Portsmouth, VA - Nautical Boats Marina

Hello all you fellow Yankees - and a few Rebels,
Yesterday (Tues) was a great day. It was the first full day and night we have been able to spend aboard Anam Cara IN THE WATER!!! Now that she is wet, we are beginning to feel that the voyage is upon us. Momma and Poppa Van Herk helped us put the boat into the water last Friday and helped us to rig the mast, sails, and put up the dinghy davits (an aluminum rig that holds our dinghy out of the water when we aren't using it to go from ship to shore.) Mom and Dad V. Were a great help. Things go so much smoother when they are around to give us advice about all things nautical.
We had a bit of trouble when raising the mast and trying to put it in place on top of the boat. We found that the mast had been dropped during transport and that one of the winches had been drug, on the ground - we think, and was pretty much useless to us because it no longer turns to help us lift the sail. The shippers forgot to mention that problem... We also lost two turnbuckles somehow. They are part of the apparatus that holds the mast in place.
We have a slip right next door to a few pirates. They are a great bunch and lots of fun. Travis works at the marina and Pete and his bride, Debbie have an interesting passion. They re-enact pirating for fun and profit. They have sword fights and all. Pete tells me that they will be acting the third "Pirates of the Caribbean." I'm going to see if I can get some shots of them in full pirate gear. They are going to be having a big party on Sept. 3 because they will be putting their newest boat, (a very nice old wooden rebuilt racing sailboat) into the water AND it is their anniversary.
We had dinner with them and as we were sitting around chatting on the end of the dock, low-and-behold... We see dolphin's swimming just off the end of the dock. That is our second sighting since arriving. A good omen, I think.
We have also seen blue crabs, many tiny fish, jelly fish, and more boiled peanuts that we ever wanted to see.
That's just the tip of the iceberg! We hope all is well with you.
Pictures in the next update.

Love,
The Salty Dogs

Michigan to Virginia - The saga.....

We found that similar to sailing in the ocean... shipping a boat via land isn't always smooth sailing. After working with Dave to get the boat ready for shipping, we made it to the marina on time and with smiling faces. A long/stress filled day passed and due to unfortunate circumstances we had to wait and extra day in the marina before Tom (the driver) and the marina men were able to load Anam Cara onto the trailer. Once she was snug in her trailer, we headed out on a 17 hour drive from Saugatuck, MI to Suffolk, VA arriving at 5:30am. We spent the day with Don's parents, talking, and sleeping until Tom arrived 12 hours later to help us unload her. She was in fine shape, but we were feeling a little worn out!
The last couple of days we have been slowly putting her back together and today we will begin putting the final 3 coats of paint on her bottom sides. We hope to have her launched Tuesday evening or Wednesday sometime. When we arrived we were told that Hurricane Irene may hit us on Tuesday... that was quite a welcome.... but lucky for us she has turned Northeast and is not predicted to turn back towards the US.
We can't wait until we are on the water because it has been 95 degrees here with high humidity and heat index of 105.... not fun to work in AT ALL!!

With love from,
Sizzling Sandi and Dehydrated Don

The marina lifted out boat off its cradle (you can see the cradle in the background) and carrying it to the trailer (foreground). 

Tom from Mirror Image Marine Transport did a wonderful job loading our boat onto this huge trailer and driving it safely to Suffolk, VA. He was very nice and very professional. 

Dave is hauling our boat from his place to the marina... kind of scary riding behind and seeing the boat pass inches from the power lines. 

Don is cleaning up waiting for shipment the next morning, bright and early. 

Another look, outside the garage. Pebbles is getting excited and can't wait to get on the boat. (That's Pebbles on the stairs!) 

We christen thee, Anam Cara. 

Dave Cadman, owner of The Body Boat Shop, in Holland, MI, puts the finishing touches on Anam Cara (While Don watches from above). Dave did a wonderful job and was great to work with. He is VERY knowledgable and likes to do things the right way!

Hello Friends and Family, Well, we made it to Virginia.  

Departure Date

Hello All,
The 10th is our last day in Indiana. We are shipping the boat via land to Suffolk, VA. The first few days will be spent organizing the boat, putting it all back together and celebrating Don's birthday on the 14th (34 years old!). We will stay there for 3 weeks, spending some quality time with Don's parents, then head South. Our first leg of the trip will include part of the "Dismal Swamp." We've read that the swamp is the closest thing to "a rain forest in South America" that one gentleman has ever seen in the US!


All who wander are not lost - (Mark Remus),

Don and Sandi