We spent Easter week on the boat in Charleston,SC. I had a good training session with Capt. George maintaining boat control in the current of the Ashley River. We spent time keeping the bow centered on a channel marker on maintaining a 15′ to 20′ distance. We practiced swaping from bow to stern against the current and recovering from getting sideways in the current. This experience will be helpful while waiting for a bridge opening or docking in a current. The one thing that makes me a little nervous about docking is that the Margarita Daze does not have thrusters. George says its better to learn just using twin screws because my ability to handle the boat in adverse conditions will be much better. After our session we headed down the Ashley to the Entrance of the Cooper and the Charleston Harbor, motored for a while and headed back to the marina. This was my first attempt at docking on my on, aced it. It felt great to spend some time at the helm and can’t wait for the next session. I have some experience with a 36′ twin screw but this boat is a whole different animal and having a Captain give me one on one training was the way to go.
We spent the rest of the week doing boat chores, maintenence and being lazy. We grilled steak and shrimp for the family on Easter and watched the Masters on the tube. Our son Garrett chose to stay home and Turkey hunt and fish with his friends instead of trying to adapt to the coastal life. He told us once we start making trips he will join us but for now he will hunt, fish and play golf.
