Truckin' on home

This is the beautiful Bristol sailboat I had to squeak by to
get Kantiya docked at Sailcraft Services in Oriental, NC.
You can see my dinghy hanging off the davits, and how
we are 'overlapped' with our neighbors.  Tight squeeze!

We got a rental car the previous day and got an early start
driving back to Maryland.  We had to get our truck back
from Old Bay Marina. We are on the move yet again!
Here we are passing by the Pentagon.

Seeing the Washington Monument and Lincoln
Memorial in Washington, DC are always a thrill.

We also passed by Andrews Air Force base in
Maryland, and I was reminded of when I visited
my oldest step-daughter, Jennessa when
she was stationed there.  Good memories :)

It was a full day of travel the day before,
and then the following morning we
worked our tails off to prepare the
boat for transit- Rick called and said
he would arrive a day early!

The sails came off and were folded. the dinghy and davits were
removed, the boom came off, the bimini and dodger came off,
the bimini frame was secured, the stern rail grill came off,
and I was furiously packing and stowing things below so
that nothing would get damaged in transit.  It was a Herculean
effort to finish by 3pm.  By mid afternoon, Kantiya was
pulled into the dry dock to be placed in the sling for a haul out.

The rigger and his helper removed the fore stay,
side stays, and back stay in preparation of lifting
the mast off with a crane.

All hands were on deck as the mast was un-stepped.
Al was at the crane controls.  I have never seen a
crane attached to a travel lift.  That was a first!

Steady as she goes!
  
The rigger set to work removing the spreaders.
He and Len then removed the radar and discussed our options
for upgrades and rewiring while we have the mast off.
Meanwhile, the travel lift hauled Kantiya out. The yardsmen
all wanted to know what kind of bottom paint we used as
she was clean as a whistle! I laughed and told them the paint
was only 10 days old and she had only been in the water
for a week.  They thought I had some miracle brand of paint :)

At the same time, Rick pulled in with his semi,
and he was talking Len through on how to prep
the mast for his trailer. Things were happening
very fast- and a day ahead of schedule!
 
Again with Al at the controls, Kantiya was centered up on
the semi trailer- just like threading a needle- a 20k lb needle.

Rick had just made a delivery to New Jersey, so with Kantiya
all loaded up (it took about three hours total), he was driving
her to his home in Columbia, SC for the weekend.  He was
already maxed on his driving time for the week.  The plan
was he will bring her on to FL this coming Monday. We took
off as well, to get a jump start on the trip home. The
plan was to stop at Florence, SC for the night.
We were loaded for bear for the two day drive home.  We
planned to get back to Turkey Creek by late Friday night,
which gave us the weekend to get unloaded and somewhat
settled before Kantiya arrives on Monday.  Len was in
China since June, and like myself, he was only home
for three days in July before he left for Maryland.
We don't let any grass grow under our feet- that's for sure!

As we were heading out of town, I saw this sign for the
Oriental Dragon Boat Festival.  Len and I celebrated
the true Dragon Boat Festival in June in China together
where we took the high speed train to Shanhaiguan, along
the Bohai Sea.  It is known as Old Dragon's Head where
the Great Wall meets the sea.  It seems I have come full
circle once again.  Life is funny like that.

G'nite, y'all!

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