Hilton Head, South Carolina Part 3

Well, Friends and Neighbors, we're still here at Harbour Town. It turns out that our girl is going to require a Port Engine Rebuild. We are all saddened by her sudden ailments but we are lucky to have the best surgeon this side of the Mississippi, Mr. Mike Levy. Boy does he carry a big wrench! I called my friend Jimmy Buffett to give me some “mental floss” and he stated with a grin I could feel in his tone, “Johnny boy, you are still the luckiest son-of-a-bitch who get's to live life by your own rules and be on the water 24/7. This is just a blip on your Hollywood Hensel radar screen. Go the the marina bar, get a Margaritaville Margarita and save me and Spider a seat.” He just happened to be in Charleston again, after being there in May to see my boat (proof is in the picture...click on Come Aboard) and grabbed Captain Spider and flew in to Hilton Head. He and Spider were sitting next to me by the end of my second Margarita. Nothing like private travel, you Rock Star! As he once said, all you really need is a good boat and “a few good friends.” With that said, I'm good to go! Be sure to continue to check-in on our progress of Voyage a la Maiden, as we will be heading ??? very soon.

Hilton Head, South Carolina Part 2

If you have been keeping up with our Voyage a la Maiden, you know Captain Bill Burr and I have been at Harbour Town Marina in Hilton Head, SC since last Friday afternoon. It turns out that our original diagnosis about the turbo issue was incorrect. Yes, friends and neighbors, Hensel is usually most accurate at making assessments, be it man or machine, but in this case his brain synapse must have malfunctioned. The world-renowned mechanic Mike Levy from Williams-Detroit Diesel arrived Monday morning with a wrench that he must have borrowed from Tony Soprano and went about providing

me with a day of questions and answers. Well, as Jimmy Buffett has said, he had me scratching my head with “answers to questions that are bothering me so.” It appears that the turbos are fine, although the port housing showed distinct signs of salt water intrusion. Not good. Even worse was the salt water intrusion we found among the pistons. Worse still are bent rods caused by this issue, not to mention the corrosion and scoring issues to the beloved pistons. The smoke in the engine room upon arrival was actually caused by an exhaust leak which also needs tending to. And, all the while, we have the threat of a Category 1 Hurricane (Alberto) heading our way. Well Mike, do your magic and let's get our girl ready for our next waypoint. Many thanks to the new friends and neighbors we are making here at Harbor Town, especially our starboard slip neighbor and local, Archer Crose, aka Mayor, and to port, Howard. Also to our harbour master staff and our gracious dockmasters Jimmy, Greg, and Abbie, who puts on a great smile and even looks good in foul weather gear! In my book YOU, Inc., I wrote: “What happens to you in the big board game of life means very little...What you do about it makes the critical difference.” So, what I am going to do is live well here at Harbor Town and enjoy the process of working with Mike to get our girl healthy once again. We'll be seeing you!

Hilton Head, South Carolina Part 1

Day 1 of Voyage a la Maiden was a fantastic journey from Charleston to Hilton Head. We stayed o

n the Intercoastal Waterway in order to enjoy the beautiful South Carolina low country, which is still so unspoiled. Since part of my restoration process involved the Engine Room and all Systems, we had her ready for the absolutely perfect performance she showed us. She ran so sweet and smooth, as if she was buzzing on finely aged rum! I can tell you that Bill and I certainly were! Once arriving at Harbor Town Marina, we refueled and I pulled her into her new slip, after which I smelled smoke. Well, friends and neighbors, we will be here for awhile, as our Port Turbo blew out. One of my primary new rules is to live life to the fullest, no matter what happens, so Bill and I will be making new friends and enjoying life here while we get our girl underway once again to ports unknown. Be sure to stay in touch and we'll be seeing you!

Charleston, South Carolina

As I awoke at 6:00 am. today, I stepped out onto the deck of Piece of Work and realized that the stellar sunrise, clear skies and calm winds were a sign that my 15 year dream was to become a reality today.

Eight months ago I purchased Piece of Work and have been hard at work restoring her so that she could

proudly live up to her new name. Today, my dear friend Captain Bill Burr and myself departed Charleston, SC for destinations you will learn about if you stay in touch with us as our welcomed crew on this Voyage a la Maiden. We are underway and as Jimmy Buffett would say, “Fast enough to get there and slow enough to see.”

We hope to be seeing you throughout this journey and look forward to receiving your comments.