Ferrying to Ocracoke and an Alternator Problem (uh-oh)

Today we wanted to go to Ocracoke, which is an island off the southern tip of the island we are on.  There is a free (yay!) ferry that takes you over, which is great. 

The wind was still blowing strongly, and so as we drive south, there was a steady sandblasting from our left, and then on our way back, from the right. 

Unfortunately, a few of our fellow tourists also wanted to take the ferry, so we waited for a while before we got on one.  I think it was the third ferry.  The last time we were here, the ferry only took 30 minutes, but the last storms have filled in the channel, and so now the new channel takes almost an hour.  We didn't mind though, because it's really beautiful traveling over.  The entire time I saw with Saleen and visited with two little girls who were dog-crazy, and were in love with Saleen. 

The entire time, Keith stood by the car and fielded questions from the men on board.  Of course, he didn't mind.

When we went to leave the ferry, unfortunately, the car almost did not start, and Keith noticed that the alternator was not acting right.  We pulled in at the first restaurant we came to, and he turned it off.  When he tried to start it, it would not start.  Luckily, a good Samaritan showed up on a golf cart.  He had spotted Keith's car, and pulled up to see it.  He was on a golf cart, because a lot of the locals use them to get around the island.  The speed limit is only 25 mph.  We told him our dilemma, and he just happened to carry a charger with him, AND was good buddies with the local garage owner.  He ended up getting us started again, and we followed him to the garage.  They ended up charging his battery up, and we decided it would be best to go ahead and head back. 

We headed back to the ferry, hoping to beat the crowed that would soon be leaving Ocracoke.  We made it onto the first ferry, and I ended up just sitting in the car with Saleen the whole time, because this was a smaller ferry, and there were not seats to go sit in.  A group of people from London walked up, and they were VERY EXCITED about the Mustang.  They all took turns getting in it and taking each other's photos as if they were driving it.  It was pretty cute.  One of their children, a little girl, got in, saw Saleen, and said, in that great British accent, "I love your dog-gay."  It was the cutest thing.  Hard to type phonetically, but if you ever saw the movie, 'The Holiday,' it was just like when the little girl saw Cameron Diaz in her pretty dress, and said, 'You look like my Bar-bay (Barbie)."  So cute.

  The little boy got in, and I asked him his name, and it was Charlie!  And he said it just like that video, "Charlie bit my finger," that everyone was watching a while back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_OBlgSz8sSM

I was just eating up these kids and their accents.  Their dad was actually with the British Navy, and worked with our top Naval officials at the Pentagon.

After lots of picture-taking with the Mustang, people finally went back to their vehicles, and the car started for us to exit the ferry (yay!).  We head back down the sandblasted island, and luckily made it to the hotel just fine.  Keith will see what he can figure out in the  morning.