MacGregorSailors.com

Hi All!

Well the official ‘Emergency Alert’ for SC went out yesterday for preparedness.
Glad we’re ahead of the curve with getting the boat out yesterday…the boat ramps are busy today.

Here are a couple of photos getting loaded onto the trailer from yesterday for your amusements





While we normally hand load we broke from our SOP this time and tried powering on.
Felt like being the bull charging the Matador!
The breeze and current were an issue so we tried something different.
Results were acceptable but not perfect… still like our hand load process even if it takes longer and I generally get wetter

Once we got home I pulled the ballast tank drain valve and noticed that there was a couple of gallons of water in there.
This was a first occurrence of this. Maybe the drain valve seal is showing its age?
We’ll have to check it again when we do our end of season haul out before getting too excited.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Knock on wood! We seem to have missed with the potential hurricane!
Yippie! Really glad about that!
Seem that it is headed East out into the Atlantic instead of the South Carolina coast.
Might not even get much rain either if the forecast holds true!
That is a relief!

Meanwhile we did get the boat hauled out and now has a much cleaner hull!
That should make for a bit more speed to get us to see our favorite places one more time before the end of our season at the end of October. So far it has been a pretty good season even if we didn’t get to take our planned extended cruise up the ICW this year. The economic volatility that started earlier this year and continues really wasn’t conducive to making any big expenditures. Maybe things will improve by next season? We’ll have to wait and see what next year brings us all…. (I don’t know about other folks but our operational budget is still struggling with the increased grocery expenses this year which has been eating (pun intended) into the discretionary portions (pun intended) of the budget….).

The hull cleaning went rather well has all the crud came off easily from the existing ablative bottom paint.
I’ve been told it’s good for about two season and I’d say our experience has confirmed that.
Once we finish the season we will give the hull an extra through cleaning so we are ready to apply a new layer of ablative at the start of next season. We are also planning on giving the helm seat, the sliding companionway, the companionway hatch panel, the forward hatch and the hatch for the anchor locker a couple of coats of paint. Currently leaning toward using Awlgrip as from what I’ve read and seen appears to be an easy to apply self leveling paint system. This will be a somewhat manageable project and practice for when we later attempt to paint the top deck and cockpit. Time will tell….

The priority is gonna be the home renovation projects on the “To-Do-List” for the next several months.
As the weather has cooled my motivation and productivity has improved.
Not sure why but I’m glad it has!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

So the tropical storm is now a hurricane called Imelda!
The weather forecasters are telling us that it’s gonna take a hard right and go out into the Atlantic…. That’s a good thing!


On the other hand there is a large front that is continuing up the East coast with a good bit of heavy rain so not much for outdoor stuff over the next couple of days.




Best Regards
Over Easy

Hi All!

With the rainy weather a couple tasks on the ‘To-Do-List’ were knocked about.
Even started laying the new vinyl plank flooring! Four boxes down! Only a whole lot more to go….

Meanwhile Over Easy will be sitting in the driveway till Thursday or Friday which is the earliest is seems we’ll be able to get her back into the water. I’ve been looking at making some improvements to the rear support cradle I made previously so I’ll have an easier time when it comes to putting on the new bottom paint

Hi All!

Well the hurricanes stayed out to sea (where they can stay as far away from land as possible IMO ) and the torrential rains predicted were also a non event for us as well . Can’t say that I’m disappointed. I can only wish that all the gathering and devastating storms on the horizon would just wander out to sea and die out with out causing harm… lots of people are still picking up the pieces from Helene.

Anyway our Over Easy has a freshly cleaned hull and is back in the water as of Friday evening. We Launched with a King high tide just before the Port Royal Landing ramp became awash. The tide was at the top of the ramp and just shy of the parking area! (We’ve been there before and have actually found the parking area awash with nearly a foot of water!)

Note: The local recreational shrimpers seem to love these King high tides as the shrimp get displaced and the shrimpers can get into the more productive areas without running aground…. Though I’d hate to be the guy that get back into those marshes and stays too long as it could be a while before the next King tide come to float one out again…

Anyway the hull cleaning really put some zip back in the speed range! We didn’t mount the Chart Plotter this time to get a measurable speed but suffice to say Over Easy just about jumped up on plane when the throttle opened up! Boy that was satisfying! It was just a quick sunset to twilight ferry run this time from the landing to our slip. The weather mild and the sunset was gorgeous!

The house renovations took priority this weekend so not any boat time .
On the plus side though the new vinyl plank flooring is moving along nicely! Approaching the halfway completion point for the family room/hall/new-kitchen area floor. Really looks and feels great! (Especially after having bare concrete floors for the past several months! ) It’s nice to be making observable progress again!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Went for a nice sunset dolphin cruise last evening with our older daughter who’s come down for a quick visit with her pup! What a nice evening! The weather was perfect!





We stopped at the dock for a local waterfront restaurant (the Fish Camp), just after sunset. Great food and views!

We then enjoyed the brilliant full moon lit cruise back to our slip. What a nice way to spend the day!



Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Met an interesting boat owner at the marina a little while ago. He’s an older Englishman traveling the ICW from North to South. Like a lot of his countrymen he loves the vast distances of America.

As the saying goes ‘Mad dogs and Englishmen’ , his claim to fame is that he’s a long distance relative to John Stuart Mill, who in 1867 was the originator of the phrase, "Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends than that good men should look on and do nothing" at the University of St. Andrews.

I wrote a paper on that phrase back while in University (a long time ago as well ).

(Note: This is the origin of the more common familiar phrasing ‘ The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing’ as variations used by Winston Churchill and Franklin D Roosevelt. )

It funny the folks one meets along the waterway and the watering holes…. Just thought this was an interesting chance meeting. The history that surrounds us unawares…. … I’d never met anyone who was related to someone in my history books! I’ve got to get my books unpacked one of these days and brush up some on his relative James Stuart Mills and the details of his times back in 1867. I wonder if he liked boats too…..

I wonder if others have had similar opportunities they might also like to share….

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Slow progress on the house “To-Do-List”… still working on flooring… knees aren’t what they used to be

Been taking a bit of a break while daughter is visiting. She blew a tire on a chunk of concrete on her way out to continue her travels! Fortunately AAA was able to tow her back into town. Local Mavis Tire were fantastic about helping get her two new tires (so traction would be balanced side to side) and an alignment the next morning. Good she had been still somewhat local. Serendipity! Now she has a very good spare tire (less rim).

Boy tires can be expensive though now-a-days! I had not all that long ago…ok maybe a little less than a year ago … and the same exact tires (not on sale) were 25% less than they were now. That seems like a pretty big bump in price but what do I know….

Weather has been a bit rainy this week so not much boating time. Hopefully the weather is going to be good so we can get out during the week.

While recuperating my knees I was looking at the boat project list for next year. Checked the Australian winch we’d like to get but prices and they are still off the scale once the tariffs are added in. Phhbbbt! That’s gonna stay on the wish list until things change…

My new bottom paint is not gonna be purchased until a month or so I’m ready to use it in the Spring. Price is up 15% from last I checked in February of this year. Phbbt! That one is a gonna happen project so it is what it is.

The top deck painting of the hatches and seat paint pricing has remained much higher than last fall too but it’s one project I’d like to accomplish before next year’s boating season… I don’t figure any prices are gonna ever come back down anytime in the next couple of years at this rate so it is what it is…( though I’d been hoping that as this boating season draws to a close that there might have been at least some cost reductions…)

After we haul out at the end of the month I’ll start on the trailer wheel hubs and lug studs replacements… one at a time. If I can do one hub every week or so in the evenings all four should be done by January. . Speedy Gonzales I am not … Inch by Inch…

I know that I’m not alone in the budgeting challenges but it helps to put it out in the open. It just the life and times of retired times

Breaks over…Back to the “To-Do-List”

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Hi All!

Today turned out to be a beautiful day!
Clear skies, calm winds and bright sun with temps in the 70s.
Great day for a late afternoon cruise!
About 2-1/2 hours out on the water.
We were able to bring along our older daughter and her Standard Poodle as well as our MacGregor. Beautiful time! It is so nice to be still able to get out on the boat in the middle of October. (Up north they have already had hard frosts!)











Best Regards
Over Easy

Hi All!

Wow! What a beautiful couple of days we’ve been having here in SC!
Weather has been near on to perfect! Clear skies! Gentle breezes! Warm temps in the mid to high 70s!
It doesn’t get much better than this! The summer has faded gently into fall and this month has been like a bonus season!

We’ve gotten out several times this past week for late afternoon/ evening cruises along our waterways and estuaries!
Seen lots of dolphins and waterfowl. The best time seems to be an hour or so before sunset when they seem to be most active.
MacGregor love being out on the boat as much as we do!







Pirates?

Yesterday, after a great fun entertaining local downtown rally with a bunch of our great neighbors, we went for a short cruise which was a real bonus in that we got to watch a Bald Eagle for about a half hour along the Cat Island Cut! A real treat indeed!
We have several nesting pairs in the area but normally they are either airborne or high up in the trees. In this case it was perched on the dock pier and content to let us appreciate the moment together. Very nice!

Here are a couple photos to enjoy!










We’re glad that we have this opportunity to be here in such a unique and diverse location and can share it.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Love living vicariously. Our boat is tucked away and covered for the winter. Long winter.

Hi Russ!

Hope you had a great season this year!
I know we’re fortunate to have a bit longer of a season here in SC … (and an earlier start ).
Up in NH the leaves have all but gone and there have been several hard frosts already.
There has been snow up in the White Mountains too! Brrrrrrr……..

We got out again this afternoon for several hours… back in the slip at sunset…. This is not my favorite time of year solely because the sun sets sooner and sooner and sooner…..( I like it the other way round like in the Spring where the days get longer )

The weather was near perfect again! Temps in the mid 70s, calm waters, light breeze and clear blue skies!
Saw several dolphins while we were out by Pigeon Point Landing. They were really playful leaping up and out of the water.
Saw a pair of Ospreys today as well… kind of late in the season for them but nice to see all the same.
A special treat was having a Rosette Spoonbill fly directly over us. Brilliant pink! Nice!

Hoping to get out as often as we can before we haul out sometime next week as the end of October is fast approaching.
While we did stay out on Lake Champlain until the early half of November in the past we still have to get back to working productively on the SC home renovation projects that are way off from the original schedules
It too tempting to get out on the water with the boat! … Work or Boating, that’s not even a real question…

Best Regards
Over Easy

Hi All!

It’s Thursday and we had another perfect day out on our local estuaries!
We went out on the Beaufort River toward the Atlantic then turned into Cowen Creek which we followed onto Distant Island Creek.
Water was like smooth glass with clear blue skies, nice temps in the mid 70s and calm winds.
Beautiful! Had the place pretty much to ourselves too!
Here’s some pictures to share…

















Trying to get the most of our remaining boat season before we haul out at the end of the month.
The weather has been cooperating!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Thank you for the pics

OverEasy wrote: ↑Thu Oct 23, 2025 8:32 pm Hi All!

It’s Thursday and we had another perfect day out on our local estuaries!
We went out on the Beaufort River toward the Atlantic then turned into Cowen Creek which we followed onto Distant Island Creek.
Water was like smooth glass with clear blue skies, nice temps in the mid 70s and calm winds.
Beautiful! Had the place pretty much to ourselves too!
Here’s some pictures to share…

Trying to get the most of our remaining boat season before we haul out at the end of the month.
The weather has been cooperating!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

Very nice. Imagine the day when you install the mast and sail that boat.