Friday, February 5, 2010

Final Lap of the Boat Journey

Quiescent is still available...even after my social marketing sales attempt . Blogging about her and our trips on the ICW though have brought me back to some great memories.  Particularly traveling south in 2006 when Pat and Joe McMennamen on TideRunner, their 39ft Mainship and Stu and Elaine on their Grand Banks traveled each day with us.  Sharing happy hour on the decks of our boats and sharing a meal at cool little restaurants along the way and sharing tips for traveling was always a delight.

Pat and Joe just happened to be traveling south this week, only by truck, to Florida and stayed overnight with us at our new digs.  That's the beauty of the cruising community.  The friendships can last a lifetime.  The experiences are usually unique and the fun is just FUN!  Like reminiscing about Joe and I yaking about Dowry Creek's Beer Can Chicken party on channel 68 on the VHF radio while heading toward the marina.  We laughed as hard now as we did then and we had everyone listening laughing back then.  Picture a chicken with a beer up...well you go from there.  Talk about community though, we were reminded about Pat having a serious medical scare that trip and I called ahead to acquaintances in Oriental, NC for loan of a car to get her to a medical facility.  Our friends, who we had only met once before on our trip in 2005 while chilling out at the tiki bar at Oriental marina, didn't hesitate and when we all docked, there was a Sebring convertible sitting at the curb waiting for us.  And there was the interesting approach in the Portsmouth/Norfolk channel to our marina in the dark with one thousand lights all around making it difficult to navigate the markers and tugs hugging a little too close to our starboard side.  Not to mention the presence of gun boats off to the side of the channel due to the Naval facility right there.  AAhhhh...memories abound.  Stu and Elaine are no longer cruising, we are settled in here at our little glass shop, but Joe and Pat are living the life still only delayed this season but planning next fall's trip south.

Even our shelties, Max and Dudley loved to cruise and were perfect liveaboards.

So this is my last blog about Quiescent...whether she sells this year or next, Mike and I have great memories and great friends from our time aboard!




Stu and Elaine.
 
 

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