A New Journey Begins for OverEasy - 2023/2026

[Russ]

Looks wonderful.

I'm envious that you can go boating in the middle of winter while my boat is bundled up in storage.

[OverEasy]

Hi Russ!

Come on over! There’s plenty of open water!

It’s a great region with lots of opportunities both on and off the water.
It’s not a major metropolitan area for sure but it’s not out in the sticks either.
Depending on your preferences most things are within a short drive and lots of stuff gets delivered nowadays anyway.
Generally I’ve found that I can get to most of what I’m interested in getting to within a half hour or so.
That and there is pretty good infrastructure too!
(Heck, we can even get real Christmas Trees that even smell like they are supposed too! )


This weather is one of those an unintended consequences of global warming…. It may as well be enjoyed as it’s not something I’m gonna be able to fix at the moment….. I already have a several items ahead of it on my ‘To-Do-Lists’!

Our forecast has great weather all week with temperatures up into the 70s by Wednesday with continuing sunny clear skies.
It’s a tough decision as to ‘weather’ we get Christmas shopping, accomplishing To-Do-List items or getting out on the boat… just about everyday lately! … Real tough but the boat seems to be winning …..I figure one should savor the days wherever you are, while they are, for what they are, when they are.

Hope you have a Happy Holiday Season!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

It’s that time of year to consider how we can help others who need assistance.
We consider ourselves to be fortunate at this time to have reasonably good health, a roof over our heads and food on our table.
There are a lot of serendipitous events, circumstances, people and efforts both some good and some not-so-good that have allowed us to be here and now… we all well know that everything in life can change in just a heartbeat.

To that end we would like to take the moment to encourage each other to try and make this world better in some way and help others less fortunate in need in a meaningful way.

The needs are particularly staggering especially this year, both domestically and internationally.
The needs are only going to get more dire in the coming years affecting innocent men, women and children … people no different than you or I … were it but for fate or circumstance beyond anyone’s control.

Please consider taking a moment to consider making a contribution to reputable charities and organizations this Holiday season to help those in need in a way that is relevant to you and your family circumstances… Please help make a kinder, gentler, better world than we came into….

Best Regards & Happy Holidays
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

So it was the day afterChritmas and the warm weather streak continues!
It was TOO GREAT a day to be even mildly interested in post holiday sales!
BOAT DAY!

You just can’t miss opportunities like this to get out on the water!
This warm perfect blue sky weather is a real gift for us!

We took a couple hours to leisurely cruise down the Beaufort River to Fort Fremont and back arriving back to our slip just in time for sunset.











We noticed that someone made the perfect playhouse from their old ‘derilict’ sailboat by situating it on their waterfront facing out to the bay! What a cool idea to spark the imagination! Talk about ‘up-cycling’!

They even arranged it near a nice Plametto tree and flagpole!
Journeys to the far off islands and untold adventures!
What a wonderful idea!
(Wish I’d thought of it myself when our girls were younger!…. While I built them a two story playhouse the idea of using a sailboat would have been a whole new take on expanding horizons! Kudos to that homeowner!)

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

We got out again on Sunday!
Another perfect day to spend some quality time enjoying these southern waterways.
Here are some photos for you all to enjoy!









While we were out some of our local Dolphins came by for a visit









It was another fantastic day to be here!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

It was Monday and It’s time to consider actually hauling out for the next several months (till April).
We got the trailer hooked up on Monday and started our haul out dance of having a high tide in daylight, hooking up the trailer, getting the trailer to the ramp, us to the marina, slip our slip, motor to the ramp, manually haul out, go to the pressure wash place to power off all the bottom crud, gottotge marina to pick up the car, get home, park the trailer, uncouple the big van, hook up power for the dehumidifier & heater….. at least that was the plan until we got out of the driveway headed to the ramp…. One of the trailer discs locked up one of the wheels making the most horrendous screech!

Fifteen to thirty minutes of fiddling about on the neighborhood street got the caliper unstuck. Made a precautionary loop around tge development circle to make sure everything was functional ate another fifteen minutes before we were finally headed to the ramp! Whew! Glad it wasn’t something serious…

When we finally got to the ramp it was now only about 45 minutes to high tide (instead of our planned hour and a half). Fribble…
After parking the trailer I stepped out of the big van into wind blowing 25 to 35 mph that would blow us on to the ramp pontoon and pin us there! The wind and gusts were perpendicular to the pontoon and angled to blow us back out into the channel. Powering on wasn’t an option as prior attempts in less windy/gusty conditions were YouTube material (as well as potential damage to boat and/or trailer). I wouldn’t stand a chance of hand loading our Mac26X up wind onto the trailer with all the freeboard windage we have… The first or nearest of the three ramps to the pontoon was shoaled up with sand which would have tilted the trailer considerably so that one was a no-go. The third or farthest ramp drops off steeply into rubble on the far side so there was going to be no safe foothold to pull the boat upwind and manhandle it on to the trailer. The middle ramp was an option but after walking out on the pontoon and watching the local seafood market fishing boats struggling with multiple attempts (and a whole lot more experience than I) I made the executive decision to call it and come back another day!

We then drove over to the adjacent beach to enjoy the windsurfers get bounced around. They like that sort of stuff. They were young and still bounced reasonably well. I don’t bounce any more as the Admiral pointed out to me We picked our battle and Monday wasn’t it !

The high tide was an hour later today (Tuesday) so less daylight and the outside temps had dropped from Mondays 60s to tge 40s! Burrrrr!
We wanted to be hauled out before the end of the month so we gave it another try. Got to the ramp, reasonably calm and a rising tide. Made it to the marina and launched without delay. Motored over to the ramp, winds calm. Turned up the channel and found a small pod of cavorting Dolphins there to see us off so we enjoyed watching them for a few moments to end our 2025 boating season. It’s been our longest to date starting in the beginning of April and serendipitously stretching now into December! What a wonderful season (even if we didn’t get to make any extended travels). We turned to the ramps and out of nowhere the wind came up! Just like on Monday! We landed on the pontoon half expecting to muscle on through getting hauled out but that feeling of 25 mph wind at 42F blowing perpendicular to the dock just wasn’t right… A younger me might have possibly tried but the current older (hopefully wiser and more prudent version ) decided that I really wasn’t going to enjoy this today and even less so than yesterday (when it was 25 degrees warmer!). So we untied and motored back to our marina slip to call it a day. The forecast for good weather and a favorable high tide is gonna take us into next week sometime. Oh well. Such are the plans of men…

Did did enjoy our time out and we’re able to get several nice photos to share with you:






















And our ‘Pulitzer Prize’ photo of capturing one dolphin after another leaping clear into the air today!!





While we didn’t get to haul out as planned it was still a FANTASTIC day out on our waters!
What an EXCEPTIONALLY NICE way to end out our 2025!

Happy New Year to All!
May the New Year somehow be whole lot better!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

Well third times a charm!
We finally got hauled out on the 8th of January! Hooray! (Kind of a sad hooray though as we have really enjoyed this extended season and the very nice weather we have been having.

The dolphins came out again to wave at us on the way from the marina to the ramp.
A perfect warm day to haul out.
















Once out we drove over to the DIY car wash to get the accumulated crud blasted off the hull..at least where we could reach with the wand available. A more through cleaning will be done one we get the boat lifted up off the trailer in preparation for applying new bottom paint.
Glad I made that support stand a couple of years ago. It makes is a lot easier!

Well the clock is already started on getting the Spring pre-2026 Boat Season To-Do-List started…..

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

So here we are at the start of 2026!
Whew! We survived the year of 2025, barely it seems….
Hope you all arrived in 2026 in good shape, healthy and happy!

Just a moment of reflections on our Journey through 2025
Lots of challenges on all fronts last year… some within and some without control.
I generally like to get the bad news out of the way first and then get the good news to have something pleasant to dwell on.

So as just about any rational person can admit there have been A LOT of really sad, disappointing, and horrible things in the journey through 2025 I thought would never happen in my lifetime occurred…unimaginable things…things that the I can’t write about here… but I know that time and history will never forget nor ever forgive. I know I won’t. For the perpetrators I think the Karma is gonna be a real @#&$%! for some folks.

(Personally just I’m glad that when and where I can I’ve tried to peacefully highlight and counter the egregious harms … I can sleep at night with a clear conscience & I’ll just leave it at that.)

So on better aspect journey notes…
We have been able to have renewed our limited capability to to contribute to World Central Kitchen so that those who are hungry can get fed around the world regardless of nationality, origin, or belief. It is a great organization that has helped make a difference in so many innocent lives faced with adversity. We have also been fortunate enough to help make limited contributions to our local food banks, non-denominational charities and related organizations trying to help those in need. It’s not so much as ‘paying it forward’ as it is ‘giving back’ for the help and assistance that one inevitably has received from persons known and unknown in one’s life.

Then there has been the enjoyment and pleasure we have been able to experience this past year exploring our local waterways with our Mac26X! The varied waters. The beautiful sights and sounds. The wildlife. The variety of it all. We know that we are indeed fortunate and are truly grateful for it. Every day is precious when one knows it can only exist heartbeat to heartbeat. Getting out on our boat is a joy.
While we have ticked off several big items from the infamous “To-Do-List” along with a number of minor ones there is still a lot to do on the home renovations. Flooring, electrical, plumbing, planning, refurbishing have all made measurable progress this past year..(not as much as one had initially hoped for but accomplishments none the less! I’m grateful that I can still do as well as enjoy doing these things even on a limited budget with physical limitations. It’s been a rather productive year.
On the boat related “To-Do-List’ there was also project accomplished and progress made. One of the important ones was the refurbishment of the boat trailer! Getting all the old bunks replaced, the majority of the bolting hardware replaced, getting the leaf springs replaced… glad that’s accomplished!
Aside from the normal oil changes and scheduled maintenance our Suzuki DF60AV engine has been performing great! Over 300 hours of run time this past season without a hitch. This has been a very much enjoyed and appreciated investment!

While there have been some health scares along last year’s journey we count ourselves fortunate and are grateful that things worked out well. We are well aware how every moment of life is really what happens heartbeat to heartbeat. It’s my perspective that We are all born with expiration dates … all we can do is do the best we can, within our abilities, to try to make it and leave it a better world than we first arrived.

The Journey into 2026 is just getting started!
Plan your work & work your plans!
(… Or as Hagar the Horrible told his son Sherman “Aim for the Stars in life… Even if you miss you’ll still hit the mountain tops!” )

The primary SC home renovation To-Do-List between now and June is basically to get
> the floor transition strips between tile areas and the newly installed flooring
===>>> Update 01/28/26 - Finished the transition for the fireplace hearth
> the new kitchen cabinetry painted / installed
> the new appliances installed
> the new electrical and plumbing installed
===>>> Update 01/24/26 - The three new in-slab floor recessed electrical outlets are finally installed and operational! Took a bit to get the right style but they look perfect!



===>>> Update 02/07/26 - The new kitchen electrical needs has multiple new 20 amp counter outlets on two new circuits. Between these and several other new electrical circuits being added over the years the main panel circuit breaker space availability is limited. The cost ($2k+) for just the hardware of adding a new sub panel has been averted by my local electrical supply house who managed to get some duplex breakers to replace existing single breakers. This allows for consolidation of twenty existing breaker slots down to ten slots, making the need for a new sub panel moot! The new breakers add up to about less than a 1/4 of the sub panel hardware with a lot less work as well! This will allow for the future addition of proper dedicated outlets for the boat when it’s parked at the house.

===>>> Update 02/09/26 - Finished up installing the new duplex breakers today! This now provides and additional 9 new spare breakers for the remodeling efforts! Glad thats accomplished!
> wiring and installation of the new garage heating unit (that will be really be enjoyed while working on the cabinets!)
===>>> 01/18/26 Update: Finished new breakers, wiring and installation of 240VAC outlet receptacle for garage heater
Added new 110VAC outlet while I was at it.
===>>> 01/19/26 Update: Finished the ceiling installation of the new garage heater! Set it up with 25 ft of 8 gauge high flex
wired extension cord so that I can readily reposition it as well as being able to take it with us when we go up north. The
uninsulated 2 car garage went from about 47F to 70+F in about 15 to 20 minutes! It’s really gonna make it a lot nicer to work in
the garage this winter! Been wanting to do this for years!


( Excuse all the rough-in wiring that is for the new kitchen )

The primary NH home renovation To-Do-List between July and November is basically get
> get new roofs on house and garage (that’s one we’re gonna have done for us ($$$) as I don’t bounce anymore )
> the new driveway retaining wall built
> the new driveway area filled in, plumbed, wired and leveled
> the initial (final?) gravel surface
> completion of the new basement electrical wiring & lighting
> demolition and replacement of the back balcony
> recasting/leveling of garage floor
> installation of proper 120/240 VAC electrical power to the garage
> installation of some sort of garage heating system

The primary boat To-Do-List between now and the end of March
> remove/replace all the trailer wheel studs
> service/inspect/grease all the trailer wheel hubs
> scrape/ clean/ repair/ repaint boat bottom
===>>> Update 01/25/26 - Moved stern support frame over to the boat / got new short pressure washer wand / got hose moved over
===>>> Update 02/08/26 - Made additional support frame shims for additional clearance. Lifted boat up unto support frame. Used new technique with 3-1/2 Ton floor Jack at frame between tandem axles. Was able to lift boat higher and faster than the prior teeter totter method.
===>>> Update 02/10/26 - Scraped and pressure washed hull.
> clean and paint of sliding companionway, forward hatch, anchor line locker hatch, rear cockpit center seat
> install sun covers for fuel cubbies
> install new fwd facing spotlights w/ console control switches
> Spring cleaning inside & out
> Added 02/07/26 - Erect canvas garage for our 15’ runabout ‘Scrambled’
===>>> Update - 02/07/26 - Completed preliminary brush clearing of side yard w/daughter’s help. Big job done!
===>>> Update - 02/08/26 - W/ daughter’s help expanded brush clearing and extensive vine overgrowth removal! So nice to finally get that accomplished!
===>>> Update - 02/12/26 - Finished getting current quotes for ground lumber/gravel/rental mini backhoe for install of canvas garage today. Material Cost are Much Higher than expected from last year (but what’s new lately). The Admiral (CFO) is thinking about it.. but isn’t opposed to it. Glad we’re still able to DIY the labor!
> annual engine maintenance & oil changes
> planning and reservations for multi week ICW trip


Starting in April
> Multi week ICW trip
> get boat slip lined up for three months

Even if we only get half of these accomplished it’s still better than where we started

Hope you all have a fantastic 2026!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[OverEasy]

Hi All!

That was some wild weather last week!
Major snowstorms across the country! Whew! What a mess!
I hope everyone did ok and have dug out buy now.

Up in NH there was about 24” of snow

Meanwhile just a dusting of snow in SC


Best Regards,
Over Easy