SailThreeSheets.com

December 22 - 24  So usually I try to write these posts each day, and capture our adventures as they’re happening and I have tried to do this day by day… however, I’m taking the approach of capturing this whole experience of our visit to Beaufort, which has to be one of the best, and nicest experiences I have had in my life, and certainly on this trip.  I’d like to start with a huge thank you to Don and Terri (and Tug) for all of their hospitality, kindness and friendship during our time in Beaufort.  Their kindness made our stop in Beaufort an amazing experience, and we formed a friendship over those few days that will last a lifetime!
On Monday morning, Don called to check in to see how we were doing and we let him know that we were about to head into the town dock to grab a shower and to start our provisioning process and about an hour later, while we were tied up at the dock, he popped by to talk with Brian about one of the issues we’ve been having on the boat, our hot water heater which had been leaking and we’d discovered that the company who’d manufactured it had gone out of business some years back.  Don said he’d given it some thought, and thought that he might know what the issue was, so Bri climbed into the aft berth and pulled out the part that he and Don had been discussing.  Don took a look and said he’d pop into the hardware store and be back in a bit.  Bri and I continued our process of packing up some items to be shipped home, It was COLD on Monday, like in the low 30s, not what we’d been expecting in Beaufort at this time of the year, so we were pretty bundled up, but we had the Post office right there and we were pretty determined to start sending at least some of our cold weather clothing home.  Next thing we knew, Don was back with the part!  We couldn’t believe it! Brian installed it, and immediately our leak issue was improved… still not 100% fixed, but a heck of a lot better than it had been.   By this point it was about 2 in the afternoon, and we asked Don if it would be an inconvenience to him for us to borrow his car for one more day, as we hadn’t done our provisioning yet, and we knew that we would be staying until the following day to try to get the freezer fixed and to try to take the outboard to the local Nissan shop.  Don said that it was no problem, and then extended an invitation to join him and Terri at their house for dinner that evening, to bring our bathing suits for the hot tub, and to please stay over at their house as it was going to be in the 20s that night.  He was quite persuasive, and I was eager to have the chance to visit with Terri again, so we said yes and  set a time to head over to their house.  Don left, taking our outboard with him as the Nissan dealership was right down the street from his house, and we weren’t sure that it would fit in the Miata’s trunk.  We took care of a few more items around the boat, and returned out to the mooring field to anchor.  Interesting to note that in the Skipper Bob’s cruising guide, the docks are listed as the Beaufort TOWN Docks, when in fact it’s just Beaufort Docks and they are a private organization, so unlike most other places where town docks are listed, and the town has free dockage or moorings as a part of that enterprise, this organization is pay only and has no moorings whatsoever, so we went out, found ourselves a good spot and dropped two anchors per the recommendation of the crusing guide.  We rowed back into town (no outboard and all) and set about taking care of a few of our provisioning needs and of mailing off one package before heading out to Don and Terri’s.
We were warmly received and told to make ourselves at home.  Their house is lovely, comfortable and beautifully decorated, but the thing that makes it so much more than that is that it is a home and a very welcoming one.  We joined Don and Terri in the kitchen (Don designed the kitchen and great room, and it’s amazing space!) and settled in with them for an absolutely wonderful evening.  We watched the Marquette v. North Carolina game on the television (their daughter attended Marquette and was at the game with friends) chatted, cuddled and played with Tug and had a wonderful time.  Over those hours, and an absolutely delicious dinner (I want to know how Don prepared that grilled chicken, it was fantastic!) we talked and talked and talked, until next thing we knew it was 11!  At Don and Terri’s suggestion, we popped into their hot tub for a little soak, easing the aches and bumps that are inevitable when sailing, and watched for the meteor shower that had been predicted for that evening.  We all turned in for the night, and Bri and I settled down in thier extremely comfortable guest room for a great night’s sleep.  In the morning, Don made us all breakfast (also delicious) and then while I popped over to the neighboring Dollar General, Terri left for work, and Brian and Don headed over to the Nissan dealership to try to resolve the issues with the outboard.  I met them there a little bit later, many provisions in hand.  Unfortunately, the guys had been less successful.  I think with the holidays the dealership was less than enthused about taking a look at the engine, so Don offered to take it back to their house, saying that he’d take a look at it later in the day, and Brian and I set off to the scuba shop that Don recommended to check out and purchase some gear we needed for our trip.  The previous evening, Don and Brian had spent quite a bit of time discussing gear, as Don had a commercial diving business, and had a ton of great information for us.  We stopped at Discovery Diving where we were helped by a great guy named Roger, and we were able to pick up quite a bit of the gear we needed and wanted at a really reasonable price.  We went back to the dinghy, loaded up our goodies, and rowed back out to the boat.  At about 3:30 we called Don, as Brian was interested in working with him and learning from him about the outboard.  Don suggested that when he came back through Beaufort in a little while, he could pick Brian up and while I went to do the last of our provisioning the guys would go back to Terri and Don’s where they could work on the engine.  My provisioning was successful (including a trip to Tuesday Morning where Don had seen an unbreakable french press YAY a working coffee maker again!) and I called to see how the progress was going on the engine… not so well… but they were still working on it.  I asked if there was anything else that they needed for parts etc. and when they said no, I headed directly out to their house, expecting to find that they’d have called it quits.  Not these guys!  They were out in the garage working away on it, trying all kinds of things to get the carbeurator working.  Terri and I retreated to the kitchen, where she invited us to stay for dinner, and when I protested saying that they’d done more than enough for us, she insisted, saying look, the guys are having a good time out there and they’re not done, let’s just prep up some stuff and we can all eat when they come in.  So we girls settled in, chatted about Brian’s and my wedding plans, talked about all kinds of stuff.  It was really relaxing and fun.  I really enjoyed getting to know Terri and Don while we were in Beaufort, as did Brian.  When the guys finally called it quits on the engine, having cleaned out the gelled up gasoline and unfortunately still not able to get the darned thing to start, Don fired up the oven and made some incredible tilapia and Orzo for dinner.  As we were just finishing up dinner, and after Don and Terri had insisted that we just stay the night rather than go back to the boat that evening, we heard a terrible crash outside.  We all went out to see what had happened, and found that there had been an awful head on crash at the entrance to the Dollar General.  Both cars were totalled, fortunately all of the occupants of both cars were alive and although injured were out of the vehicles.  Several people had called 911, and in the interim, we all jumped into the fray to help out.  Don checked on the passenger in the truck, Brian and I ran into the Dollar General and with the permission of the manager and help of the staff there got latex gloves, ice, paper towels etc to help the injured people.  We waited until the ambulances arrived and took our leave, however Don remained outside directing traffic, re-routing oncoming cars through the parking lot across the street until he was finally relieved by the fire department.  By this time, we were all exhausted, so we all called it a night and turned in, planning to get up in the am for Don to take us back to the boat by about 8 so that we could depart Beaufort at 9.
In the morning, we said our goodbyes to Terri, and promised one another that we’d get together again, perhaps on our way back North in the spring, and a very sincere invitation to Don and Terri to please come and visit us in Andover/Boston.  Don drove us back to the dinghy, and we said very fond farewells with many thanks for all of their hospitality and friendship.  I am still struck by their kindness and hospitality, and am very much looking forward to when we’re all able to see one another again.