JO BETH waits for us in Solomons, Maryland, nested ashore in her wintering spot at Washburn’s Boat Yard. Lisa and I have left our friend’s home in Fernandina Beach, FL, and are now staying with friends in Wilmington, NC, for a few weeks before continuing on to Yorktown, VA where we have some gear stashed in a friend’s storage locker. We were in Fernandina Beach for three months, and while we’re eternally grateful to our friends for the hospitality extended to us, we were ready to start moving homeward once my physical therapy was finished. Certainly, they’re happy to have their home to themselves once again.
This photograph was made on October 27, 2023 in Solomons, Maryland, aboard JO BETH, a couple of days after I awoke with a pinched nerve in my cervical spine; my left hand (to your right) is turned outward and my fingers were in the process of slowly turning into my palm…
My final physical therapy appointment in Fernandina Beach was early on the morning of February 12, and we left for North Carolina the following day. It was good to be on the move again, even in a car; confirmation Lisa and I are nomads at heart. Reuel and Pam, cruising friends we met during our travels now living ashore for a bit, have been very kind to host us. They are spoiling us though. Reuel prepares breakfast and coffee for everyone each morning, a ritual he and Pam share and in which they include us, and Pam makes delicious dinners. We’ve only been permitted to prepare meals once! They even do the cleanup afterwards, despite our insistence that we contribute in some small way.
This photograph was taken on February 29, 2024, in Wilmington, NC; my left hand (to your right) is much straighter and my fingers, most of the time, will stay straight when I want them to; the ring and pinky finger remain occasionally uncooperative, but two months plus of physical therapy and care are paying off…
I am mostly recovered, with just a bit of lingering weakness in my left arm and frequently uncooperative ring and pinky fingers on my left hand to remind me of the situation. The pain, numbness, and tingling are long gone, as is the inability to perform routine tasks like holding a fork or spoon, picking up a glass to drink form, tying my shoes, buttoning buttons and so on. My left hand grip is not 100%, but is significantly better than it had been. The folks at Brooks Rehabilitation Services were excellent, and I would be remiss in not extending a public ‘thank you’ to the therapists who worked with me – Brittany, Erin, Robert, and Leigh-Ann – all showing tremendous patience for my wise cracks, awful jokes, and once or twice, albeit well intended, me questioning their professional authority. I couldn’t have made it this far on my own.
Time in Wilmington has been spent preparing for the return to Maryland and JO BETH. I have compiled a task list of things to do once back in Solomons. Nearly two and a half pages long and growing, it is an intimidating and frightening thing to see. Perhaps it won’t be so bad, though. Much of the list are tasks like a deep clean of the interior and all of the storage spaces – this is the first time since 2018 the boat has been nearly completely emptied. Cleaning is not an opportunity to let slip by. It also presents a chance to reorganize her lockers and stores – again.
What is concerning is the initializing and ‘reawakening’ of shut down systems. It’s more likely than not that something will not work or only work partially. Our hope is that anything which has failed during her long winter’s nap will be minimal, something for which we have a spare readily at hand, and not expensive. Electrical and electronic systems are particularly prone to failure after long-term shutdowns; mechanical systems are also, but to a lesser degree. Plus, there are some tasks the boatyard can’t complete until we’ve returned. In the end, as it always is with everything, it will be what it is. We’ll deal with it accordingly. As I said in the previous post, it’s going to be – and it already is - a busy winter and spring.
The area of Wilmington in which we’re staying is near the campus of The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, and features miles of beautiful walking trails…
We’re also continuing to work at knocking down the insurance obstacles we’ve encountered in trying to obtain a policy for JO BETH while sailing internationally. Mostly, we need the policy to meet requirements of marinas and boatyards for dock space and haul outs as needed. The primary issues most often brought up by underwriters are the age of the boat – JO BETH is 40 this year – and the length of the boat – 34 feet, bow to stern. Most insurance companies now consider our boat to be too small for ocean voyaging, even though that’s what she was designed and built to do. Ten years ago, this wouldn’t have been an issue. Now, they want us to have a boat at least 40’ in length; some have even said 45’. No company we’ve spoken with wants to insure boats older than 30 years, a few have said no older than 20.
In the collective minds of marine insurance underwriters, bigger is better and age equals degradation; that JO BETH has been fully refit and all her critical systems updated and modernized is irrelevant. We could have crossed an ocean or cruised ‘the islands’ in other boats, and while we’ve not made a crossing, we have sailed in other areas of the world on a variety of different boats. None of that matters – underwriters want our experience to be on the boat we want to insure and in the waters we want to travel.
We’re still trying to find something which will satisfy our requirements, but I’m not optimistic. I very much believe that soon, we will be cruising as the vast majority of cruisers are: self-insured.
Otherwise, Lisa’s business has picked up, and when I haven’t been working on polishing up my photo and video skills, writing, and resuming my long unused sketching practice, I’ve ridden around coastal North Carolina with Reuel, who works as a yacht broker, to see boats he’s brokering for sale. There’s also a large network of walking trails, connected to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington campus where Lisa and I try to take daily walks.
Meet Ham, a Catahoula Leopard Hound…
We’ve stayed with Reuel and Pam several times in our travels, and have grown very fond Wilmington. Their pets, ‘Ham,’ a high energy Catahoula Leopard Hound, and Rusty, ‘aka Lord of the Manor,’ a gentleman ginger cat, provide endless entertainment and company. Oddly enough, in the few weeks we’ve been here, we’ve had consistently better weather than we did during our time in Florida. Days and days of sun with comfortable temperatures have been in abundance. Still, more than anything, we’re ready to be home.
This is Rusty, aka ‘Lord of the Manor…’
Upcoming…
I’m continuing to work on our next update for the YouTube Channel. Unfortunately, there will be precious little sailing in the episode, but it will be a full update on what’s been happening and what our future plans are. Please click on the YouTube icon on the lower left portion of the page to see our channel, and please subscribe and click the notifications bell. It costs nothing, and these actions will help push our channel into the YouTube universe. This blog will continue to be updates, but the posts will become less frequent, and oriented towards my photography.
The Consulting for Cruisers Service launch is still in the works. Even in our absence from the boat, we’re still asked about JO BETH and our live-aboard cruising lifestyle. If this is something you’re curious about, and you believe it’s a way of life suited to you, then let us share our combined years of sailing and live-aboard experience, as well as my knowledge and expertise from a successful career as marine surveyor, to make your dream a reality. Please contact us via the Contact page for information regarding services and pricing.
Regarding Bill Ballard Photography, I’m continuing to work to make selected photographs available for sale, either as prints or as digital files. My search for a professional printing service that can work with us and our nomadic lifestyle continues, and I’m narrowing it down to one or two labs I believe I can trust. Digital files will make gorgeous screen savers and wallpapers. Framed prints will look amazing on your walls or desk, and will serve as a reminder to keep on dreaming! Please contact us via the Contact page for information regarding image sizes and pricing.