PARKING THE FLEET

Now that we own two sailboats and a dinghy, we're puzzling over where to keep the fleet. (If you count the two life rafts, that would be a fleet of five.) Isabella's at a dock in Colington Harbor where she can stay until May. Good Company is still in Rock Hall, iced in. We'll bring her down as soon as the weather warms up -- in March?

There are only a few places in the Outer Banks where you can dock and liveaboard, the only close ones are on Roanoke Island.

One possibility is Shallowbag Marina, shown in that photo. It has good facilities -- gym, laundromat, bathrooms/showers, pool table (Dylan) -- and the advantage of floating docks. (Floating docks move up and down with the water and the boat, which allows you to set your lines and be done with it. Much less wear and tear on everything.) We've heard the marina's not very well protected in nor'easters. I'm also not sure about living outside the windows of dozens of condos, my own personal stage.

The dockmaster is holding a slip for us at the Manteo Waterfront -- just northwest of Shallowbag Marina. It's a truly quaint spot with lots of shops and restaurants in walking distance. However, we probably couldn't stay there past May. How tempting would it be to just sail away????

Now back to watching the weather in Rock Hall. Come on global warming, work with us!