I got boarded by the Coast Guard ‼️

Do I look like a drug runner?

Today I did a measly 38 miles (including drifting around with the Coasties for a bit). I went from North Myrtle Beach to Southport, NC. It was a nice morning to do a few boat things like pump the forward bilge (not much in there), check the oil again, and organize a bit more. Plus I got to take advantage of the PERFECT shower to give my First Mate Harry a much needed wash. He even got warm water!

After we took off I hustled up the waterway to catch up to another boat as it was approaching my 2nd swing bridge of the trip. The bridge tender was kind enough to wait the added minute I was behind the other boat, saving me from yet again circling and waiting like I did yesterday.

Tonite we’re docked “on the outside” per my request so we’ll get rocked through the night occasionally. Yes, you may call me a “big baby”.

Getting boarded ‼️

As I approached the marina at Southport there was a CG boat just kind of hanging out there. I was already slowing to get my fenders out, so I guess I looked like a perfect candidate for inspection, and that they did!

Two guys boarded Chévere with my First Mate greeting them enthusiastically! One had a dog just like Harry so he was, of course, happy to give him attention! Anyway, I had to produce and/or show the following:

— Drivers License (and I had a boater card)

— Life jackets (CG approved of course!)

— Throwable device

— Fire extinguisher

— Registration

That last one had me digging in the cabin but I found it. In return for my efforts I was given a lovely yellow 8.5 x 11 carbon copy of the report saying I was boarded, when, where, by whom, and that I was in full compliance! I was also told if stopped again anytime in the next several months just pull that paper out and I won’t have to do this again.

I asked them if they give out a lot of warnings and citations and was told “All the time!”. Immediately after they finished with me they chased down a pontoon boat.

Yup, that was today’s excitement!

Musings about yesterdays green rivers

For me, there are few things in life better than a nice, hot shower. The water cascading over your body, washing away the days emotional challenges and frustrations, bringing warmth and a refreshing feeling that all is still somewhat right with the world.

And so t’was as I stood in the shower last night, thinking of the trees growing in the green water of the river through which I had passed earlier, and I began to wonder if I was nothing more or less right now than a modern day explorer, complete with techno-wizardry. Here I was, exploring parts of my country I had never seen before, in a way few will ever do, with all the benefits of technology to guide me and keep me safe.

Shortly before my shower, I had been invited to join a disparate group around a gas bonfire — all travelers on our own journeys. One couple (of which I know half is now following my journey—thank you!) was relocating from Denver to New Bern, NC. Denver had simply become much too big for them, and they yearned for a smaller town experience. I, for one, could easily relate. I had already visited a few such places on this journey.

As a younger man growing up in Chicago, there was a time I believed I would never want to leave the vibrancy of that city. But I did, then with wife & dogs in tow, for the beautiful Seattle region. A time well before software came along to eat the world, and there were only a few smaller tech firms besides Microsoft. There wasn’t even an Amazon, and Boeing still held major sway.

I remember the late afternoon we first visited Seattle. Early September, there was a light rain that had cleared as we motored up I-5. Reaching what then had been the site of the Kingdome, the lights had come on in the city as the sun was shrinking into the western sky. What I recall most, like a snapshot frozen in my mind, was the clouds had been backlit in a lovely orange/gold hue. It was completely magical to me, and called my name! I looked at my wife and said “I want to live here!”. I think this shocked her, but two years later we were living in Bellevue, Washington. It turned out to be a fortuitous move in many ways.

That trip was 35 years ago this coming September. I was seeking something different at the time, something better. I wanted to explore, and to build a new future.

I’m certainly much older now, and no longer seek to build anything. Like others, I want to see things differently. Travel new paths in new ways. So here I am.

Are we all not travelers in our own right? Some may travel the world, others no further than their small town or neighborhood. But we’re all on a journey of discovery. Time, fortune, happenstance all play a role. We can only make the best of what we have, and in the end all we have had was time. That’s the great equalizer. Spend it wisely.