Sticker Shock in Fox Town We decided we couldn’t continue our passage through The Abacos without a stopover in Little Abaco. The first town we visited there was Fox Town. This is a very small, clean, and friendly village that runs along the shoreline to the Sea of Abaco. They have three small grocery stores […]
Adventures, Mishaps and Explorations…And One Nasty Storm
We finally made it to the Bahamas! Our first Gulf Stream crossing was extremely calm – too calm, in fact. Although it was carrying us north at 2.5 knots, we had no wind to assist its efforts, and we ended up motoring the whole 18 hours. Of course, things got more exciting when thunderstorms started […]
Last Days in the U.S. – Islamorada, Tavernier, and Key Largo
Getting to Key Largo The two day journey from Marathon to Key Largo was beautiful. We started out with a send-off visit by our neighbor and new friend, Buddy the cat. He actually boarded our boat in the morning and was scratching on our companionway doors to get in. (We let him in, gladly.) We […]
Florida Keys
Key West After two days at sea, we arrived in Key West from Tarpon Springs earlier than expected, around 4am. We anchored outside the Northwest Channel to await daylight because all the guides tell you to avoid the Key West approaches at night unless you are very familiar with the area. We are so glad […]
Our Easy and (Not So) Breezy First Week
At the end of our first seven days as cruisers we still didn’t feel like cruisers. Seven to ten days was our usual vacation time aboard and, in the past, it typically meant sailing toward Pensacola. After our first week cruising, we were still in the Florida panhandle and I felt like we should be […]
What’s in a Name? (Or, Incurring Poseidon’s Wrath)
Boat names are extremely personal, and the source of much discussion and divergent opinions among mariners. All you have to do is mention around a marina that you’re considering re-naming your boat and you will be bombarded with a flurry of “advice.” The suggestions range from the practical to, well, the lunatic. “Make it easy […]
More Upgrades As Time Is Running Out
As we get closer to our departure date, the urgency to complete all those upgrades we had planned is heating up. Here are a few of the ones we have checked off the list. Sea Water Pressurized Faucet – Our boat did not come equipped with a seawater pump at the galley. We […]
The Sale Before The Sail
There’s a word for people like us – LIVEABOARDS! We slept in our “land bed” for the last time about a month ago, right before our estate sale took place. We finally got everything sorted and left behind the things we decided we could/had to live without, to be priced and sold by “professionals”. Yeah, […]
The Transition Begins
As the website subtitle suggests, this blog is supposed to document the steps we’re taking in preparation for our move onboard. Thus far, we didn’t have much to write about on that subject, but with less than two weeks to go before the move happens, there is a lot going on! By the end of […]
Boat Upgrades
While I’m sure this post is boring to most of our land friends, I hope it’s interesting and/or helpful to sailors preparing to cruise. First and foremost, I must give props to the previous owners for doing some outstanding upgrades to the boat, leaving us very little to worry about before we sail off permanently. […]