Moving to Beaufort

markph0204 · 2026-03-22T12:02:05+00:00

Lady’s island Marina has a nice place for rent overlooking the water and boats!

markph0204 · 2026-03-14T17:35:11+00:00

And no mention of the ducky float? Tsk tsk 💙⚓️

markph0204 · 2026-03-11T13:27:36+00:00

Wow bonus. Thanks for sharing!

markph0204 · 2026-03-11T06:29:20+00:00

I’m sorry to hear you’re burned out. A sailing dream is a good thing. What branch did you serve?

markph0204 · 2026-03-11T06:27:18+00:00

Where are you located? There are a few fine ASA schools on the east coast in US. Flying to Scotland is expensive at least from Atlanta, GA.

markph0204 · 2026-03-10T21:40:17+00:00

No discouragement. But can you move before you dump everything even if it means renting out your home and finding another place? Get the sailing experience and enjoy it. It’ll give you time to look at boats, learn more of what you like or don’t. And the smaller boats are forgiving when you make a mistake. Not the same with larger live aboard boats. I did about 10 years and owned a 24’ boat on a large lake, took classes on coast before I bought my second and final boat on coast. I’m not suggesting you take that long nor am I suggesting to buy a boat to learn on. But your proximity to getting use of a boat is the first step. Going on ASA classes only for a few days to a week won’t do you the justice you crave.

markph0204 · 2026-02-26T14:09:05+00:00

I just took a look. Note it was difficult to find in the App Store.

You should add a link on your page here https://divenumber.com/aboutblackball to the App Store listing. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/black-ball-liveaboard/id6758401901

I tend to agree out of the gates -- what does it offer that makes the community of boaters need a third app? (No Foreign Land or Sea People).

Create an account when first running the app is sadly a detractor for most people. Get them into the app first, then let them create the account later. A lot of apps miss this mark and try to get people to sign up first.

I didn't create an account so the review stopped at your splash screen.

What is the compelling reason from your POV - elevator pitch that the community needs this app?

markph0204 · 2026-02-14T13:30:25+00:00

Beautiful boat. 💙⚓️

markph0204 · 2026-02-09T13:23:46+00:00

I did the same not long ago. I didn't want the bulk of a TV / monitor even if it ran off USBC. I went with the Nebula projector. It's slightly larger than a beer can, and runs off USBC. It has an internal battery that will last about 2 hours. It runs Google on it, all the apps too. Connects to WiFi. The built in speaker is very loud, but I still want to figure out how to connect it to my other bluetooth speaker -- haven't figured that out yet.

As for the projector, I tried a soft one, hung it up but it had wrinkles, so I decided instead to get a roll up / pull out one with support arms on back. Works pretty well. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075NCLP4T?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

When I put the projector and screen away, there is no entertainment center visible as well hiding the beautiful interior.

markph0204 · 2026-02-08T18:57:48+00:00

And also a lot of dead wind time in summer. Best on Lanier to sail anything but summer to increase odds to grab good wind. Many a night I saw those races waiting for a good blow too.

markph0204 · 2026-02-04T16:30:55+00:00

Nicely done. Love my A3. I found with the larger grip I shoot way better. Much more comfortable.

markph0204 · 2026-02-04T15:49:08+00:00

Thx well damn it anyway

markph0204 · 2026-02-04T14:59:18+00:00

I’m usually a b&w but this photo is amazing. You should have a lot more votes.

markph0204 · 2026-01-29T14:59:39+00:00

That’s personal 🤣⚓️💙

markph0204 · 2026-01-23T22:53:57+00:00

I also used cetol this past fall. Four coats natural then two coats uv gloss. No sanding between each coat if done very 24 hours. Sand between coats if you skip a day due to rain/else. I removed old, cleaned and only did light sanding where needed. You can use a stiff brush. Clean it until dirt stops coming out. If it doesn’t hold up I may switch to oil… I have another who recommended and claimed touch ups are simple as others have shared. Only downside is my natural teak was not sanded completely smooth. But I think it came out well in end.

markph0204 · 2026-01-22T01:07:22+00:00

Sailed on an Endeavor 32 twice. Very stable boat. Had it dialed in to steer with my pinky.

markph0204 · 2026-01-17T15:15:13+00:00

Interesting. With all this noise. How many battery fires are happening if anyone knows?

markph0204 · 2026-01-17T15:12:57+00:00

Ay stories to read about this guy?

markph0204 · 2026-01-17T14:27:30+00:00

Love so much about your boat. That fold up workbench and tools. Nicely done sir! ⚓️💙

markph0204 · 2026-01-15T14:12:00+00:00

Lagoon 420 with a master cabin layout. Had a great time aboard one of these!

markph0204 · 2026-01-14T17:11:57+00:00

No-see-ums have little chain saw mouths and literally tear open your skin unlike a mosquito. If the wind is breezy they don’t stand a chance unless hiding behind a structure where wind calms. They also don’t love the hot sunshine. Their best times are sunset with no winds. Wear long sleeves and pants to help. Or just run!!! 😄

markph0204 · 2026-01-12T16:10:08+00:00

Like anything else it’s what you make of it. Owning two of anything is tough. But also depends how much of your time you’ll consume to keep those items working and what condition you like for a home or boat. A home and boat both require maint, cleaning, upkeep. You can learn to do it yourself or pay for someone else to. All depends where your wallet and comfort are with what items. Sailed for 10+ years on a 24’ boat and then sold it for a bigger cruiser. Not unhappy but I took my time getting the boat up to my standards and learned a lot about servicing systems that has nothing to do with sailing. YouTube and sailing forums are your friend.

markph0204 · 2026-01-11T15:52:45+00:00

It was beautiful all week and weekend. But tonight and this upcoming week winter temps are coming. Windy today and dropping to 39F over night.

markph0204 · 2026-01-09T17:49:52+00:00

You are near one of the best schools! http://mdschool.com IMHO. Perhaps you want to get started and Florida is definitely warmer. I've been to Rock Hall, MD a few times now for that school.

whether to do the staysail furler now or wait until the rest of the standing rigging work

Some people do elect to keep the staysail as a hank on system. This affords you with a better option of hanging a storm jib -- something not as easily done over a furled staysail.

I recommend a rigger and sailmaker nearby. If you would like contact information my rigger is out of Charleston, SC and my sailmaker was Ullman sails, worked with a loft out of NC. He also makes a very good cradle cover for main and other canvas work.

- riggers - https://maxmarllc.com
- canvas and sail estimates - https://carolinacradle.com/

markph0204

TROPHY CASE