Little BlueQuest Comes Home
Little BlueQuest Comes Home
I was on the hunt for a good seaworthy yacht tender and looked at a few used ones in the area. That option wasn't going to work — the used market around here just didn't have what I needed.
So I started looking for new. Turns out that's not easy either. The closest dealer I found was in Charleston, SC, and that place didn't keep normal hours. I searched a couple of brands on Google and filled out the contact forms, figuring I'd hear back eventually.
That's when Mark at McCotters Marina in Washington, NC got in touch. He was easy to work with, and in September 2025 we made a deal on a brand new, still-in-the-box Highfield CL 360 ORCA/CSM with the GT Console package.
Mark was nice enough to keep the boat up there for me while work continued on the big boat. I had other things to deal with and no urgent reason to go get her until a dog ended up stranded on an island in the Cape Fear River.
If you've never been part of a lost dog recovery, here's what it involves: setting a trap, posting up trail cams and monitoring them 24/7,refreshing food and fresh water, and waiting for the dog to decide to go in the trap. When the dog is on an island, every one of those things requires a boat on demand.
I asked around and nobody had a boat I could borrow.
And then it hit me: I had a perfectly good boat sitting a few hours up the coast.
It was time for a road trip.
Getting her home
First problem: my truck has a 3 inch lift, which meant the hitch I had wasn't going to work. I needed one with a 6 inch drop. Ordered it, waited, and finally got back on track a few days later than planned.
The drive up to McCotters Marina in Washington and back is long, and I'd never towed a boat before so I gave my friend Reina a call. She had some work to do on her boat anyway so she came down. I picked her up in Southport so she could ride up with me and guide me on the way back, so I wouldn't be figuring out towing alone on a three hour haul.
By the time we got to Southport I was running on fumes and not thinking straight. I'll admit it — I did not attempt to back the trailer down the ramp. I wasn't feeling that confident and there's no shame in knowing your limits when there's a boat on the line. Reina handled the launch with the help of another boater while I was in the water holding the line.
And then there was a decent sized gator, hanging out in the water just south of the ramp, doing what gators do. Nothing dramatic happened, but it woke me right up. My phone was in the dry bag, of course, so you'll have to take my word for it.
The guys at the ramp were friendly, the day was cool, and we got Little BlueQuest into the slip, tied down, and covered. Early the next morning I got back in the truck and drove the trailer up to McCotters by myself.
I was exhausted.
Why the tender matters
Little BlueQuest isn't just holding a slip while BlueQuest714 finishes the refit. The tender is the reason I can get to an island when a dog needs help and also the reason The Low Tide Chronicles can start now instead of in a few months.
Now I can do marsh runs, coastal exploring, and real-time weather observations from the water instead of from a model on a screen.
The big boat is coming but the stories don't have to wait for her.
Small boat, big beginning. 🌊
