With Charleston being an MS Crew changeover port and also being blessed with clement weather, the crew decided to take the opportunity to haul the Oceans of Hope out of the water for a check as she has now sailed close to 8,000 miles since leaving Copenhagen. The hull of any vessel suffers from marine growth when afloat so a special, sacrificial anti-foul paint is used under the waterline. A good pressure-wash revealed that the existing paint is in good shape, as indeed is the strong steel hull of the yacht. Some eight zinc anodes are are bolted to the underside of the hull, again these are sacrificial and are there to “eat" any stray electrolysis rather than the hull being eaten – these were also in excellent condition. Oceans of Hope will be heading across the Pacific Ocean early next year, making stops in numerous islands and atolls with their attendant protective reefs. In order to be able to “see” what is lurking under the surface as the yacht feels its way into these far-flung harbours, a new forward-looking sonar has been installed. The yacht’s main engine, the beating heart of the vessel, has also had some work carried out on it.Big thanks to our MS crew for patiently waiting for their sailing trip to begin while these essential checks were carried out. Thanks also to Pierside Boatworks for the short-notice haul out and to the guys at Superior Diesel Engines for their help with the engine.