The Great Loop is constantly reminding us how to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Right when we think we have a solid plan, that plan is thrown right out the window…but it’s not always a bad thing!

When we last checked in, we let you know that our tentative plans after leaving Charleston were to go from McClellanville to Georgetown to Myrtle Beach, and then enter North Carolina. Well, we made it through half of that plan, which I’ll consider a win!

Let’s start with our time in McClellanville. The jump from Charleston to Georgetown is a bit of a hike that we’d hoped to avoid. Luckily, one of our YouTube subscribers reached out to us and said they had an available slip at the Leland Oil Co. marina in McClellanville that they’d let us use for free while their boat was being worked on. This is just one instance of kindness we’ve experienced on the Loop that reminds us to continue to pay it forward. 

After two days there, we continued on to Georgetown, which is a little bigger town compared to McClellanville. We’ve really come to admire all the small towns with downtown historic districts, just like Georgetown. Our original plan was to anchor there for two days and head to Myrtle Beach on Friday. But come Friday morning, when we went to start the engine, it wouldn’t turn over.

Now, this wasn’t a complete shock to us, as the last several times we started the engine, it was a little slow to get going. We figured it was something with the starter that we’d deal with at a later point, and well, that point was now. After Evan spent several hours troubleshooting and speaking with American Diesel on the phone, he determined that the starter solenoid had failed. We ordered the part to get us going, and being that it was Friday afternoon, the quickest we could get it would be Monday afternoon.

As annoying as it was to have our plans change, it ended up being just what we needed. The failed part forced us to take a break this past weekend, which opened a few opportunities. First, we had time to deep clean the boat, and Evan even sanded and oiled our teak rails. We had more time to check out a couple of restaurants and shops in town, and there ended up being several other Loopers in town that we were able to meet! Both Friday and Sunday night, we enjoyed “docktails” with over a dozen Loopers who are on the same journey as us. It was a blast reflecting on the past places we’ve cruised through, the common struggles the Loop brings, and laughing over stories. 

Wish us luck as Evan takes on a new project with the starter this week, and hopefully, we make it to North Carolina! Cheers to continuing this ever-changing adventure.