My last update wasn’t the most uplifting … sometimes life is messy and hard. That said, we are healing emotionally and physically we are well again.

The good news is that we finally have a target date to get Escapade back in the water. WOO-HOO, hoping its next Friday… fingers crossed!! Once the transmission was pulled apart at Great Lakes Power in Chesapeake, they found out that the pinion gear was damaged (that’s where all the metal pieces Wally found in the oil came from) and that the clutch plates needed replacing. Fortunately, they were able to source a good used pinion gear so the repair work is in process.

Living on a boat, out of water, in a working boat yard isn’t exactly dreamy. It’s a side trip on the Great Loop that I don’t recommend. Plus it’s been hot as hot as h-e-double-toothpicks this last week. Why didn’t we just move off the boat … into the coach or into a hotel? Good question.

With Bentley being sick, that just wasn’t an option. Then we got sick, then the boat got hauled out and we thought it would go back into the after after the transmission was pulled. Then there were high wind possibilities because of a hurricane Idalia. Then we thought the repair work would be done in a week or 10 days so it didn’t make sense to put it back in the water and then pull it out again to reinstall the transmission. Then we needed more parts for the transmission. The “thens’” just kept changing and about the time we made a plan, it would changed again. SOOOO, long story short we have been living on our boat, out of the water in a working boat year for the last 12 days with two portable AC units running 24/7 to keep the boat almost habitable. We can use all of the boats systems EXCEPT the reverse cycle heating/cooling system as it draws raw water from ocean, lake or river to cool it. UGH…

Of course, it had to go and get all hot here in Virginia again, so there have been a few days that it has been exceptionally hot … inside the boat… with both portable AC units running. UGH… even poor Sucia the cat was too hot! The good news is that with the second portable AC unit, the lower part of the boat where the staterooms are is the coolest and we have been able to sleep comfortably. We’ve even brought in our folding chairs one hot night and had happy hour with Sucia in the Master Stateroom – creative right!!

Escapade is normally bright and light inside. She has windows and a floor to ceiling glass sliding door in the salon. Natural light is usually wonderful… except when is 95 degrees outside and you are sitting on land in a boat yard with zero shade and no breeze. So, we put reflective insulation in all the windows which has definitely helped reduce the solar load and temps inside. It’s not a look that I want to embrace long term, for sure but sweltering inside isn’t great either.

Our biggest strategy has been to just get the heck off the boat during the heat of the day and go do something. At a cool 77 degrees, Sucia has figured out that the master stateroom is the coolest place to sleep the day away. And just in case she forgets, we have been blocking her down there when we leave.

Since we were past the virus shedding period, last weekend we met some new friends, Stacy and Eric at our favorite Cider place in Hampton – Sly Clyde Cidery. We also took a walk around Fort Macon and went to the local Farmers Market. Part of the fun of traveling is meeting new people and since we have been in Norfolk/Hampton over two months now, we feel like locals.

We also discovered the Nolan Walking Trail at the Mariners Museum and Park. Miles of shady walking trails around beautiful Mariner Lake… bonus points for all the great doggie fixes we have been getting there.

Friday we took a drive to charming little Gloucester VA and explored a bit despite the 90 degree heat. There are so many small charming towns on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay.

Gloucester is also home to Walter Reeds Birth Place. Please leave me a comment if you really knew who Walter Reed was. Of course, my Walter knew who this Walter was so we had to go have a look. He said he was an important Doctor … hadn’t I heard of the Walter Reed Hospital?? Of course, I had to tease him just a little about who the heck was Walter Reed??? I think you just made that up, Mr Makie Uppie. I was promptly told that of course he learned about him in some history class, but of course. Turns out Doctor Walter Reed helped cured the world of the “scrourge” known as the Yellow Fever. Impressive for sure, we both agreed that this was one of the highlights of our time in Virginia so far!!!

Gloucester has a old historical village right at the end of Main Street at the round about… its a bit weird how you can drive around this two block area and never get out of the car to see the tiny village. Obviously, we did get out and walk around but it’s just odd. LOL, had we gotten there earlier in the day when it was hot as hell, we might not have gotten out of the car so maybe it is actually a brilliant design!

Main Street in Gloucester was all but rolled when we got there around 5 pm on Friday. About the only thing open were the restaurants and for such a small town there were some good choices. I had done some online research and made a dinner reservation at LuLu Birds Kitchen. Best meal we have had since we arrived in Virginia – very much farm to table, great cocktails and wine pairings. Wally had Seared Jumbo Sea Scallops and Risotto and I had a Shrimp Étouffée. The Chef did a spin on the Étouffée and served it over fresh Papadelle Pasta. Both entrees were excellent and paired really well with the White Bordeaux that our waitress Jenny suggested.

Check out my new friend… This was another weird thing in Gloucester. No idea what this was all about but the dude was actually kinda creepy. I was almost, kinda sure that he was NOT a real dude but I still said “Hi” before I sat down. When he didn’t reply, which I really expected him to, I thought I’d get a look at what he was reading. Turns out the article was about a Peeping Tom in a plaid shirt that the local Police were looking for… – HAHA not really. But he was super creepy!

Despite the heat, Wally has been checking off some smaller boat projects as well. The boat yard is going to touch up our bottom paint and running gear – can you say Cha-Ching. So, fingers crossed all the repairs are completed next week, Escapade gets back in the water and that our credit card doesn’t explode when the final bill comes in.