Ship Shape

We arrived at the Coffee Bluff Marina in Savannah this past Monday.  Velsignet--having endured a terrible storm Easter weekend--was without injury on the outside, strewn with fallen items inside, and had developed a problem with the air conditioning.  Mike found a source for the air conditioning part and by Tuesday evening, we had air conditioning again!  Keeping things ship-shape requires maintenance of boat and body. 

Brenda's left leg has been bothering her--especially in the knee area.  She iced, elevated and babied the leg and the pain just increased.  During our stay in Saint Paul, Brenda sought expertise and learned that many of us can be very "right-side" oriented where our right sides are much stronger than our left.  On the boat with the steep stairs and constant movement, her legs have been forced to work equally... and her left leg was complaining.  And now, having returned to Velsignet, Brenda is no longer babying her left leg and has instead added leg exercises to her daily routine and using her leg more to get up and down the steep stairs.  

At Coffee Bluff Marina, we took time to renew and replace some things on Velsignet.  Our US flag and the covering for our bikes had become shredded due to wind and sun.  Brenda replaced the bright and busy rug and tablecloth in the salon for a more subdued and calmer affect.   Just as Mike has his tool kit for repairs, Brenda has her sewing machine to create or mend as needed.

Yesterday--after washing Velsignet down, refilling our water tanks and doing a pump-out, we departed Coffee Bluff Marina and last night anchored off the ICW on a quiet, secluded spot known as Bull Creek.  Our plans are to bike the trails on Hilton Head Island today and arrive in Beaufort, SC (there's a Beaufort in NC as well--in SC, it is pronounced "Bew-fert" and in NC, it is pronounced as "Bo-fort") on Saturday (winds will keep us near Hilton Head an extra day).  With boat and body new and improved--as well as Brenda having her hair cut in Minnesota, the boat re-supplied with groceries, and Mike back to his nautical Puget Sound Mobile Wash office, we'll continue on our way up the East Coast! 

Despite a cancelled flight, we were able to reschedule and make it to our grand-daughter's musical play, "Alladin."  Astri is the long-haired cutie in the burgundy dress (with hands folded on knee) to the very right.  We (and she) were so glad we could be there!

This is Killian, son-in-law Jared and Mike.  Killian, our good-looking 13-year-old grandson, is now nearing the height of his dad and grandpa!

We spent Easter together with Brenda's mom, Brenda's brother Bret, and Jordan, Jared and the kids.  This is Astri loving up Bret's beloved lab, Lacy.

This is the updated look in the salon:  new rug and new tablecloth.

This is Coffee Bluff Marina.  It's about 11 miles from downtown Savannah, next to a quaint neighborhood that is fun to walk through.  The people with boats in the marina were very friendly, welcoming and always had time to visit with us, offer us a ride, and look after Velsignet in our absence.

This is the landscape we're currently cruising in.  Its flatness reminds us of the Red River Valley.  We are surrounded by marsh and water.  The tides are extreme (usually 7-8 foot). The sunsets are spectacular!

This is Mike washing down the boat before we take off from Coffee Bluff Marina.

This is our new cover for the bicycles.  To fit around the center support pole, it was cut and hemmed, and additional snaps were added to it.