Headed Home

 After 21 days and more than 220 hours of working on the Dorothy Scott, I am tired, sore, and ready to head back to Austin. I was originally planning on leaving early Tuesday morning, but by mid morning today, I was done. Any project I would have started seemed too overwhelming, so I decided to pack up my stuff and head out a little early. It was a whirlwind of three weeks and I can't believe it is already over.

Although I didn't accomplish everything I set out to do, I accomplished a lot and learned more than I expected about the interworkings of the boat. The trials of troubleshooting the port engine and not being able to fix the cut off switch on the generator cut into my remodeling time, but gave me a hands on education that will help me when I am on the year long trip. I am actually thankful for all the trouble and thankful to Pete Salter, the previous owner, for all his help. I hope I am able to make him proud with the adventure I will have with the boat he loves.


I met so many great people in Coles Point during this trip. The other boaters  on D dock were all very friendly and we had some great nights sitting on the dock talking about life and boats and family and work and adventures. Boat life can be a lot of work, but it is also very laid back and relaxing. Some have the fortune of living on their boats full time, while others come in on the weekends and enjoy their time with family and friends at the marina. The local restaurants were full of friendly staff and excellent food. It was especially great to be able to go to Ruby's where my next door boat neighbors, Dave and Holly, work. Having Holly wait on me and Dave cook a fantastic steak and cheese while introducing me to the other locals was a welcome break between ripping out carpet and working on the engine.

I will never forget my experience at Coles Point Marina and look forward to seeing them once more when I return to cruise the boat to Florida in September.

I was also fortunate to have three friends visit, which gave me the pleasure of sharing my experience with people I care about. Thanks to Randy Brown, Chris Melton, and Peter Hession for making the effort. Randy will actually be joining me and Aaron Greenwald on the trip to Florida. It will be nice to have some company and some help on my first long voyage.

I will likely take a few weeks off from blogging while I am catching up on things in Austin. 'Til September!


Location: 190 Plantation Dr, Hague, VA 22469, USA

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