Friday, June 21, 2013


And so it goes.....

We've been tied to the dock at the Charleston City Marina since mid February. We'd been house hunting and having the occasional visitors; Tara and her friend Mary came in March for her birthday; then Chrissy and Pia stayed for ten days and coined HD as a "house boat". Indeed it has been just that. But we never DID get a plant, like some of our "neighbors"!

When we arrived in February we had the first of three contracts for a historical home SOB (South of Broad) so the captain put an ad on the website "Sailboats by Owners For Sale,  knowing there have been four or five sister ships listed for sale for over a year, so not much likelihood of selling anytime soon.

While we were in contract on our second home in Charleston a very nice man emailed me saying he was interested in HD. Seems he was retiring and moving from Columbia, SC to the coast and had his eye on our Tartan 4300.  Sounded like a re-run of where I was a few years back.  He comes and looks at HD... wants to give us a deposit; our house contract fell through due to mold issues and the crew flew to London for  a month of Pia time.

On our return a deal is struck for the purchase of  an 18th century  home on Church St. and the sale of HD. The inspections for both are approved, the test sail is a success ( 7.4 kts in a 15 kt wind with help from the river current), and tomorrow we will be officially homeless for a month.

When the first mate suggested the name Happy Destiny for our new boat I suppose we envisioned having good times at whatever destination we were in which did happen mostly. Now that our adventure is over it seems that HD actually delivered us to a new home in the city we chose, Charleston, after visiting options from Maine to the Bahamas.

We feel good in transferring a boat in better condition than we received it three years ago and to be moving to a totally rehabbed 1784 home SOB.

For the captain this has been a dream come true of sailing the ICW and East Coast. Ever since childhood and listening to my romantic Uncle Jack talk of just such a trip, I had it as a "to do". So here's to  you Unc, thanks for the suggestion.

So as we savor our last day on HD with the cleaning complete, the crew enjoyed waiting out the rain to move to our new home for the week, Mainstay  Suites in Mount Pleasant. Listening to Sirius Radio and playing on our Macs in the warm, cozy surroundings of our home for the past 26 months, we wondered if we would be as comfortable in our house SOB.

Closing on our new home is now scheduled for 31 July and so we are truly homeless for the next month.  We have failed for the past 2 years to gain any sympathy for our plight, since we did, in fact, still have HD as our home.

We are looking forward of taking this more authentic plea to Hawaii for ten days while witnessing  Tyler and Camille's wedding at the Four Seasons Hotel, Maui.  Doubt we'll get much sympathy there either!  Then, seeking local empathy while we are back in Charleston for two days over the 4th of July weekend to change clothes, we'll have to rummage through our 5x10 storage unit to gather some warmer clothes before going to London for comfort until closing day.  Poor Opa-Gigi! Homelessness never felt so good!

However, with our trip over the true meaning of the name is becoming more clear. We  have arrived at a happy place to live.  Seems our journey took us to more than interesting landfalls. This crew member has learned more than refined sailing skills and for this I am grateful.

As for the first mate…I have been "stretched" (in a good way) over the past two years... going from knowing absolutely NOTHING about sailing or navigation to at least enough knowledge to "take the helm" from the Captain when he was nearly delirious after an overnight sail into Charleston harbor.  I have laughed and cried, sometimes on my knees.  I have been rocked and rolled and slammed against the walls from one side of the cabin to the other by waves that were "supposedly 3-5ft".  I have cooked some of my best meals EVER on HD, many times heeled over so far, I had to wedge myself in between the sink and the stove and hold onto the pots on the burners!  I've been on an extended "honeymoon", getting to know my new husband up-close-and-personal-24-7, and although it hasn't always been easy…I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.  I am, however, excited about the next chapter on land!


Here is the last three years voyage in pictures:

Prague Marathon before delivery of HD


 Early Lake Michigan sail

         
HD first guest
         
Winter getting ready
             
Our Chicago friends in Holland Michigan for day sail May 2011
         
One of the bascule bridges 

Sturgeon Bay and the reigning  golf champions

Learning to relax under sail

Beautiful Lake Michigan

The perennial lake flies

Mackinaw Island




Our Cleveland friends


Working the locks


Hudson River visitors


NYC visit with Greg August 2011


Our friends in Weston, Ct. Summer 2011


Lilia & Tara's Boston visit 

Learning to relax

Our friend Peter; Newport, Ri


And along comes Sophia

Tyler, Camille, crew and the last Cameos in captivity 

The Ensleins in Deltaville, Md


Deano

Meeting Pia for the first time London October 2011

Side Trip Sorrento Italy October 2011

Heading south in the ICW; obviously too late

Thanksgiving Beaufort, Sc

Still refining the skill

Christmas 2011 Naples

Our friends Mary and Al Naples 2011

The Span Family, St. Pete Christmas 2011



Bahamas viewing the Super Bowl outside projected on a sheet

7 DAYS, 7 times 7; 7


Either the Hudson River or the  Bahamas

Our friends on a remote Cay

Didn't know it then but it was better than the visit with the pigs on Staniel Cay

Jon and Nancy Newman Spankies


Posting in Bahamas National Reserve

 Our SSB weatherman, Chris Parker, Georgetown, Bahamas


The birthday girl's visit to Bahamas


Pia's first visit to HD 















Our Exumas restaurant owner friends 



After 300 NM sail from Bahamas to Charleston at Five Loaves

In Gulf Stream 100NM from shore at 11 kts

Ah Charleston

No words for this

Chicago side trip April 2012

The college graduate May 2012

The late Joe Hauer and his wife Barbara, Southport, NC.  Fall 2012

Bald Head Island


Beaufort, NC Mother's Day 2012




Trae's graduation Air Force Academy May 2012



Williamsburg, Va



Easton, Md

The Tall Ships Baltimore Harbor Spring 2012

St. Michaels

Annapolis

Hoboken

Sailing into NY Harbor June 2012



London side Trip July 2012




Maine with TONE August 2012


Guests enjoying First Mate harvested and prepared mussels, Maine




Ali happy on HD


Rockland Maine September 2012

Unsolicited Momento from Maine

Provincetown;  Need I say more

Martha's Vineyard


One Year old crew Annapolis October 2012





Mother teaching daughter new skill on way to St. Michaels

St. Michaels

Crabin in matching Topsiders






Visiting Margaret Pine Knoll Shores November 2012

Won't miss this!

Reindeer Run Charleston November 2012

Kudu's Charleston crews favorite

Prepping for Hurricane Sandy Portsmouth, Va


3 generations Tara's White Coat Ceremony West Palm January 2013
Forgot the gate combo Charleston March 2013

Tara's Birthday dinner

Tata's second Birthday on HD w/ Mary March 2013

Sophia's third visit to HD March 2013 Charleston


Grits & Shrimp Charleston March 2013



While mom's in NYC



Our little sailor found mamas Dew stash


Catherine's visit to HD Charleston




Pretzel/apple break London side trip May 2013



BUS!

Horsey


Wee




Clearly child abuse

Pia's animal friends after nursery

Gigi, Pia and foo foo return home

Did I mention we are blessed.

Wishing you all the same as we together trudge this road to Happy Destiny.

Love,

The Crew