Hilton Head was an interesting stop, and yet again different in character from the other places we’ve been. I loved our time there, but we really didn’t get to see or explore much since we weren’t all that close to anything. That said, we were in a beautiful spot and we got to meet some nice people, and sometimes having a bit of a slower, more relaxed week at home is just perfect.
I took a morning run to West Marine to pick up the parts we needed to finish out the combiner installation. While they didn’t have everything we needed, they had enough to get the basic installation done. I was also able to find a bunch of other stuff on our list, including a solar powered light for the cockpit, cord organizers, and most importantly, a pair of full-fingered warm gloves. As luck would have it, there was also a PetSmart and CVS next door, so I was able to get Jack’s anti-nausea prescription filled and pick up Pill Pockets for him. It’s funny how sometimes the little things feel like major victories.
Once I picked up the parts, we were able to get our combiner installed. We still need to add inline fuses (those were the parts I couldn’t get), but it works! I’m really excited that we’ll be able to charge our house batteries from the alternator and use our electronics overnight without worrying about drawing the batteries too far down.
I was glad to be in a slip for the week – it was cold, and we even saw frost one morning. But being able to run the heat is such a luxury, and we were comfortable despite the temperatures. We got to enjoy a beautiful foggy morning, which I always love as long as I don’t have to be under way.
I admit that this week was a little rough for me mentally. Don’t get me wrong – I’m absolutely loving this trip, and this lifestyle suits me. But it’s also not always easy – we work all week and then are under way all weekend, and this is the first time in my life that I’ve not had firm roots somewhere. Silent Sky is home and has long felt that way, but it’s also tough to constantly move your house and not have family or friends nearby. Again, we’ve met so many great people doing this, and I’ve really enjoyed that, but it’s just different. Preparing for our next offshore hop, I’ve been feeling a bit mentally exhausted and like I need a break.
We did make sure to have our own little Thanksgiving – we had appetizers and watched sunset at the Driftwood Eatery at the marina, and then we made butternut squash lasagna. I bought a half maple cinnamon apple pie (I thought about baking, but I don’t have a pie plate and we used the baking dish for the lasagna), so we at least got to have our own little celebration.
