. Lots of interesting exhibits. Saw two IMAX movies, one on space shuttles and one on discoverers in general. Spent the whole afternoon there, and then went to the buffet restaurant for supper. It has reopened under new management, and now has an even greater assortment of stuff to eat. Really good!

Tuesday, May 3, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

This was the big day. Went to the doctor for my follow-up exam. The x-ray looked good. The doctor told me to stretch and exercise my right arm so it won't get stiff. I can now use it normally. The only two things he told me not to do with my right arm were to fall on it and to winch. Other than that, I can do just about anything. That's good news.
The day started out sunny but cool and windy. By afternoon, it was cloudy and really blowing. Rain predicted for tonight. I sanded and thought I'd be able to varnish, but after taking out three hours to go to the doctor's, it was too late in the day and too cold. Maybe I'll be able to varnish tomorrow.
On my way back from the doctor's, I bought a bunch of canned goods for the trip and also went by Sear's to exchange the ratchet handles that had gotten rusty.
By nightfall, it was blowing a gale out of the northeast. Roy and the guys ran another line from the boat around a piling to keep us from blowing into the dock. They also tightened a line on an adjacent boat that didn't have anyone on it.
On their way back from supper, Lloyd, Butch, and Al picked up half a gallon of delicious ice cream. We enjoyed it while watching the video pictures that had been taken today.

Monday, May 2, 1994 - Haulout, Norfolk, VA

Another big temperature change. Went from the 90's to the 50's and 60's. Cloudy, windy, and rainy, too. No varnishing today.
First thing I did was go to the canvas place and get the side curtain we had taken in to get the plastic window replaced. Looks a lot better now. Then I went to the bank to get some money so Roy could get the life-raft and stuff. Took the bus to Pembroke Mall and finally had the permanent I intended to get last week.
Roy and the guys picked up the life-raft, fire extinguisher, and dive tank. Then Roy continued working on the boat, while Al, Lloyd, and Butch went to West Marine and bought foul-weather gear for Butch. He's going to go with us as far as Charleston.