Safety First

I am humbled. 

The ocean is vast. She is great.  She doesn't care when her depths are shallow, or when they are fathomless.  She just undulates and breathes her breath. You are not a factor. You are lucky if you can move about her surface without mishap, without fail. You honor and respect her majesty. You bow to her power. 

There are times when you and your vessel return to a safe port and respect her wishes. 

You listen and learn from her. 

I wonder sometimes how often we would pause if it was just Hubs and me. If we didn't have Coco.  

I think we would we be a lot more reckless. We would charge head first, holding hands, and press our way through... Anything. 

But, it's not just the 2 of us. We have extra special gargo. 

There is Coco. 

So, we are more cautious. Our anxiety and fear is exponential.   

That is why today we turned back. 

We could have forged ahead and consequences be damned. 

But... Coco... Sanity and self preservation. 

Our Coco.  She was just happy with the pool on the other end of our meltdown.  

*We were well on our way to crossing the Bahamas Banks. We turned around and headed back to Bimini. This, we are learning, is part of cruising. The weather window that was predicted was inaccurate. We were in a position to turn around.  So we did. Safety first. 

Yes, we are completely deflated. We had hoped to be on our way across the Banks. But also, YES, we are content to be at a safe marina... As it was our only other other option. 

Taking stock. Licking our wounds. Feeling grateful for honest, human responses.  

To being free and being real!*

Crossing the Gulf Stream

Rolling mountains of water. In the dark. The longest 45 minutes ever, waiting on the moon rise. Followed by the longest 10 hours pushing our way through from peak to valley to peak again. 

At the time it felt like it would never end. 

I've read so many things about night passages. But nothing really prepares you for that first time out at sea with only the stars (and possibly moon) to guide you. 

Mellow drama aside... We did it. We crossed the Gulf Stream.  It was just as intimidating as we expected, but people have been doing it for ages. 

The plan was to anchor off Angel Creek for the night and shove off around 4 in the morning. Hubs decided to call an audible. The wind was light. The sea relatively calm. So we went for it. 

I think the abruptness of the call, coupled with strong coffee and anxiety made it even more uncomfortable. 

But we are here. Currently tied up in Bimini, but leaving in the morning to cross the banks. A long stretch for the next few days. Then... Then we will be able to take it one island at a time. 

Yesterday, after knocking out some school work,  Coco and I walked around North Bimini while Hubs worked on a few things aboard Airabess.  

P.S.  So far, I'm not one of those authors who enjoys night passages. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the fact that I can't see at all to begin with. It's even more a problem under the cover of darkness. I may change my mind. You, and I will just have to wait and see. 

  

Zero-Car Family

I guess it's really official now. The last thing on land that was keeping us in one place is gone. We sold our car. 

The timing was perfect. I finished my last day at work on Saturday. We did a last heavy provisioning run on Sunday and Monday. We exchanged the keys for cash on Tuesday. 

Now we wait. 

Waiting~ a common theme for us, and cruisers alike.  It's different this time though. This time we are ready (as ready as we will ever be) to go. We have accumulated the necessary supplies, we have outfitted Airabess, we have sent in the proper paperwork (I.e. vet documents for Ms Willow, homeschool documentation, etc...). We are prepared. 

Now patiently doing what cruisers do... Watching the weather and looking for our window.  

Ms Willow she is just waiting. Coco... Staying on top of her studies. 

A Little Get Away

Even though we know we are waiting out hurricane season here in the Keys, we still want a little adventure. So, we left Boot Key Harbor and went on a little backcountry (Gulf side) trip. 

It was so nice to get away. I know, I know~ we are away. But I mean away FROM EVERYTHING; the heat (there was actually a breeze), other boats (we were totally solo), technology (turned off the phone, no Internet), etc... 

We were graced with glorious sunsets and the most perfect full moon. We fished and snorkeled, SUP'd and swam.  Books were read. Cards were played and excellent food was eaten. We took our time and sailed back in.

The only downer of the whole trip was a case of sun posoining. It was in fact highly unpleasant. Thankfully it was me, not the kiddo. Hubs was able to keep her in the water, exactly where she wants to be. Our second day in I opted for shade and a nap followed by some quality reading time. Just now recovering from it, though heat exhaustion is still on the radar. I did mention its been a tad warm here, right? 

Getting There

Everyone, pup included, is finally getting into the groove. 

We are all feeling the love again. We are pacing ourselves with the heat. 

We are getting the boat organized. We are even (gasp) getting off the mooring ball to have an out island weekend. 

It's good to be home. 

Ready to Live

We have almost emptied out our house.  What is still here either has a home to go too, or is up on the garage sale block next Saturday.  Hubs left this morning to take most of what we have kept to Airabess and do to a couple of pre-splash projects. 
SURREAL, to say the least.  
You talk about something for so long, you plan, you make the decisions to get to that goal... and then it's right in front of you .  It's kind of hard to wrap my brain around it.  

I have been having trouble sleeping.  I'm sure it has everything to do with the anxiety that comes with this change.  The whole family is a little on edge (even Ms Willow).  There have been quite a few what the hell are we doing's happening around here.  Not that we have any regrets.  It's just overwhelming, and a little sad too.  

I went to a friend's house to drop some things off yesterday and when I pulled out of their driveway it hit me that I wouldn't be going back for at least a year (if all goes as planned).  
I hugged my very best friend good-bye a couple of weeks ago (she lives in New York and we only get to see each other a few times a year) and I was balling the whole way home.  I don't see her often enough, but I always knew that I would get to see her smiling face every few months, but not this next year.  
We have no idea where we will end up.  We don't know if we will come back to our hometown, or set up shop somewhere else.  We might cash in and buy a bigger boat in a year.  We might find a new place to call home.  There are thoughts and pipe dreams of maybe here or there... but anything is possible.  It is the first time we have not had a solid 5 year plan.  The very first time since Hubs and I have been together, 14 years,  that we don't really know what direction we are headed in.  We have a loose sailing plan, which could change based on any number of things we can and can't control.  

Our planning and saving and dreaming have brought us here, to this moment, and I don't know what is going to happen next.  It is so awesome and so daunting at the same time. 

Regardless, the time is upon us.  It's time to start living.

Sailing Camp

Last year she didn't want to go.  What she wanted out of sailing was... that we would do everything and she would just sit back and take in the scenery, or read a book.  

Well, after our shakedown last winter she changed her mind.  She wanted to learn.  She wanted to know everything she could about how Airabess worked, and why?  Always with the questions... and finally she wanted to get her hands dirty~ she was ready to DO something.  

She was a little nervous the first day.  But, by the end of that first day... she was stoked.  It didn't hurt that some of her friends were also attending the same week. 

My girl, who never sleeps and never has, passed out by 8:30 because she was so exhausted.  But she loved it.  For the first time ever she wasn't fighting bedtime.  She made no excuses.  She wanted to go to sleep so that tomorrow would come. 

 

 With her buddy John.

 

 Now we are all even more excited to get back to our boat.  Bring on the adventures!

Decommissioning... For a little while

We have a little over a week before we head home. It's very bittersweet. 

Right now Hubs is in decommission mode. We are hauling out next Tuesday and since she is going to be on the hard (far away from her crew) we have to get her ready. 

There is an ever growing list of things that need to be done. 

All sails have to be taken down, the bimini disassembled (of course its part of Hurricane season we will be gone) holding tank emptied and sanitized, water tank flushed... And that's just the beginning. 

We are headed north in a tiny car that has to fit 3 people, a dog, a bike, our clothing, everyday electronics etc... There just isn't enough room for everything. 

And we aren't going to be home for very long. So deciding what is necessary combined with what can't stay aboard is the challenge of the moment. 

All food stuffs HAS to be removed. We absolutely do not want to come back to a critter infested boat. Currently we are working our way through the stores and will hopefully only have to deal with a small basket of food, spices, etc.. 

The things we can't  or dont want to take home have to be dealt with (books, bedding).  Mold is a problem... Especially when it goes unchecked for months at a time. That's another present we don't want waiting for us upon our return~ a fuzzy boat. 

I've learned to really love the simplicity this life afloat offers.  This isn't the simple part. This is the work. And bonus~ we get to put it back together in a few months. THAT I'm actually looking forward to because it means we will be on our way again. 

When in Rome

We've been playing tourist lately... Up and down the keys. By land and by sea. 

Loving every minute of it. 

We absolutely thought we would be either in the Bahamas,  or in St. Thomas by now... But we're not. 

And that's okay. This isn't so bad either. 

Snorkeling at Sombrero Reef (we had another amazing day at the beach too, but no pics).

Road trip to Islamorado. 

Key West and Mallory Square. 

And our favorite place to go when we just don't have anything to do... The Dolphin Research Center.