April 8th

We traveled from Stuart to Vero Beach. We had just one night in Vero Beach.  Just an overnight stop.  We didn’t get off the boat.  We BBQ dinner and enjoyed a relaxing night.  We stayed at Suntex Marina which is essentially a condo complex.  It was really nice, clean and a perfect overnight stop.  Not someplace I would want to spend any length of time.  I am using an app called NEBO that shows our time, mileage and speed.  I am liking that it helps us track our days.  The map is above.

April 9-10th

Cocoa Village Marina

I forgot to turn on NEDO this day until to late.  Learning!!

 

 

We traveled from Vero Beach to Cocoa Beach in just 3 hours.  We left Vero Beach early thinking we would have a rainy afternoon (as predicted) and we didn’t want to get caught in a lightening storm,  but we wanted to get some miles in,  We left early as the sun came up.  We traveled faster then we usually would at 12-14 knots.  One of the benefits of our boat, it CAN travel fast if need be!   There wasn’t a sole around!!  The homes were grand again.   I love looking at them as we pass.  Then I load Zillow and see what they cost.  AGAIN,  not in our budget but boy can I appreciate a beautiful property. We had a nice dolphin showing along the way as they jumped and played in our wake.

When we arrived we were met at the dock by the nicest dockhand.  He had owned a Bayliner for 18 years and he sold it a few years back.  When we pulled in and he saw we our Bayliner he just wanted to stand and chat boats!  You could hear the sadness in his voice and some regret about selling his boat.   It makes me wonder how I will feel in the future if we ever decide to sell  AQUAMAN.  I invited him in to see it and he was really impressed with all the work we have done.  I was happy I showed it to him.

Cocoa Beach is a cool town.  It is a historic old town with a lot of vintage stores and consignment shops that had independant vendors and artists.  It’s a real funky artist town,  just my style!!   We decided to stay 2 nights because we thought it would be great chance to tour the Kennedy Space center.  The locals then informed us that there was a  Space X launch scheduled.  WHAT???   It had been scheduled for last week but postponed due to weather.  The chance of being here for this was worth us staying the extra day.  We were totally excited and wondered if it would actually happen.  We decided to rent a car and last night we went to see Cocoa Beach and found a happening beach bar.  The weather was kinda yucky but we made the most of it.  Today we went grocery shopping, stocked up on water and essentials,  and drove around the town a bit.  We turned down the riverfront street and I just about freaked out.  Turns out Cocoa Beach is a historic town with a row of historic homes that are preserved to the period.  They had big signs designating which homes were part of the Historical preservation.  They were all done in the Queen Anne style, they looked very Victorian and they were just amazing.  Some where beautifully restored and some needed serious help.  I can only imagine all the stories these houses could tell.  We turned down the right street.  We had no idea.  I will be researching this to find out who, what this is all about.  It will give me something to do as we travel up the ICW tomorrow.  A history lesson also. (I will update this blog as I learn about this area!)

The people of this small town are just charming.  They could not be nicer or friendlier.  They wave,  say Hi,  ask how you are,  and are just plain cool.  It’s a real refreshing break to the “get out of my way”  mentality I’m used to in L.A.  On top of that,  we are finally starting to find other loopers.  “OUR PEOPLE!”  We have had several nice conversations and I’m sure as we all hopscotch our way up the ICW we will continue to cross paths.  Everyone is on their own journey,  where to stop,  what town is next,  how far they want to travel,  how long they stay in one place,  how fast they go.  Some people are like us with no agenda, taking it a day at a time,  Some are moving quickly eager to finish and get home.  This is our home now.  I love our pace so far.

Today I was pondering my thoughts as I was walking down the wood dock back to my boat and I took a deep breath.  I absolutely LOVE being on the water.  Not like,  “Wow, this so pretty”  but like “ Wow, I cannot be happier then I am right now,  In this moment, right now,  just as I am.”  I have always been told I am an earth sign,  which cracks me up,  cuz I have always been a water girl.  Well my stars don’t align to my passion.  Who cares.  This IS my  life.  Water, water, water.  After all I met my husband IN THE WATER!! Now, here we are living on it.  So far it’s been awesome.

April 11

Travel day to New Smyrna.

This day felt like a 6 hour jungle cruise.  Definitely my favorite part of the ICW so far.  We left early,  again,  because we had a 6+ hour cruising day.   We saw the NASA space center in the distance and  we could see the Space X rocket on the launch pad with binoculars.  We felt bummed we had missed the launch last night  being so close.  Oh well.

We traveled up the ICW and saw so much wildlife today.  We had to go thru a narrow cut to connect one bay to the next.  We saw this on the chart but as we got close we had a group of slow moving sailboats.  The channel was narrow and we either went their speed or we passed them.  We called them on the radio every time we wanted to pass.  It’s called a “slow pass”  and  it means the boat you are passing are supposed to slow down so we can slow down and decrease our wake so the boat being passed doesn’t get tossed in our wake.  Most people abide by this rule and we were super conscious of this rule and called everyboat we wanted to pass.

We are learning a few things as we go:

1. Our boat throws a big wake.  Doesn’t matter if we go 6 knots or 11 knots.  It’s all the same.  I get supper upset as I watch the boat we pass getting tossed.  I am not sure what we can do about that.  Also I have learned that we pass a lot of boats that go slower then us only to end up in the same marinas at the end of the day.  We  might get there in 6 hours and them in 8 but we all end up kind of on the same track.

2. Don’t piss off the boat we are passing with a huge wake.  We will all end up clustered together,  at the same dock.  Not good!!!!  That hasn’t happened (the pissing off part)  but we passed several boats today and a few ended up at our same marina hours later.  Our pace feels comfortable on this boat but slowing down is an option.  We like to get tied to the dock and go find lunch.  We will figure it all out as we continue.

3.  I am learning to relax and enjoy the ride.  Each morning we are setting off,  I still feel anxious,  but excited.  Those emotions are so closely related that they are really the same. The IWC is just a big river trip.  There hasn’t been anything scary.   It seems like nothing. Especially after doing the Bahamas!  THAT was some scary water!!  Being an open water boater the last 12 years,  the ICW feels so calm.  I’m sure we will get our share of trouble but so far we are enjoying every second of it.  The scenery is incredible and the wildlife is just amazing.  Today as we traveled thru narrow channels going no more then 5 knots at times,  we saw a bunch of manatees,  tons of dolphins,  ospreys catching fish,  tons of birds,  and pelicans.

 

We arrived to our marina and tied up.  Again we were met by dock hands and they helped us get settled.  We are not used to this kind of  service.  I am getting very spoiled.  We decided to go find a beer in town and set off to walk the Main Street to stretch our legs.  We found an old time pharmacy with a soda fountain.  (I remember Jack taking us to one outside of Quincy a long time ago. We had root beer floats.  This place looked exactly the same). Instead of a beer we had milkshakes and a hot fudge sundae.  Killer.

We headed back to the boat and took the bikes down.  We decided to ride around and check out the town and burn off the ice cream.  We rode about 2 miles to the beach and realized everyone was gathering to see the Space X Launch.  We hung out and waited.  The beach started getting packed with people and it was fun to see the excitement.  We saw it, a little ball of fire and a cloud behind,  then we saw the side thrusters descend back to the ground.  So cool to see it, even though I  wish it happened yesterday when we were closer.  All in all,  a once in a lifetime event.

 

We rode down the beach.  Just like Daytona where cars and bikes get to cruise right on the hard packed sand.  We stopped at a great place for drinks and shared great appetizers and rode our bikes back to the boat in the dark.

 

As I am typing all this,  just the thought of all we did today is exhausting.  To say we are seizing the days, is an understatement.  We are seriously doing everything we possibly can to see everyplace we are in.  We had another moment at dinner.  We keep having them.  “What the hell happened,  How did we get here,  Are we seriously doing this and,  We still cannot believe we are pulling this off!”

 

Today we spent the day exploring New Smyrna.  We took the dingy down and went on another mangrove jungle cruise.  We wound our way through the river that connects to the ICW.   It was pretty.  We only hit the soft bottom like a few times.   We cruised to the Ponce De Leon outlet to check it out.  The waves were crashing at the seashore so we didn’t go out. We took the ICW all the way back to the marina.  Along the way we spottted dolphins.  They are just everywhere.  I guess that means that the fish life in this river is abundant.  They have been swimming around the back of the boat and pelicans dive bomb and come up with fish.  There is a small mangrove island right by the marina and it is loaded with pelicans and white herons.  We put the dingy back and got on our bikes again and rode back into the beach town to find lunch.  We stopped at Flagler Tavern for clam strips and chowder.  Andy rode the beach again while I walked the street and shopped.  Since selling most of my things I am not the same shopper I once was.  I have to REALLY want something to buy it.  I thought about a sweatshirt until I pictured the large bucket I have stored in a Rubbermaid container on the boat.  Oh VEY!! Needless to say, I am a different person then the LA girl I once was.  I am so enjoying the process of each day,  they are all different,  and letting go continually of things.

Tomorrow we have a long passage to St. Augustine where we will stay 3 nights.

 

April 5th-8th,  2019

3 nights at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart Florida

We chose a marina that was right in downtown Stuart.  It’s a cute little old town with good restaurants and live music.  The name reflects the amazing sunsets we have seen every night.  We had gotten a few recomendations to stay here.  We would also recommend it.  Great location close to town and easy to get around.

When we pulled into the Marina, we arrived just in time for a pretty good squall to hit us.  We had dodged all the rain squalls all the way up the ICW until then.   I got pretty soaked tying lines and so did the dockhand.  It lasted maybe 15 minutes and it was done.  So much for timing.  We checked in and settled in.  A few hours later it rained.  Not rained,  more like dumped buckets,  the hugest raindrops I can remember seeing.  Everything got soaked.  Then the lightning and thunder started.  It scared the shit out of me being on the water.  We watched lightening bolts hit right into the water around us.  So many flashes of bright lights in the dark clouds.  I watched for one to hit a sailboat masts and light up and catch fire.  The crashes of thunder shook the boat and rattled the windows.  It went on for an hour,  then the sky cleared and turned into a gorgeous sunset.  Spectacular.  Even if I was shuttering under a blanket watching it trying not to chew off my fingernails!!

The first day here we rented a car to run errands.  One of the things we needed to find was a tall chair for me to sit in next to Andy on the flybridge.  Before we started this trip we looked at every possible option to put in a double chair but nothing made sense or worked.  We knew we would have to address the problem once we got started and see if it really was an issue.   It is!  Andy needs my good distance vision to spot channel markers.  I cannot stand next to him the whole time.  I also get a bit anxious not watching the navigation charts.  I start chattering and questioning every turn,  driving Andy CRAZY,  and not knowing where we are. (He is such a good man!😩).  I need to be able to watch the charts.  We had met a fellow looper last year (Sherry and Allan Johnson)  doing this trip in our same boat and she had simply bought a directors chair to take up and down and sit next to her husband.  Seemed a simple solution but getting one delivered proved difficult.  Andy found a camp chair style one at Bass Pro shop about 20 miles away in Stuart.  We rented a car (way cheaper for a day then a round trip Uber ride)  and went for an excursion to get the chair.  We decided to drive up to Fort Pierce,  and see the inlet,  bar hop local beach bars with live music,  and a few other stops since we had a car.  Great day.   It’s a funny reality to think we can drive to the next marina or town in 30 minutes or take 3 hours in the boat up the ICW.   We could ride our bikes faster.  Well, that’s part of this journey,  not to rush but enjoy the ride.  We have nothing but time.

Today we got up and did a little boat cleaning.  It cleans so fast.   I just love it!   It makes me feel so accomplished in so little time.  Andy returned the car and we took a bike ride to downtown because there was a farmers market.  The ride was literally less then a mile.  I bought the prettiest muffin and a quiche from a French baker (He even had the thick accent).   We headed back to the boat to eat it for lunch.  It was AWEFUL!!!!   It had a consistency of pudding,  not eggy and I hated it.  The muffin was dried out.   I threw it all away.  Oh well!   We decided to ride our bikes back into town and find a GOOD lunch.   We went to the Boathouse and enjoyed a bowl of chowder and some Rose and Sangria.  There was a live band playing and the weather is amzing!!  Not hot,  not cold,  slightly breezy and just perfect.  Those snow birds have it all figured out.

We had some Dolphin action next the boat.  Pretty cool.  I heard them breathe before I saw them.  Then we had a small group. Posting this for my cousin Karen Cormier!! ❤️🐬

Last night I got a text message  from a fellow looper and NEBO follower.   They are in the same harbor.  We had gone up to hear the band play at the restaurant.   We were trying to connect and find each other.  Suddnely we hear the band call out  “Where is the Captain of AQUAMAN, you have someone looking for you.”   I quickly went into NEBO text her to see how to find them.  The place was packed.  We found each other!!!  Yay a fellow looper!!   We made our way to a quieter table and chatted for over an hour.  Actually, the latest I have stayed up in a long time.  This is what I have wanted.  A GIRL!!!   It is the best.   You have an instant connection.  I just love hearing the life story,  what brought people to this trip,  where they are from,  their history and what kind of boat they have.   It really is a totally awesome to connect.  Thanks Deborah and Kurt Kristmann aboard Honey Badger for the conversation and friendship. Looking forward to meeting up again as we travel up the coast!

April 5th, 2019

Headed to Stuart Fl.

30 miles and 10 bridges

Today was our second day navigating the Inter Coastal Waterways.  We spent yesterday touring around West Palm Beach.  Some days we will pass thru quickly and some places we want to explore.  We are also trying not to rush thru this next year.  Everyone says  “slow down and enjoy.”   So we are trying.

We are so new to navigating the ICW,  but are getting used to reading the markers,  finding the bridge names and figuring out the height.  I am learning to trust Andys navigation skills.  (I am driving him nuts with constant questioning.  I told him today I really need him to give me a lesson so I can shut up!! The other option is to stay ignorant.  I don’t really like that plan because if something happens, what would I do.  I’m not a good damsel in distress).  I’m on the binoculars looking at the marks along the side the bridge to see what the water board reads.  Then we decide if its passable or if we wait.  It’s a whole process.  We have determined a safe height of 19’.  Actually our height is 17’ 6” and with the antennas tipped back we can safely clear 19’.   It’s still scary as heck.  We are learning our limits.

Today,  after getting thru Palm Beach and the ports, the inter coastal waterway felt very much like cruising up the Oxnard channel.  Houses on both sides with boats docked.  The difference was the houses were way nicer and it went on for many many miles.  We eventually got to a portion that was all mangroves and nature preserve.  We watched Osprey eagles catch fish and there were lots of nests and we even spotted some babies being fed by mama bird.  It was gorgeous and peaceful.  I was warned it gets prettier, and it did!!  We traveled about 30 miles today and arrived at Sunset Bay Marina in Stuart about 12:30.  Just in time for lunch!  This marina was raved about.  It is in the town of Stuart and we really wanted to explore this town.  It is supposed to be one of the best towns in America.  We will go check it out tomorrow. We rented a car because I really need a tall chair that folds up, someplace for me to sit next to Andy,  to help him spot markers and be another set of eyes.  We found a place that has them.  We don’t have time to order one and wait for the delivery.

So we are all tied up and comfy when the sky got black and it started raining.  Not raining,  more like raining buckets of the hugest drops ever.  Then the lightening and thunder started.  The boat shook and vibrated with each crash.  I was freaking out a bit thinking that the worst place to be is on the water.  Andy said to me that all the sailboat masts were in bigger trouble then us.  I sat in the pilot house and watching under a blanket.  It went on for over an hour.  It was quite spectacular.  I guess these East Coast storms are no joke.  Being from California, I have no clue!!!!   It stopped and we are drying out everything.  Everything got soaked!!

I am seeing boats with Looper flags pass us.  I am yet to meet ay of them.  Tomorrow I am hoping to walk the dock and find some Loopers.  I am hoping that we start finding them.

 

 

 

We were traveling along when we spotted Adrenaline1 a sailing catamaran.  We follow Billy, Sierra their adorable dog Jetty on Youtube.  Their channel is called Tula’s Endless Summer.  They are young, fearless adventurers who travel up and down the East Coast and Bahamas.  They’ve make me wish I had started earlier.  Who knew.  As we were passing them,  Andy spotted them anchored.  He slowed down and I saw Sierra on the back.  I yelled “Hey Sierra!”  We subscribe to your YouTube Channel. Not expecting her to hear.  She yelled back “HI! And thanks”  and then Jetty popped out and gave me a quick bark.  OMG! I wanted to swim over to pet that dog.  She’s the cutest thing ever.  I subscribe to them and they sell T-Shirts and products. Go check them out!!

 

April 3rd-5th, 2019

Stayed at Palm Harbor Marina for 2 nights

We got to West Palm Beach about 2 PM.  We were greeted at the dock and tied up in a few minutes.  Andy and I have decided that we love these services.  Do we need them?  NO!! Is it nice?  Yes!!!!  Palm Harbor Marina is a nice place with floating docks.  Just like I am used to at home.  I looked for Loopers but didn’t find any here.  We walked to town to celebrate a successful day and the house closing escrow.  We found a great place that had southern comfort foods, PERFECT!!!  We shared friend chicken and waffles, a few wines and whiskeys and walked back to the boat stuffed.  Great day!!

Today we got our bikes out and rode the town.  We toured the famous Flagler house turned into a museum.  He developed all of Florida and a hotel chain.  He built a railway system to help  develope Florida.  The railway helped bring  agriculture to the state and bring clients to his hotels.    He was the co-founder of Standard Oil.  The Mansion was incredibly preserved.  It was an example of the guided age.  Incredible!!

We then rode our bikes over to Breaskers hotel, which he also owned.  We walked the historic property.  The rooms are at least 1000K a night!!  We had lunch at a local place in a small mall that was all designer.  We walked into the place and I immediately felt like we stepped into the twilight zone.  The women dripped in diamonds and Prada,  and had that look like stepping out of a salon.  The guys wore designer  suits and were on their lunch hour eating gourmet hot dogs.  This place was our kind of food, but not our people.  Me, messy hair from wearing a bike helmet, and Andy in shorts and a t-shirt.  He had yelped it and it definitely delivered.  I brought a cute hat but it just wasn’t the place to water a hat.  I went into the bathroom and tried to wet it down and smooth it.  Helpless.  Ok, who cares really.  I got over it and had the absolutely best burger of my life.  Andy had a vegetarian sandwich that heraved about.  The fries were crisp and thin.  We loved it.  Who cares if they judged me for wild wacky hair.  I wont see them again!!

We got back to the boat and enjoyed a relaxing afternoon.  I always feel, when I am in a new town, that I need to keep going.  Today, after a very long bike ride and touring the museum,  it was nice to come back and just relax.  I am sure as we travel, every place will have something different to offer.  Some days will be active and others will be chill.

Tomorrow we head to Stuart Florida

 

Day 1 in our Great Loop adventure

April 3rd 2019

Fort Lauderdale to West Palm beach

41 miles and 18 bridges

We left Fort Lauderdale with the sun today and set off for our first stop in West Palm Beach.  We said good bye to Fred and Greta, who had rented us their boat dock behind their house right on Los Olas Blvd in Ft. Lauderdale.  The house was just across the ICW (inter coastal waterway)  from the city marina we had been staying in.  Andy found this ad for a dock rental and it was a huge savings.  Since we were coming home to California for 2 weeks, we decided this was perfect to leave the boat behind a private home and not in a public dock.  It worked out really well and saved us a bunch, that is until our grand puppy decided to poison himself on Vitamin D and ended up in a doggy emergency hospital for a few days.  Goodbye savings!  But so happy he did ok and will live to give us lots of cuddles.

Today we traveled up the ICW for 41 miles to West Palm Beach.  We booked a marina at Palm Harbor.  The boat show had happened just the weekend before.  We decided not to come up this way until it was over.  We are not in the market for a new boat,  at least not this year!  Andy and I both came back from California with the flu so that delayed us a bit to heal up.  We took care of some important services while in boating meca and layed low to heal.  Tuesday we did all the laundry,  grocery shopped,  stock up the bar, made the last trip to the best marine stores in Florida,  and returned the rental car.  We fell into bed and woke up ready to set off.

We had a cloudy day and a bit windy as we started.  I think it was a blessing because the Florida sun is brutal.  We traveled 41 miles up the ICW thru 18 bridges.  Some we were able to go under,  some we had to call or wait for openings.  It was super cool.  The houses were grand and there was one after the next,  grander and grander.  Who affords these??  Just for fun I loaded Zillow and scrolled what came up.  20 Millon, 40 Million,  4 Million.  Incredible.  The boats also where cool to see.  Everything from 150 ft mega yachts and fancy sports fishers to average boats.  Mostly big ass fast, fancy paint jobs with lots of motors.  This is really how the 1% lives.  I am hoping as we continue to travel north, we will get out of the affluent Florida areas and “find our people.”  Sure fun to dream.  Here are some fun picture of the bridges we went under today.

 

As  of today,  we are finally free.  We set off today as our house in California finally closed escrow.  THE SAME DAY!!!  That is called serendipity.   It was an agonizing 6 months waiting for it to sell.  We left our house empty,  completely committed to this trip,  but the longer it sat empty the more stressful it was.  Just as we listed it the market crashed and well…… So it was!!    Thankfully today this chapter is now closed.

Today we traveled 41 miles of ICW from Fort Lauderdale to West Palm Beach.  We had a total of 18 Bridges.  Some we went under, some we waited for an opening.  Ride along the journey if you want.  It’s in hyper speed, 12 minute of our 5 hour ride.  Also check out all the mega houses and puffy clouds.

 

What does that mean exactly? I have heard this expression a lot in my life.  I always felt a pull to travel and see the world.  I tried leaving Santa Clarita in my early 20’s when I took a traveling job in the Midwest with a college friend. (Karen Burg).  We worked at small towns in the Midwest as relief for physical therapy departments who needed temporary staffing or vacation relief.  I had the time of my life but I ultimately came home with a broken heart.  A nice Midwestern boy stole my heart and then broke it in a matter of a few months.  I never went back.  I was lost and confused.  A few months later my prince in a speedo (He was in a bathing suit but it sounded so much better to say speedo!) shared a lane with me at the local college pool and the rest is history,  Or I should say another chapter!

Back to the title.  “You grow where you are planted.”   If I didn’t hold still long enough to be planted, how can I establish roots??  Good question!!

I had a wonderlust from an early age.  Travel was in my blood.  I dreamt of far off places.  I imagined living in other country’s.  I grew up sheltered in a small town and with a family whose adventures involved a tent, a cast iron skillet and 4 kids in the back of a Cadillac, bumping down some dirt road in California.  In high school I had an opportunity to take a trip to Europe.  An English teacher was leading the group.  I knew my parents didn’t have the money to send me but I asked anyway.  My mother insisted she go as well, as a chaperone, so my dad had to find the money for both of us, and he did!   It was an incredible eye opening experience to a world I knew existed.  I knew then that I would eventually travel.

My fate changed when I met Andy in the pool at College of the Canyons.  Me, with a recent broken heart from a good old boy from Nebraska.  Him very single.  We connected on our first date and BOOM!!!!  I was locked in Santa Clarita!!  OH shit!!!  I did not want to live here.  I was trying to find a way out.  Our eyes locked, It was love and he owned a business and that was that!!!  We bought a house, had a couple of kids, and traveled as much as we could.  We have had a wonderful life together.  Secretly, we BOTH wanted the same thing.  OUT!!!  We got sucked into suburbia, 2 kids, a mortgage and a bunch of STUFF!!!!  The houses got bigger, the stuff got more expensive, the trips got more lavish and longer.  The life we created was AWESOME!!!  Lots of people looked at us and thought we had  “MADE IT!”  We had!   It was wonderful.  The reality was that, as much as I loved all my stuff,  I loved hosting great parties,  I loved having everyone over and I loved nice things,  I always secretly wanted to just run away.  I know that sounds weird.   I was gathering,  but I never was really attached to any of it.   People who know me would say they don’t believe that.  I was the party planner, entertainer.   I had like 40 platters for god sake!!!   I could have 12 people over, unplanned on a Friday night and create a meal out of thin air.  Yes, I was that good!!   I was giving and giving but I never got filled back up.  Something was lacking.  I always dreamed of traveling to some far off place.  I always went to bed dreaming that one day we would set off and see the world.

That day is now.  It’s happening.  We made it happen.  Not without great sacrifice though.

I’m sure by now,  if your reading this,  you have read up to this part of our journey.  Deciding to sell off most of our worldly possessions and live and travel on our boat.  Spending months getting our boat ready.  Shipping it to Florida.   Spending the first  2 months  in the Bahamas and then back to Florida.  Well, it has been a dream come true.  We spend a lot of time shaking our heads and we cannot believe we pulled off the first part.  We have come to realize that purging all the stuff was hard, and maybe it was really the hardest part.  So far I have no regrets.  The house is sold,  all the stuff is sold or given away.   The important stuff is being watched over by my daughter.   It’s a very small amount of things.  I have learned that I need so much  less.  I am so much happier.  Life became simple.  It’s surreal!!  What’s really surreal is the adventure.

We came home to California after our first leg to the Bahamas.  I needed to ground myself again.  Not in the soil of Santa Clarita,  but in the heart and soul of the people I dearly love.  Missing my friends has been  hard.   Being far away from everyone, all my family and friends  has been hard.   I have learned that being  “planted”  means being  “connected.”   I don’t need to be stuck in the earth  like a tree.  I need my roots to be free to reach out and connect with anyone who wants to be part of my journey.    We continue to grow but really,  we do not need to be planted.  Planted feels like being stuck.  I want to move freely,  not stuck.  I saw mangroves where the roots are open to the air and in the water.  I saw weeds floating freely in the ocean being carried by currants.  I see the stars, moon and sun that change their position as the earth moves.  I see the animals who move freely from where they are born and then leave and return to nest and breed.  I feel a very deep bond to moving and free energy.   I feel if we are “planted” then we get stuck.  Don’t be afraid to “unplant” yourself.  I promise you will be a whole new energy of life and spirit that you cannot imagine.  It’s liberating.

My trip back home was important.  I needed to reconnect with my people.  It was a whirlwind.  I got lots of couch cuddled with the grand puppies.  I got time with my parents.  I enjoyed dinners with my brothers and their families.  I got to see my son.  We got to enjoy the incredible wildflowers that are blooming everywhere after a very wet winter, the mountains were just covered in them.  We had Dr. appointments.  We signed escrow papers for the house!  YES!!!  We partied like rock stars with our F-Dock friends who we so badly miss.  We caught up with friends.  I took my mother and daughter to the Historic Mission Inn for a getaway and spa day.  We sat in LA traffic getting places.  We ate lots of Mexican food (I have had my fill).   I made tons of bracelets and restocked the store.  I feel refueled.  I am ready for journey part 2.   Thank you everyone who took time to see us.   I am sorry to those we missed.  We just ran out of time.   Andy came home with the flu so our last day was spent in bed.   All in all we had a great time and we feel recharged.

 

We spent a week in Eleuthera at Harbor Island and loved it.  It was time to move on.  The original plan was to head to March Harbor in the Abacos.  Andy got the computer out and the weather going that direction was not in our favor.  At least for the next 4 days.  Everyone we talked to, all the mega yachts captains and locals kept saying the same thing over and over.  That the Abacos is not good weather until March and later.  It’s to far North and gets all the cold fronts.  We could wait out the next 4 days to make the crossing to Abacos.  We would be heading toward an oncoming storm set to arrive about an hour before we would have gotten there, but going back to Nassau was flat and not windy.  We spent a few hours discussing a route and making a plan.  Do we go up to the Abacos in a few more days or head back Southwest to Nassau??  We were really conflicted.  It came down to timing.  We have been in the bahamas for 7 weeks and if we continued onto the Abacos, we would be committing to another month.  It would still take a week or longer to go home if we started now.   Frankly,  I didn’t really have it in me.  I didn’t say it outright but I felt that we had seen so much and I was ready to do the “about face.”   It wasn’t like we could get home quickly,  198 miles. This was many days of travel before we could even reach Florida. Maybe your reading this and wondering what the fuss is all about.  We had gone a long way from home, so keep going?  Or call it.  It came down to the fact that I wanted to fly home and see my kids and parents.  It came down to the fact that we want to start the loop early April.  We looked at the calendar and realized we were running out of time.  Before we left in Jan from Fort Lauderdale we had several services that needed to be finished.  We had new mini blinds measured but they didn’t get ordered.  The guy wanted to measure again “a final measurement. “  What???   He was a boat blind guy, not your average blind installer so it was worth waiting for him and get the job done right.  Also our aft head was still not right.  Even after a long service appointment replacing parts and troubleshooting the whole system we left and it still wasn’t working.  We had to return and have him attack the head again.  He promised he would come back and fix it.  We just didn’t want to delay our departure.  We knew we had to come back here eventually to finish what we started.

Day 1:

We headed back to Nassau.  If you read my post about the Devils backbone, it was the same procedure to get out of that area.  Hire a guide pilot.   The day we wanted to depart, so did everyone else!!!!!   It was the only day that was good and then a big blow was coming thru and the ocean was going to be rough.  We here “weather window a lot!”  The reason we didn’t go North.  Thankfully Andy called Li’l Woody early enough that we got put first on the list.  The difference this time was instead of him being on our boat, he piloted a mega yacht and we were told to follow him closely.  He said he would radio us when we were safely thru the pass and then we were free to go where ever we wanted.  Woody arrived early,  7AM with a homemade carrot cake and a jar of jam.  The jam was unmarked and the carrot cake was warm!  He gave Andy instructions and we got in behind La Dolce Vita, a 125’ yacht.  Woody boarded it and we began the passage.  Once into deeper water he he called us on the radio and told us that we were thru the pass and Andy had already set our course to Nassau.  We had a calm,  flat beautiful crossing only 4 hours and we arrived fresh and happy to my favorite marina,  Palm Cay.   We were greeted by the staff,  “HI AQUAMAN!!   Welcome back!!!”  We fueled up and tied up.  Day 1 was done.   We decided to come back here because we had 3 days of predicted wind and storm which turned out to be no big deal.   The ocean was rough but we didn’t get much rain.   I just loved it there.  It was away from the hustle bustle and we didn’t feel the need to explore anymore of Nassau.  It was a good spot to go grocery shopping, cook some good food, and do laundry while sipping Moscow Mules by the pool.   Yes,  even though I had to do laundry I did not suffer!   One step closer to home.

Day 2:

This was a bigger crossing day.  We had 6 or 7 hours to get to Chub Cay.   This crossing was the one that I hated the most.  When we left the Berry islands for Nassau the prediction was good, but the crossing was a long one and the weather shifted and I thought we might die before we reached Nassau.  I started out nervous.   The difference this time was our experience in the Bahama waters.  We knew how to read the predictions better.  What a 2 ft wave really felt like and more importantly, what our comfort level was.   The whole trip changes when the water is unpredictable and rough.   Andy knows how to read the waves,  directions of the winds and what angle we need to travel.  He is really good at it now, after all this time.   Maybe we are a bit over cautious after getting caught a few times in rough waves.  Today’s was the day.  After 3 days in the marina we were ready to brave this big crossing and get closer to home.  We left early.  We arrived in Chub right on time and ready for lunch.  We were met at the dock by not 1 but 2 dock hands in light blue shirts and khaki pants.  This is the first marina were we had floating docks.  I did not even need their help.  It’s cake to tie up to a floating dock.  Fixed wood docks are a whole other animal.  I tipped them (I am sure they thought I was a cheep ass looking at this fancy place but I didn’t care. We were only there 1 night!)  We checked in and walked the grounds.  This is a world class resort.  It was spectacular.  I secretly wished we were staying longer,  although I was also excited to be going home.  The buildings were incredible and highly  decorated.  The pool was like something you’d see in the states at a fancy hotel with a swim up bar and an infinity edge looking out to the sea.  It had a beach and chairs and oh my gosh!!!!   I wanted to get my suit on and enjoy this but hold on to your hat……… ANDY/AQAUAMAN/ADVENTURE SEEKER/MAN WHO WANTS TO KILL WIFE……. had other plans.  We took the dingy down and set off to find Turkle Creek.  It’s a mangrove river that was supposed to be full of turtles.  It was GORGEOUS!!!  And, yes full of turtles.  The water was crystal clear so Andy got his gear on and snorkel all while pulling me along in the dingy.  It was the first time I wished I had brought my snorkel stuff.  I would have gotten in  the water.  It was shallow and clear.   Ton of turtles darted away from our little boat and popped their heads up for a quick breath.  We got back, put the dingy back, cleaned up and walked to a little bar that we were told was a locals fun place.  I was a bit disappointed.   It was a loud, music blasting pit and no one was really there.  I preferred the fancy place!!!  Of course.  We had a drink and then noticed our friends we had met in Nassau, Jackie and Peyton,  had signed the wall.  The whole wall was graffitied with boat names and t-shirts were stapled to the walls.  We signed our name by our friends and brought them an AQUAMAN t-shirt to hang up on the wall.    Later we went to the bar (in the fancy restaurant)  and had a nice drink (not in plastic cups) and shared a yummy dinner.  BIG DAY!!!!  I was thrashed and I slept great!!!!   Tomorrow was another crossing.

Day 3:

This is the longest of the crossings across the shallow Bahama Banks. Chub Cay in the Berry Islands to Bimini.  The day was calm and the seas were flat.  The water is  the most gorgeous color of aquamarine.  We cruised along forever in 5-7-8-10’ back to 5’ of water.  This crossing was totally uneventful.  I was even able to make lunch it was so calm.  At one point however we hit 3’, 2 1/2’, 3 1/2’.  Andy slowed the boat down to a crawl in case we bottomed out. He was following the suggested route.  I have to admit that I will not miss this part of the Bahamas.  I hate how shallow the water gets.  Totally freaks me out.  You can see every contour of the bottom and it appears as if you are skimming the sand.   The water is pretty and clear but man its scary.  We arrived at the wreck of the Suppona around 2PM and dropped anchor. Andy got his snorkel gear and swam over.  There were at least 10 boats all anchored. It’s a real hot spot/bucket list place to snorkel.  Check! We arrived in Bimini in time to make dinner, have a drink and turn on the A/C.  This island has the worst no se ums,  and we got eaten alive when we passed thru here weeks before.  Bimini is not my favorite. I didn’t care if we ever come back here. It is however the gateway to the Bahamas. Only 5 hours from the States.  It’s full of fishing boats and some people never go further into the Bahamas. The fisherman come in at night, filet their catch and its a shark zone!!! We went to Bimini Sands, which is a condo complex and much more quiet, but the mosquitos were out of control!!!! Never again do I want to come here.

Day 4

The last leg! Let’s go! We woke up early to be back in Florida by noon.  I was beyond beyond excited and ready.  The day was gorgeous and lots of boats were pulling out as the water was a perfect passage day.  We were going along and I was in my normal spot AKA: the queens lounge when I heard Andy screaming “OH SHIT< OH SHIT”. I looked over to see bright green fluid pouring out of the dash and his legs were covered in it.  I ran for a towels as my heart pumped and my head went dark.  We were at least an hour out of Bimini and I was starting to see the island fade and was watching to see the US appear when this happened.  We soaked up the fluid, took a breath and realized the throttle controller had lost all it’s glycol and we would not have control of that motor.  Andy decided quickly that the safest thing to do was turn around and go back, it was quicker.  He prayed that we wouldn’t lose the other side.  We had no idea if the fluid was only lost on the starboard motor or both.  He had control of the port engine and it appeared that the starboard motor got stuck at 1600 rpms.  So technically we had 1 motor and the other passing at about 2/3rd power.  He slowed the boat WAY down and my heart sunk and I tried not to cry out of fear but also disappointment.  We were so close.  Nothing had gone wrong the whole trip and we were on our last leg.  Going back to Bimini and the bugs for who knows how long to fix this problem was an ugly thought.   We called the marina as we got close to say we were limping in and as we approached other boaters came out to grab lines as Andy manipulated the boat into a slip like a pro.  Without any hesitation he tore apart the throttle and found out what happened.  We had the boat torn apart and I handed him tools like a surgical nurse.  I want to take my label maker and mark them all now so I can be even quicker.  It’s a big long story, sweating our asses off getting bit by mosquitos, dehydrated, angry, disappoint and then ultimately my wizard mechanical husband had it repaired.  He said LETS GO!!!! Nervous as I was, I did NOT want to stay. We untied and left with enough time to get to Florida before the sun went down, barely.  The ocean was not great but every mile I was closer.  We pulled into Fort Lauderdale as cruise ships loaded with people were pulling out. There were TONS of boats traffic.  We had that feeling like “oh no, back to reality and traffic.”  Sunday afternoon in Fort Lauderdale is not really were a pleasure boater wants to be.  It’s nuts.  Jim at the marina, met us at the Los Olas dock and helped me tie up the boat.  Exhausted and grateful. Here we are.  Stateside.  I keep referring to it as home. It’s not really home but it gives me comfort to say that.  Home is where my boat is.  I love my boat even though she gave us a fit today.  What an epic and LONG adventure.  Ill be happy to just do nothing for a while.  That’s not going to happen.  I’m married to Mr. Scheer

Never been happier to see Florida in my life!!!  Not happy however to come into the harbor while cruise ships are leaving port and a ton of boats where in our way.  Very crowded in the ICW and lots of stupid boaters. Still happy to be home!

Coming into Harbor Island through the Devils Backbone was super exciting (read the previous blog).  We loved the Marina we chose.  It had a really nice pool overlooking the harbor.  The marina was adjacent to a fancier one that we contemplated going to as well.  We ended up at Romora’s Marina and it was lovely.  Upon arrival, after the dockhands helped us tie lines, they offered us a Gombay Smash (rum punch!) and it was awesome, and only 11 AM!  We were hungry and wanted a second drink so we got the bikes down and road over to Valentines Marina  to check it out and see if we made a mistake.

They had a more happening bar/restaurant.  It’s a larger resort,  so lots more people.  Seemed like the same amount of boats and docks.  We confirmed we made a good choice.  Andy went to talk to the dive shop while I ordered us round 2! (And yes I did get smashed after the second one, which lead to a nap! Perfect afternoon!).

 

When we arrived at the marina, we were asked by the dockhands if we wanted a golf cart.  We said no because we had our bikes.  We thought we would  get one for just a day.  We came to realize after our bike ride,  no one was riding bikes.  We didn’t see any bike rentals.  Everyone drives around in golf carts.  It was crazy.  I expected to see a row of beach cruisers with baskets.  Nope!!  As we rode people kept saying  “nice bikes”  like we were some strange weirdos or they had never seen a bike before.  It was interesting.  There was one steep hill that I had to walk up and,  yes I whined!!  But it lead to the pink sand beach and it was worth it.

This is by far my favorite place.  The town was charming.  I loved the English charm and we had some lovely dinners and lunches out.  The food on this island was great!!   It is ridiculously expensive but the quality was there, so whatever.  Easier to swallow.(HAHA!)  The picture below is at a restaurant that was incredible.  Food was incredible and so was the prices.  2 pieces of tuna sushi was $15!! Seriously?  So we ordered, didn’t look at the prices, got what we wanted and drank a bottle of Josh Chardonnay, looked at each other with gratitude that we can have these moments together.  Andy is my rockstar!

This was the first town I found little boutique stores with good stuff.  I had fun shopping and bought some really authentic things.  I lived in my straw hats.  A great way to hide my overgrown, sun bleached hair.

 

The whole Bahamas (almost everyplace we have been) is full of mega yachts and some mega-mega yachts.  They all have crews, cooks, staff, dog walkers, guests who fly in and friends.  I tried not to form a complex, but wow.  We started calling ourselves “Trawler Trash” of course in the most affectionate way.  We love our boat and feel super grateful to have it.  We also feel happy that it’s performing really well.  No hiccups and it rides so smooth.  It really is perfect for us and we don’t regret the hassle it took to get it to the East Coast.  We are “the little boat that can”  amongst  these giants.  Incredible.  Doing the loop will put us with more boats of our size and I am looking forward to that.

The day we arrived  we went to enjoy the pool.  A small group was chatting and started talking to us right away,  asking us questions.  “Where are you from? What boat is yours?  Where have you been in the Bahamas, etc?”   They were so friendly and nice.   They were all crew on these big yachts in the marina.   Cooks, captains, deckhands.  They shared some stories about cruising and working on a boat.  They were very nice and I loved the conversation.  The hardest thing about this trip has been being lonely.  When I have an opportunity to chat, I take it.  We are all ships passing in the night.  Sometimes we sit on our boat saying Hi to people walking by,  sometimes we are just all alone and every once in a while someone stops to chat.  When that happens I soak in the conversations and am grateful for the brief encounter.

We walked on the pink sand beaches.  Absolutely one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen.  The sand was like powder!  It was really pink and had flakes of pink coral.  Never seen anything like it before.  So awesome.  Hard to capture just how pink it was.

 

 

The Islands are full of Conch.  They are piled up in boats, all along the beaches, mounds of shells are everywhere.  They have little stands selling Conch salads which is Conch Ceviche.  I am not a huge fan.  I find it chewy.  Now fry it up in a fritter and that’s a different story.  We went to a farmers market where a lady was making fritters fresh right on the spot in a little frying pan.  They were the best I have ever had and only $2!  My biggest mistake was not getting a second order.  Andy and I worry about the over fishing of these creatures.   It is estimated that by 2035 the demand will kill off  the whole species. They take many years to mature and we asked several people if they are starting to see a decline in them.  Of course they are!!  Just like all fisheries, it’s going to take some regulation and that just isn’t going to happen here.  But those fritters were sure good!!

 

We really enjoyed our time here. After a week it was time to go.  Just like the way in, we had to follow a pilot/captain out, just like getting here.  The only difference this time was  the day we choose, so did everyone else because it was a flat calm day.  Lots of boats were departing.  The main pilot Lil Woody, had a list of people who wanted his help. Thankfully we called early enough that we were first at 7AM.  We were handed his famous carrot cake and told to stay right behind a 150ft mega yacht that he was driving.  We stayed as close as was safe and at one point we were maybe 50 yards off the beach.  This was so unsettling but we were behind a 150ft boat that would have hit it first!  That was slightly comforting! LOL.  We got thru the cut and were told we were safe and we headed to Nassau.  The ocean was flat glass, as predicted and we had a wonderful crossing back to our favorite Marina! Next about why we are back in Nassau in my next post!

 

We decided we wanted to rent a car and drive the whole narrow island of Eleuthera.  Andy went up to the Marina office to ask about car rentals.  The lady in the office looked at him and said “hold on a moment.”  Out walked the head chief of the restaurant (which was awsome by the way).  This man dressed in chef garb said  “you want a car? I rent cars? When do you want it?”  Andy told him for the next day and they made arrangements.  We had to take a water taxi across to the mainland where we would be met and given a car.  $100 cash and a deposit. (Ouch!). He said when we returned we would get the deposit back.  This sounded good.  What actually happened was the chef was taking a few days off and he gave us his car!!!!!  He met us at the water taxi dock,  took a cell phone picture of Andys drivers license and we dropped him at the airport.  Nothing here happens like the US.  It’s a little Mexico like but everyone is so friendly and nice.  The guy made $100 from us to drive his nice car, that by the way was from Japan and talked to us in Japanese and all the buttons were written in Japanese.  It was funny.  The only cd in the car was marked Reggie but it was more  “I drink rum,  I get drunk,  I love rum,  boom boom boom, rum rum rum.”    It was hilarious and it played over and over!!!!!  Ok, forget the music and enjoy the silence.  I needed rum after this drive.  The island is a one road so called highway called the Queens Highway that went on and on for 100 miles.  I was looking forward to stopping in Governers Harbor.    I expected a big town.  We pulled in to find very old historic building and old shacks that had been left to decay.  Beautiful churches.   No resorts.  NOTHING!!!!  We did find a cool spot for lunch but that was literally it!!

We continued down the road after lunch.  Andy stopped at a beach and I found great shells and sea glass.  Then we stumbled on the Ocean Hole. It is a giant sinkhole in the middle of the island. There were a a bunch of local kids all swimming and jumping in and screaming.  There were a bunch of stray dogs that I wanted to bring home (but they also had fleas!). Of course Andy had to jump in.  One of the kids said to him “you have blue eyes”  like he had never seen blue eyes before.

We really wanted to find a beach.  We found a road that said it led to a beach but when we got there it turned into a dirt road and didn’t look passable.  As we were turning around a lady came up beside our car and asked if were looking for the beach.  We said “yes we are.”  She said follow me.  We asked if it was passable because we had promise the chef and car owner we would not go down any dirt roads.  She assured us it was fine.  Her definition no problem and ours differs, but we stayed behind her and prayed the car wouldn’t bottom out and take off the muffler.  We pulled up to her house-restaurat-beach.  She was adorable.  On her back porch people were drinking beers.  We were greeted by barking dogs.  She said “please feel free to make your way to the beach and enjoy.”  We descended a rickety wood stairway and saw coral heads and rough water and a long strip of pink sand beach.   It was gorgeous and as expected,  Aquaman had to go back for his fins and mask.  I enjoyed the beach.  It was amazing.  Andy emerged from the water carrying a huge conch shell.  I was confused because we would never be able to open it to get the conch out.  It is very hard and has a very specific method.  As he approached I realized The animal was already removed and was just the shell.  Still perplexed I watched him walk to me and hand me the shell.   We had agreed that my boat would not become a shell museum, I am a bit of a shell freak.  I had agreed to not collect shells, just pictures.  I had agreed to keep just a small basket of them.  I had agreed to only take absolutely perfect ones and not more then a few.  The fact that he found this particular one while diving in the ocean, in perfect condition, and pink.  He let me keep it.  He brought his shell loving wife a shell from the ocean that he found!!  My Aquaman  really loves me.  I will have a whole wall full of them when I finally find my beach house, wherever that ends up being.  For now I have 1 really pretty, shiny one hand picked by my sweetie.

The thing about this drive was it felt like the road we had driven 26 years ago from San Diego to Cabo in our Chevy Blazer. We had driven the whole way in a caravan of cars to scuba dive.  We were young and bouncing down that road was fun then.  OMG!!  It took me back to that drive 27 years ago.  There was no line dividing the road.  It was full of tire crunching pot holes.  You had to be on your toes and cars passed and nearly missing us.  The pot holes were always in the path, which meant swerving to avoid them.  I don’t  get sea sick but I did feel a bit queasy on this ride. This car had a bunch of hanging Christmas trees air fresheners and a can of some fragrance.  The car seriously was a perfumed box that needed the windows open to help circulate the air.  The car had 269,000 kilometers on it

Our Japanese speaking car.

We crossed the glass bridge on the way down and then again on the way back.  One side had crashing waves  from the Atlantic, while the other side was calm.  Just as we had seen on TV.  Pretty spot.

 

We returned to the water taxi dock,  left the “rental car” and headed back.

It was a full day!!

Today is the day to brave this channel called The Devils Backbone and the only way into Harbor Island Eleuthera.  We were told it was absolutely necessary.  Since we are so close we decided to come here.  The other choice was crossing to the Abacos because it was a really good ocean crossing day.  The weather prediction for this next week is not good for a crossing.  It is predicting high winds and big waves.  The Marinas are well protected from the wind so we will be just fine. We knew that coming here meant staying a week at least.  Trapped in paradise. Oh well!   Some days I am ready to head back home.  We are days away if we wanted to go straight back to Florida. I remind myself of all the work it took to get here.  All the sacrifice and all the planning.  Some days are hard and I am homesick.  I met a woman who told me it will take some time to get into the traveling groove.  She went thru it questioning “what the heck did I sign up for?”  She is right. I breathe thru those moments and they pass.  Thankfully.

The only way you get to Harbor Island is to hire a pilot/captain.  All boats, even the mega yahchts hire one.  They say the sand shifts and the coral heads will get ya, and they are not plotted on the charts correctly.  Neal met us at the marina, handed me a bag of warm Johnny Cakes  that his wife had just made, and tied his boat behind ours.  We set off and he instructed Andy were to go.  I looked behind at one point and saw the ferry coming up behind us and FLYING right past us.  Neal said it was fine but he caused a huge wake and left us in the dust.  Didn’t like that!  Totally strange, exciting, nerve wracking, but we got here safely and found our Marina Romora Bay.  We were greated by the dockhands and once tied up and secure we were offered a rum punch! Welcomed in style.

We had 2 marinas to choose from and they are both good choices.  We choose Ramora’s because it’s just a bit past the ferry dock and a bit less rolly according to the reviews.  It has a great pool and restaurant.  The other choice was Valentines.  Either place would have worked and we are all good with our choice.  We took the bikes down and road a bit and stopped to check out Valentines.  It did seem a bit more happening and had a nice restaurant and bar.  We got lunch and more rum punch.  This is were the dive shop is,  and Andy went to sign up for a dive.  I think we are going to like Harbor Island.  The homes all have a British influence and are just adorable.  This is also home to mega manson’s and celebrities.  It’s pretty layed back town so they must like that and it’s also not very accessible.

 

Romora’s marina has a nice pool that overlooks the ocean.  We went up for a dip and found a bunch of people in the pool.  PEOPLE!!!!!  I had a good time eaves dropping until one really friendly guy started asking us questions.  Where we were from, what boat was ours, etc….. (OMG, someone to talk to!!!!!).  Turns out the pool was full of crew from a few mega  yahats on the dock.  We had such fun chatting about crew life and cruising, their owners, what its like living on a boat full time.  The cook chatted about cooking and where she buys her food.  I had a great time.  My skin was totally pruned from sitting in the water.  I enjoyed talking to them.  What an interesting life they have.  One of the crew was married (cook and captain) and when we said “we had sold everything to live on the boat and travel”  her husband looked at her and said “we should do that one day.”   She started laughing and said  “honey, we don’t have anything, and we already live on a boat that’s not ours full time, what could be better??”  We all laughed.  Honestly the only thing they don’t have control of is where they go and when.  If the owner wants the boat in a place they go and for as long as he/she wants it there.  They said it can get really boring being somewhere too long but that comes with the territory.  I wondered if the owners were rude assholes, but both couples said they loved them and they treated them really well.  That made me fell happy for them.