When we first began to survey the damage from Oso’s lightning strike, we guessed that repairing the main engine in the boat would be that task that took the most time. And we were absolutely correct about that – lack of mechanic availability and lead time for repair parts combined with a series of mistakes by the diesel repair company led to a total of 7 weeks to get the engine running again.
A lot of that time was taken up by feverishly working on repairing and replacing lightning-damaged components on the boat, and by making the boat a decent place to live again. But in an only-partially-successful attempt to keep our sanity, we also tried to take a few breaks to enjoy the Lowcountry area of South Carolina.
Side trips to Savannah (to meet with mechanics and pick up boat parts), to Charleston (to pick up more boat parts), and around Hilton Head Island itself gave a small respite from boat chores, and also helped us understand better why so many people like the marshy, swampy, and very aptly-named Lowcountry.
