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With two new water pumps installed, Francesca was back to good health. From Charleston, it would be only a 120 miles; an easy two day run to our slip at Dock Holidays Marina.

The first day, we made about 80 miles and anchored in the Wacamaw River just north of Wacca Wache. This area is in the green swamp and aside from the occasional ICW daymarker, it is unspoiled. The tides just barely affect the flow of the river in these parts and it was a treat to anchor knowing that the direction of the boat and holding power of the anchor would be unaffected that night.

In the late afternoon the peace of the swamp was broken only by occasional boat traffic and a pair of fish eagles that were swooping and screeching. One eagle caught a fish and returned it to noisy eaglets in their nest. The evenings can also be appreciated with the many calls of hoot owls which, as usual, were in fine voice. Thankfully, we have never had much of a bug problem in this region. I'm sure it has its moments though.

Joan, Maggie and I sat on the fly bridge until dark thinking back on the past 7 months. What great experiences we had. We also began the process of planning for the more aggressive campaign in the fall.

In the morning, after the usual engine room check, the anchor was pulled and we cruised the last 40 miles. At North Myrtle Beach, the folks at the marina were expecting us. Our slip, which had been rented most of the time while we were gone, was open.

Finally, we were home for the summer and the beginning of another challenging aspect of cruising. That is, the planning, repairs, upgrades, and stocking for what we hope will be another extraordinary set of experiences. Bringing you up to date, some items on the agenda that have been completed thus far include:
resurface the deck over the aft state room and install new hand rails,
mount a couch (hideabed) and chest freezer on the fly bridge,
Sikkens (varnish like) teak rails, window frames, doors and deck,
install auto tracking for the satellite dish,
install a second, more powerful, inverter/batt charger to handle refrigeration,
purchase yet another anchor, Delta,
and a zillion little things.