Storm Update — Cupcake Afloat

After a very busy day getting the boat squared away on Tuesday, we left our girl Cupcake in the hands of marina staff. Hoping for the best. And we are surprised that we are not worrying about it. Nothing more to be done.

No matter what happens, we will at least have one boat when all this is over: we left Mr. Flowerpot in a storage unit that new friends in the marina graciously shared with us. (Actually, it’s their unit, but they were willing to drive Mr. Flowerpot and the outboard there and store them for us.)

Moss has really enjoyed the last two days because she loves meeting and talking with all the other sailors. We finally got to a part of the country where there are lots of other liveaboards, lots of characters, lots of friendly. And then Florence.

You’ve got to put the gear somewhere. So it is all inside. The picture does not show how humid it is in here.

Not a lot of room to move around. Just as well, we are not living aboard for now.

She (Moss, not the hurricane) was a huge help getting the boat prepared. Helped me strip the dodger and bimini off the frames, helped with zip-ties we put on just about everything. Was a huge help trundling the cart from Cupcake to the rental car with loads of gear.

Rented a car and drove to Washington, DC to visit Simon. (I am completely dumbfounded as to why anyone would buy a Chevrolet Equinox. Our rental car is one and it is in the top three worst vehicles I have driven. It is marginally better than a PT Cruiser we rented a while ago. The worst driving car overall was a friend’s totally worn out VW Karmann Ghia I drove once in graduate school. Man, was that thing awful. But its excuse was that it was old as the hills and had been neglected then poorly maintained and even more poorly modified by a series of ham-fisted shade tree mechanics for years.

But back to this Equinox: the only things it has going for it are the color (a nice blue), the size (it holds our stuff), and the fact that it was available for rent. But it has mushy steering feel and wanders all over the road. It is so bland looking it is difficult to remember what it looks like when you leave it in a parking lot. It has utterly inexplicable controls for HVAC, radio, odometer, etc.)

Saw this truck with a BBQ in the bed, parked in front of a BBQ restaurant. BYOBBQ?

Checked into the nastiest hotel we have ever seen. It’s a Days Inn in Arlington, Virginia.

(Here come the pictures, keep the Purell handy.)

We told Moss we would find a hotel with a pool.

Mold everywhere. Peeling wallpaper. Cigarette burns on the blankets. Broken window in the bathroom. Nasty shower/tub. WiFi doesn’t work. Weak cell service. First floor room where the shades don’t completely close. Came with a fridge where we could store all our food. Then the fridge didn’t work so the food is spoiled. Two police cars in the parking lot…never a good sign. Turns out the hotel takes Section 8 vouchers. That’s fine, but it is not what I am looking for in a hotel for my family. If that makes me sound like an elitist snob, remember that I am a yachtsman, so don’t act all surprised and judgy. Read some other blog if you like…
Funny thing: I just mentioned to some cruisers we met yesterday that I finally feel so thoroughly into the sailing life that I went into the marina bathroom barefoot and didn’t even give it a thought until afterwards. This hotel is ickier.

The restaurant at the hotel is called “The Restaurant” of course.

You’re probably thinking, “Jonathan is grumpy. He is tired. He is hungry. He is stressed about the storm.”

Not true. Fake news. I am in a pretty good mood. Had a great night’s sleep even though Moss was in bed with us because her bed seemed even more nasty. Had the included breakfast (think about how bad a donut has to taste in order to be considered inedible). This is still part of the adventure. And what great stories!

Anyway, we’ve changed to a different hotel within walking distance from Simon’s dorm and will be moving there this afternoon, we are returning the rental car (since we won’t need it while we are here and will just rent something more appropriate to our station in life when it is time to return. Thinking Range Rover or Maserati.)

That’s it for now.

Double bow lines on each side. And a spring line on each side. Chafe gear everywhere. But when the storm surge lifts the boat 20’, all this careful preparation may be academic.

Insurance company, I’m looking at you. This is a well-secured vessel.

We hope Cupcake is waiting for us, right where we left her, when we return.

Funny story about the jerry cans in the picture: they are blocking the cockpit drain holes. Thinking about 3’ of rainfall and what that means, we moved the cans before the storm.