a short hiatus - a.k.a. off to opposite ends of North Carolina

One of the difficulties of sharing personal information on the internet is you never know who is out there consuming.  So rather than advertise our absence from Sunset Island and a loney C'est la Vie awaiting at the dock for our return, I simply remained silent about our two week trip to NC. 

After 9 years of calling Sunset Island home, we are now moving out.  

Sunset Island Lodge and the Sinker boarded up for the summer season

Our dream to live aboard C'est la Vie for a couple years is becoming a reality,  but some of the steps along the way are difficult. Surprised by the amount of stuff we have collected and saddened at the thought of leaving this amazing island on the cusp of Florida's Ten Thousands Islands, packing up belongings that will remain on land during our trip proved both physically and mentally taxing.

Wow that is way more stuff than we envisioned packing up.

Anne departed a couple days before I did.  After a deposit at our storage unit.  She went to the mountains to open up the Outward Bound School's Cedar Rock Basecamp Kitchen, welcome a new kitchen manager to the facility, and visit friends.  Her travels went well.  She reveled in the verdant tunnels of green that embrace the back roads during the western NC spring.  She enjoyed cooking for the staff in the spacious, industrial Cedar Rock Kitchen (I heard the fresh baked pretzels were to die for.)   She caught up with long time friends living in the Brevard and Asheville area.

My journey took me to the opposite end of North Carolina - the Outerbanks.   Like Anne, my first stop in NC was to visit my parents and make a hefty deposit in our rented storage unit.

Thanks to my father for helping us stuff our storage unit to full capacity.

After a couple days of classic Outward Bound logistics that involved sorting and transporting large quantities of outdoor gear over long distances I made my way back to the Atlantic Coast.  Upon my return my to Marshallberg, NC, I was greeted with a wonderful home cooked dinner from our friend Peggy.  I then set up Outward Bound's Outerbanks Basecamp and instructed a six day staff training.

practicing wet exit drills in the shadow of the Cape Lookout Lighthouse

A couple days of high winds and foul weather served to elevate the quality of the training.

paddling in 20+ knot winds off Bells Island

I enjoyed my time in the OBX and appreciate the NCOBS staff for contributing to the success of the training.  More images of from the training are available on line... OBX Staff Training - Spring 2013 

Anne and I reunited in Beaufort, NC on April 10th.  We spent one night catching up with local friends at our favorite Friday night hangout - Aqua, before renting a car and returning to Sunset Island, FL.  

The plan now is to complete a few outstanding boat projects... Cabin Sole Installation; Solar Panel Installation, Re-install deck hardware on the freshly painted cabin trunk, etc.