boomeranging back to boats

I’ve never been in a long distant relationship, that’s some serious business. 2021 felt like I was dating again. Carl would come into town and we would all try and fit in the most quality time as possible then he would leave again. A positive disruption in our life that was like a pebble tossed into our stream. It was a routine that we were getting accustomed to, even though we never knew when he would steam roll into town. I thought we were all doing well but our strained relationship and kids sleeping disorders caused by stress slowly creeped up on me. Turns out a long distance fling isn’t for us.

Just like all of our decisions this one came on fast without a lot of planning or forethought. We bought a house in South Florida in the peak of the housing market; remember the fun times when you had to put an offer in on a house before you could see the house.

We bought, packed up and moved – all in 45 days.

Moving from Maine to Florida in March was pretty magical. Ice and wind to mild breezes and barefoot walks.

We all got Covid, Cali broke her arm, Capri lost her snake, Cali got a lung disease and Crew became a recluse. And Carl was still never home.

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Enter: SV Coddiwomple

coddiwomple: to travel in a purposeful manner towards a vague destination

I drove to North Carolina with the kids and Taco to go see a 1999 48′ Grainger Catamaran. Carl was in the Bahamas working and it was up to me to give it the thumbs up or not. My criteria:

• Pretty – check
• Functional – check
• Good layout – check
• No funk boat smell – and check

Carl’s list was a tad longer.

I’m an easy gal to please. I told Carl to assume that nothing works because I have no idea how to test any of that. We did a video chat and walkthrough and put our deposit down. SOLD.

Kids and I packed up the house (again). Sent a pod to Maine (we own a small self storage business there) with all those belongings that you swear you need. Packed the car to the max with myself, 3 kids, 1 cat and 1 dog. Filled the back of Carl’s work truck with our “necessary” belonging. You know tubs of lego, books we’ve read 10 times and clothes that are not relevant to boating life. Back to North Carolina we went. The kids and I rented a house for a month or so we could prep the boat that was on the hard and we no longer had a place to live.

Again, packed up the car with the kids and dog and back down to Florida we went. Honestly, the amount of miles I drove in 2022 is unfathomable.

We moved onboard with Carl working a few miles away. Perfect.

Now, 2 months later we sit in a boat yard in Fort Lauderdale, slowly fixing up the boat and waiting for Carl to have a gap in charters to take us over to the Bahamas.

It has been an adjustment for all of us to being back on a boat but so far we are taking shorter showers, washing our sheets less and forgetting to shut hatches when it rains.

2022 was a doozy, feeling unsettled for so long wreaked havoc on our lives. It is now 2023 and we are crafting a life that is slow and balanced.

Life is kind, life is sweet – but it will be sweeter in the Bahamas.