Howdy! As you may recall, we left the boat at Tiger Point on July 29, 2021. We waited until early October and finally got the call that boat was scheduled to go back into the water on Monday, October 11. Woohoo! Finally, after 74 days of waiting we were READY! This time we planned to break the drive to Tiger Point into several days so we could scope some potential marinas on the way.
First stop, Charleston. We booked a lovely Hampton Inn right next to Ashley Marina. It was a really nice room! Momma complained about the mold in the shower, but seemed happy with everything else. We got here early afternoon and had time to drive by a few marinas before hitting Hampton Dog Park – purely a coincidence with both being named Hampton. It was so good to run and play after being cooped up in the Cooper!
Momma and Poppa asked a guy in the dog park about a good place to eat. After a few minutes of talking up some places nearby he suggested Edmund’s Oasts Brewing Company. What a perfect suggestion! It was a courtyard with lots of places to sit and places to buy beverages and food. That night there was a German or Oom-pah band playing and they covered the music from the Star Wars Cantina scene! It was a great place and lots of people stopped to love on me 😊.
The next morning, Sunday, we stopped at St Johns Marina and decided that was the best spot for us in Charleston. Next, we headed to Savannah, St Augustine, and Outer Banks to see a few more marinas. It was too much looking and we’d had enough, so we decided to just head to Fernandina Beach so we could take a peek at the boat.
When we arrived at Tiger Point though, the boat didn’t look quite ready. We were hopeful we misread the situation and decided to pick up some take out and go check into our hotel.
Home 2 Suites in Fernandina not only is dog-friendly, they love us! They oooo-ed and ahhh-ed over me and gave me treats! Usually, Momma just tells me to try not to make eye-contact with the clerk, but not here! They were happy to see me and called me by name every time I came into the lobby! There were lots of places to potty, and we were just a short walk away from the ocean! Momma and Poppa liked their breakfast. I liked the room. I kept was chill, but Momma kept a vigilant look-out for gators.
The next morning, Monday, we called Tiger Point Marina. Terri was out, but they said there is still a few things to wrap up and we wouldn’t be launching tomorrow. Ugh. More waiting. Longer hotel stay. More take out, and I was running out of food.
While we waited, I got to go to the beach! The waves were really interesting and there was so much to sniff that I got a sand-stache!
Finally, we were told the boat will be ready on Friday. Momma said that we basically just had an unplanned vacation.
We watched as they use the hoist to pick up the boat, carry it to pier, and launch it into the water. Amazing! Once it was in the water, the mechanic wanted to start the boat and to do some final checks before we gave her a try. Well, only one engine started. Ugh. The mechanic kept trying, but we had to wait for a part that wouldn’t be in until Monday or Tuesday. Momma was freaked out! She was scheduled to fly home the next day to help Aunt Nikki move. However, Grandpa Phil saved the day and flew in from Ohio to help Poppa. It was so good to see him, but the boat was a mess. Momma had brought several things for the galley but had to go to the airport before she could get them put away.
Me, Poppa, and Grandpa Phil stayed on the boat for another few days until it was ready to go. More on that later.
Lots of Love,
