Crew of Impetuous III saved by Fulcher's Seafood

Good Lord! What a day!

I can't believe Susan and I have already been in Oriental three months... wait a minute, it's only been three days. What happened? Oh, now I remember: We've spend money we had allocated to live three months in three days on maintenance expenses.

What's the old saw about the definition of "BOAT"?: "Break Out Another Thousand?"

Without the good graces and expertise of John Deaton and staff at Deaton Yacht Service, it would have probably been lots more. John has proven an advocate for cruisers on a budget, but damn! How many things can go wrong with one boat at one time? By Friday afternoon, Susan and I were cold, frustrated, and tired of cheese, sardines and Coca-Cola.

Enter our new best friend: Russell, at Garland Fulcher's Seafood Market on Hodges Street.

Tired of my bitchin', Susan sent me out - IN THE RAIN - to find something for dinner. Cruising the waterfront, I found an open-front plywood shack - Garland Fulcher's Seafood - open for business. I picked up wonderful local shrimp and fresh grouper, then returned, triumphant, to Impetuous III, where Susan threw together a fantastic jambalaya, with salad and fresh, hot bread, baked in our own ship's oven. Some things don't work worth a damn on Impetuous III, but the galley is an island of comfort and efficiency in Susan's capable and competent hands.

Russell, spotting me as a rank amateur, even gave me fishing advice, knowing full well I would probably cast my most efficient net at Fulcher's. Well, probably...

This is what Susan put on the table Friday night: Shrimp and grouper jambalaya with local North Carolina smoked-beef sausage, fresh green salad, hot, homemade (boatmade?) bread and simple, red table wine. Yep, this is what I came for.

By the way, that's the Johnson City Power Squadron's burgee, flying on the port side of the table. If someone from the Watauga Lake Sailing Club will forward me a burgee from that august group, we'll feature it in future posts.