Cheap motels, expensive campgrounds, and well fed mosquitos!

We prepared our house for renters, sold all kinds of stuff, stuffed the rest in the barn and saw it all disappear in the rear view mirror August 17. Fosston Mini-soda was the first stop to see Lorrie's family for a few days and it was a good visit. Then for our first circumnavigation- Lake Superior, in our land yacht. One fun place we went was the site of our first DATE - "Eighteen Lake" near Isabella Mini-soda. One summer evening 28 years ago, we drove to this lake in Lorrie's Dodge Colt and swung on a rope swing splashing into the lake, google eyed, laughing, and having the time of our lives. The tree was still there, however it has fallen into the lake now but what fun to see that spot again. Pat cooked up a few walleye fillets with a fried green tomato, and we laughed about the swing and Lorrie's "Green Bikini". Then we camped and moteled our way down through Ohio and made a few calls on sailboats in the northeast. After a few conversations & Yankee hospitality, we immediately turned south to the Mason-Dixie line. We stayed with Pat's parents for a few days, rode our bikes, and studied available sailboats. After a whirlwind trip to Florida, and a whirlwind trip back and found ourselves in Oriental North Carolina, they claim there are more sailboats than people and it is actually true. Dressed as true yacht buyers, shorts, flip flops and a garage door t-shirts, we found her.
"Wind Breaker" looking a little neglected on the surface but a very solid boat with a new Yanmar diesel, good sails, and below looked like a fine furniture store. She did not have the "funky boat smell" many of the others had so we moved forward, beat the owner into submission and bought the boat. We finished the paperwork and such at the yacht brokers office, all excited, we hopped into our trusty Tahoe and as we started rolling she came to a grinding halt. The transfer case was toast! So we pulled our bikes off the back and continued to our new home. Later that day, we limped the Tahoe(1 mile per hour) to Jonathan's, the only fix it shop in town. Well funny how things work, we were going to put it up for sale that same day anyway and Jonathan could not believe it had no rust and had to have it. SOLD! Two bikes and a boat, What fun is that!
We had her "on the hard" for 12 days doing hull maintenance, buffing, and bottom paint, while Lorrie removed the old name, faint images of other lettering slowly appeared "Amazing Grace" that had been covered up by "Wind Breaker", Our U. S. Coast Guard paperwork had already been sent. so "Godspeed" she is.
We have been back in the water a week now at Pecan Grove marina in Oriental. The morning we were put back into the water, the wind had blown most of the water out of the Pamlico sound and it was very shallow. Dave Wright, the yacht broker that sold us the boat, is one great guy. Dave jumped aboard and guided us through the shallow waters and raging winds to the marina. the trip over was only a mile or so, but horrifying. The depth sounder was oscillating 4', 5', 4' ,5' and we draw 4'10" of water. Dave took the helm at the end and expertly tucked her into the slip and here we are. Now we are taking day sails and adding some long range equipment to her, preparing to cast off for adventure.