I woke up early Friday morning with an unusual spring in my step, as I was ready for a vacation from Greensboro and two days with Barefoot Manner during MannerBoat weekend. I have plenty of work to do, which makes the morning pass quickly, and before I know it, I'm heading out the door down to my car for the beginning of the weekend. I gather my belongings, pick up my boys from their schools, and make the trip to Durham, where we are to pick up Sherry for the ride down to the coast. I'm an hour later than I had intended, which mires us in the traffic crawl that accompanies Friday rush hour. We all keep good spirits, and before too long, we're on the other side of Raleigh grabbing a bite to eat. Margaret would be joining us Saturday morning, so Sherry and I make the drive with the kids on Friday night, hoping to catch Barefoot's Friday night performance in Beaufort. We get there later than I hoped, so after letting the boys visit with the Barefoot Manner fellows for a bit, I take them home for bedtime and return in time to catch the second set.

We spend Saturday engaged in various activities before MannerBoat. Margaret arrives just before lunch. We all ride down to the beach where we meet Hank, Leo, JennBugg, and Ann playing Bocce. Hank displays excellent Bocce form with high, arcing tosses that precisely hit their marks. I, on the other hand, can't find my footing on the beach and teeter precariously from throw to throw. Eventually more of the Barefoot and Heybro crew rolls up, as Shawn, Lauren, Dave, Rebecca, Scott, Jen, TJ, and Hillary stop by to enjoy an afternoon on the beach. The braver souls venture into the water, while I sit in my chair enjoying the sights, but lacking the courage to swim. We conclude our afternoon at the beach, and I go home for a two and a half hour nap. I get up feeling groggy, but rested, drink a Margarita and start formulating our strategy for the night. We eat a fabulous dinner of fresh shrimp and Maryland crab cakes, plug the kids (and grownups) into "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" then head off for MannerBoat.

As we arrive at the ticket booth at the marina, we offer our names, get our bracelets, and take stock of the scene. Jen from HeyBro Productions wishes us a good time. We see some notables moving about, but decide to wander around the Beaufort marina, awaiting clearance to enter the boat. We hear the tedious strains of bad acoustic guitar carrying down the boardwalk and walk away from it instinctively. Once we are given the nod to board, we gain entry into the lower part of the ship. The fellows were upstairs arranging the last details of a soundcheck. Once the engines start to rumble, and the top deck is opened, the MannerBoat heads out into the water. The occupants of the boat are bouncing in time to the MannerBoat Theme Song, featuring banjo, beatbox, and the spirit of hilarity. I look around and see smiles everywhere.

Barefoot Manner takes the stage and opens the show with a lovely "Caribea" before segueing into "Someday." Midway through "Caribea," I'm hearing each stroke of the mandolin, and it's sounding great to me, so well-balanced in the mix. I think to myself that the guys are especially sharp and precise sounding, even out here on the water. Barefoot Manner took the stage "dialed in," and never looked back, galloping through two energetic, wonderful sets. First set highlights included the previously mentioned "Caribea," a spotless "Little Man > Pulse > Little Man," a frenzied "Crosseyed and Painless" and a "China Cat > EMD > Rider" that had the whole crowd singing. MannerBoat returned to port at midnight in order to refill their ravaged alcohol stores, which had been decimated by the thirsty Barefoot horde.

Once the MannerBoat returned to sea, Jeff asked everyone on board to scream and yell as loud as they could, and the boat erupted in a thunderous, boisterous ovation. From there, Barefoot Manner delivered enthusiastic versions of many Barefoot classics. This included a thumping "Hard to Believe," (heavy on the Kishore) a joyful "Swingin," and epic "Mudafunk." The "Mudafunk" featured a "Night Rider Theme Jam" in techno-grass fashion that had many smiling. Sing-along classics (both old and new) such as "Lower on the Hog," "Ace of Spades," and "Killing Floor" were delivered with their usual charm and enthusiasm. The fellows closed the second set with the infectious Grasscats song, "85 on 85." After enthusiastic applause resulted in a "NC Sunrise" encore, the MannerBoat patrolled the harbor and offered up disco dance music for the voyage home.

The Barefoot fellows finally got to enjoy some of their own party at this point, as they grabbed refreshments, mingled with the crowd and took pictures. The MannerBoat reluctantly pulled into the dock sometime between 2:30 and 2:45, and the crowd dispersed into the night. After the boat had unloaded, and everyone had said their goodbyes, we headed back to the beach house for some much-needed sleep. The MannerBoat was a resounding success, with spectacular performances across the board.