Holy cow it has been a month since I last posted. So much has happened. Yes we closed on our new boat on July 1st. We arrived that morning with a small U-Haul with our stuff and started moving on. But let me back up and tell you about her. She is a Nordic Tug 32 with an overall length of 34 including the swim platform and bow sprite. So essentially her inside space is about 24 feet long with the remaining being outdoor space. Her width is 11 feet with a depth of 3 feet 8 inches and she has a lovely sun deck on top that we absolutely love. But compare those measurements with Sereno at 41 feet, 13.3 width and 6 1/2 foot depth and she is considerably smaller but exactly what we wanted. Now to the part about moving on. Well let’s just say it was a challenge finding a place for what we consider our essentials during an extreme heat wave the east coast has been experiencing. We do have air conditioning but this heat is taxing it big time. Because she was located in what was basically a boat yard, we had to move on fairly quickly so on July 7th with threw off the dock lines and headed south on the Inter Coastal Waterway (ICW). Because the boat was so new to us, the captain was not too happy with that plan but off we went passing from Virginia into North Carolina a couple hours later. In two weeks we have logged 294 nm and are currently in Wilmington, North Carolina. Our stops in North Carolina have included Coinjock Marina, Alligator Marina in Columbia, Belhaven, Oriental, New Bern, Beaufort, Surf City, and Masonboro. Not bad for our first two weeks. The captain is loving the 270 hp single engine with bow and stern thrusters. So is the swabby because she can now step off the boat and tie her off as the captain gently brings her in to the dock.
The ICW is definitely a different mode of boating for us. With ocean crossings we are used to wide open spaces and never checking our depth unless we were entering a channel, anchorage or marina. Here on the ICW our eyes are glued to the chart plotter watching for the shallow spots. We need a bit more time to feel more comfortable with it and the incredibly rude weekend boaters we have encountered. But enough said on that.
So without further ado, we introduce At Ease. The previous owner was a Rear Admiral in the Navy. In honor of our military, which has included many family and friends, we have kept the name.
Our Nordic Tug 32
We left the home port of Charleston. Why not? The top sundeck is great for watching the sunset.
The Captain has a nice shady spot and a comfortable seat.
We can fit four for dinner and the table folds up when not in use.
We have more refrigeration with side by side units. Still working on this space so more pics to come.
The good news is, we easily fit under this 65 foot bridge.
Here are some pictures of the things we have seen.
Along the ICW you get to see all the houses you can’t see from the road.
New Bern is known for their bears throughout downtown. The restaurants and shops have all recovered from last years hurricane. Sadly the hotel and convention center by the marina have not reopened.
Sunset over the shrimp boats in Oriental.
Our view at Topside Island Marina, Surf City, NC
RE Mayo Shrimp Company and Marina along the ICW
We loved the small town of Belhaven, NC. Beautiful old homes. They had just celebrated July 4th and they all proudly still flew their American flags.
The River Forest Marina in Belhaven, NC provided free golf carts as well as free laundry. Always very much appreciated.
