The title of this post says it all but it’s rainy and cold outside and I’m a wordy writer. Let me start this post with the P to B ratio of Oriental (the Population to Boat Ratio)… 1:3ish. That’s right, 900 people and just about 2,500 boats.

Our two weeks was made wonderful by the amazing establishment and closest bar, ‘Silos’. Open Tuesday-Saturday there’s always something on the calendar.   Tuesday was BOGO day (Buy One pizza Get One free), Wednesday was open mic night, Thursday was dollar drafts, Friday was live music in the back yard (Lake Street Dive played there), Saturdays are party nights. For a community that is increasingly becoming dominated by retirees looking for a good town, this place was wildly fun. Tuesday pizza night was easily the towns favorite. We went into the hardware store and the clerk felt it necessary to alert us ‘transients’ of the phenomenal BOGO day. We also ran into two separate friends who informed us we should get to Silos early tonight to secure a good seat for BOGO. It’s pretty great to see a community come together over pizza.

Sitting in Silos, everyone is in the boat world, you work for the boat yards, you work as a fisherman, you teach boating, you race, you do canvas or boat related services (West Marine / Radio Shop). In some capacity EVERYONE we met in town is tied into this interwoven community.

In general, a great thing about boat yards are seeing  all the other boats and if you’re lucky enough, meeting the owner and having a few beers together. We met a fellah named Mike from Canada and he was finishing up his entire interior. He bought his boat as a fixer-uper and the entire below deck had mildew problems (ceiling, floor, and cushions). He was a wealth of knowledge and we were grateful for all his tips on engine alignment.

Another character and incredible wealth of knowledge was the fiberglass genius, Turtle. One day I was half way on my mile walk into town to get a propane regulator when he pulled over and offered me a ride. I said sure. He pointed out historic sites in the town and recited the history. He drove me to the hardware store and then drove right past it saying I had to cross the town bridge and get a good view of the entire town. I learned  his great great grand daddy founded the town and the origin of the town name came from a Civil War era ship! A few laughs later and a great tour of the town I found myself at the the hardware store.

I was wowed by the random yet sincere kindness and it didn’t stop there. Yes, my small town story continues with the hardware store…. Our propane regulator failed on us the night prior and I found two identical products that would work for the propane tank but wasn’t sure about the sizing. The owner agreed it could be either or and after a few minutes of deliberation he set his car keys on the counter and said ‘Why don’t you take my car to your boat and test out which one is right for you. When you’re done, just come back with the packaging of the one you need and the one you didn’t use. I’ll be here until 5, so no rush.’ My jaw dropped. I’d just like to mention, I’ve been living in cities for the past 13 years and am in no way accustomed to an offer as this. I let him know, I was perfectly okay with walking. My legs worked  fine, it was sunny and warm… why was this man trying to lose his car and give away his products…. I would never dream of stealing a car but still…. this kindness didn’t sit right with me, it felt bizarre. And yet…. 10 minutes later I drove into the marina where Mike had a few questions for me… Yes we fixed the regulator to the propane unit. (As a side story, the damn thing began malfunctioning on the coldest night of our entire trip so far. I was going to fight the cold with BAKING! Terrible timing but that’s the way the cookie tends to crumble on a boat).

Lastly and the greatest news in our haul out was the fact that everyone said our rudder was fine ….. and we should stop being a pair of Nancies about it and sail on over to Bermuda already.

A few months earlier before our shake down sail in September, we hauled out in Salem MA. The inspector mentioned a bit of “play” between the rudder post and rudder and saw water bubbling out of the post. We had a wet rudder and he showed concern about it. We contemplated and researched all our venues of possible outcomes on the way down. We learned that FossFoam (in FL) was our go to for a new rudder. And if they had a mold already set for a Pearson 424 they just had to reconstruct the rudder which would be a HUGE cost savings. Unfortunately (or fortunately …) Pearson boats aren’t known for rudder problems. We have a skeg rudder that is essentially built solid with epoxy on the perimeter and has two or three metal arms attached to the rudder post and act as the skeleton of the rudder. Next to the metal skeleton is foam. The concern would be if the welds attaching the arms to the rudder post were corroded and broke in heavy weather. Then we would be left with a free spinning helm and no rudder control. We drilled a hole in the top outside of the rudder in case of a rudder
emergency. The idea is to tie a rope through the hole and steer Captain Ron style. The following day we also asked if Turtle, expert mariner, would take a look at our boat. He did and explained how boats like ours were born (made). The woven fabric of fiber glass allows the boat to heave and move with the ocean whereas the epoxy acts as the solid rigidity. Both sides of the equation will change meaning your hull will change and you’ll see “age lines”. Over the years, your boat takes hull shuddering hits, enormous gusts bending and testing the rigging and the keel. What I found interesting was the fact that the hull shape will change when it moves from water to land. You’re engine / Vdrive shaft alignment is different on land than it is in the water. After looking Gaia over, and talking to us about boat construction for a better half of an hour, he looked at us point blank and spoke honestly. He said ocean worthy boats like this are overbuilt. The boat will last, it may sail differently if the hull were to be waterlogged balsa core but she’d still sail. He looked at our rudder and shook his head. “I wouldn’t touch the rudder if it’s working right now. If it’ll help you sleep at night, then sure. Do it if you want for that reason but other than that, you’re fine to go to Bermuda.” And it dawned on me, most of my fears were mental or because I was still novice.

Oriental NC had previously been this unseen golden city that boaters would wistfully sigh over and preach the good works of the peerless marine services conducted here. It’s where anyone with major boat issues trudged their vessel to so the expert mechanics, riggers, glass workers (fiberglass), and electricians could work their magic. So when we arrived in Oriental, I could finally feel our goal, Bermuda, was within reach! Our rudder would be new our propeller would be fixed and our boat would be prepped for departure!

We chose SailCraft Marine Services, known for their fiberglass work as opposed to Deatons. The two rivals sit literally within throwing distance of each others travel lift.

Upon entering the SailCraft dock, Alan, the owner, showed us the layout, the bathrooms, amenities, the different offices and tool sheds, he introduced us to the employees, and other boats hauled out from our neck of the woods! Really above and beyond and we learned of the catastrophic boat overhauls they had completed. One man, came in days earlier with a keel partially torn off. Remember the Dismal Swamps we went down and my post on watching out for deadheads (= dislodged logs pinned to the bottom of the canal pointing upward)? Yeah, the boat hit a deadhead straight on and busted a hole in the boat. And if your curious, yes it was a fin keel.

  So being on the hard, on the stilts, stuck on the dirt… it’s not fun. The marina backs you up into a slip where they lower two thick nylon slings and synch it snug around your 22,000 lb vessel and hope the sling is far back enough it doesn’t catch on your ruder, prop, or shaft but not too far back that the slings don’t capture the weight of the boat evenly. And then you watch as your 22,000 pound home is raised, above your head; OUT of the environment you’ve learned to keep your boat safe and protected. And then you watch as your baby is driven away by a complete stranger from you, it’s very emotional (*this end part was overdramatized by the author in case you’re not familiar with her*).

But really, Alan, was very professional and maneuvered the travel lift perfectly. He’s been around boats his entire life and it shows. He put us down on the block and put a few extra stilts under the hull than what we’re used to. I tell you, it’s like he was reading my mind! I know, I’m being paranoid but with prior yards, I always wished there were two or more stilts than what they provide. As someone who has slept on a boat on stilts… let me tell you, it can be REALLY unnerving when you first feel the boat move on land, so I was quite pleased to see this added comfort. Alan mentioned they do this for protection (but I knew better, he was a mind reader).  He also kept the boat level on the blocks which was nice.

Now for the every day life. You walk up and down a ladder to get to your home, get a drill, forgotten power cord you name it. Every morning you wake up get dressed climb down the ladder then walk to go to the bathroom. Since the plumbing filters out into the yard gravel; I’m not a fan of brushing my teeth where I work. It’s not a far walk to the bathrooms thankfully but enough to make you skip your polite hellos to friends and power walk if you really have to “go”. Most people understand. When we did dishes, we carried the dishes in a tub down the ladder and past the docks. When we showered we climbed up and down the ladder with our shower bag and towel. And lastly, the little problem of having NO cell phone service and little to no internet.

I took a few pictures of our work in the yard seen below. We also varnished the bowsprit and toerail, rebedded the stanchion and inserted epoxy in the deck to reinforce soft balsa wood, install new aft cabin and kitchen lighting (led strips!), there was a bunch of parts ordered and one passport expedited. Thankfully, there was a car at the marina we were able to use to drive 30 minutes into a neighboring town for the nearest CVS for a passport photo.

Dust and woods bits will inevitably find there way into your bedroom sheets, kitchen and salon with any form of drilling or sanding. To unearth needed power tools, epoxies, varnish, sanders, and materials you need to tear through cabinets & mattresses to access storage units. All of this equates to a temporal work room war zone. I’m sure we’ve all been there whether it be moving, or buying a new house, it’s the first week of sleeping on a few cushions or camping gear. That was us for the past three weeks. But to be honest as sour of a situation I paint, I love the people, I love the stories, and honest to god I even love the work (Sometimes. As long as there’s a good podcast. and it’s sunny. with a beer. and beer koozie. and I have help…)