Back to School! (and so much more)

The first day of school! But with it surfaced LOTS of emotions for this homeschool/boatschool momma. This was also likely the last first day of homeschool for us…the last first day of boatschool…and perhaps even the last time the kids start the school year by waking up on the boat.

I am beyond excited about this upcoming year of travel we have planned (or at least loosely laid out!). I’m even pretty excited about all the possibilities facing us when we return, which includes a possible shift to a real land home for the remaining schooling years for our kiddos (but maybe back to the boat…who knows!). But that doesn’t mean that I won’t wax poetic about all the amazing memories I’ve collected while living aboard since 2009 and while cruising since 2019.

Why would we consider leaving this lifestyle and perhaps the boat? Well, it’s simple—the kids asked for it. We made a lot of the choices we did over the years so that we could truly enjoy time with them before they flew off to adulthood. It’s made better if they are enjoying themselves, too, and they are quite curious about what “normal” is like! We have the ability and flexibility to pursue it, so we will.

We have more questions than answers right now about what exactly awaits us when we return from South America sometime next year, and while that pushes some of my anxiety buttons just a little, there’s a bit of excitement about seeking the next adventure together.

Much, much, more to follow!

~Jo, soon-to-be former 1st Mate/soon-to-be CLOD/something of a nomad/chick just trying to figure out what she wants to be when she grows up 

Summer boat chores (to prep for a crazy winter!)

Now that we have been back at the boat we have been busy knocking out routine maintenance and also getting ready to put the boat on the hard for the year. It's weird for a lot of reasons, but one of the most striking is that since moving aboard in 2009 we have NEVER had to winterize the boat and now we will have to!

We kicked things off with a solid flushing/de-jellyfishing of the air conditioning system. It's a constant battle here in the lower Chesapeake Bay, but a/c is soooo nice!

A VERY clean strainer; the "to-do" post-its; picking up packages and parts with my partner.

Some of the other boaty things we've done:
- changed engine oil filter, fuel filters, Racor filters, v-belt, impeller, cleaned intake strainer
- changed transmission oil
- flushed and replaced coolant
- conducted outboard maintenance and lay-up
- topped off batteries
- lubed shaft seal
- washed and waxed the deck and cockpit

- applied a coat of Semco seal to the teak
- polished stainless steel
- cleaned the dinghy

Teamwork makes the dream work! The kid crew has been SUPER helpful in our endeavors!

A cleaned/waxed/sealed cockpit!

This next week will be spent purging as much as we possibly can, emptying the galley of all food, and prepping to move the boat down to Deltaville, VA at the end of the month. I am SUPER excited about our next adventure, but my heart breaks a little as I think about leaving our girl on the hard.

Love our home!

~Jo, 1st Mate (for at least another week!)

French Invasion 2022

July was so...much...FUN! We had Katreina's host-sister from France and a friend with us for just over three weeks of Americana all over the mid-Atlantic U.S. How did we do it from a 39' boat during the hot, swampy, Chesapeake Bay summer? Well...we didn't stay here! We made this magic happen with the help of family, friends, AirBnB, and Hilton points.

First stop was the Washington, D.C. metro area where we picked up the girls and stayed with family in the 'burbs. We would actually make their lovely home our base for the three weeks and can't thank Fawn, Darrell, and their kids enough for sharing their home (and a big vehicle!) with our party of 6. We toured around downtown D.C. on a super hot day, visited the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, hung out near our old marina with Katreina's old school friends, and had teen/family time. We also took the girls to a Washington Nationals baseball game--so fun!

Washington, D.C.-area fun

We took advantage of Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) ticket deals and free Hilton rooms to check out Hershey, Pennsylvania! We visited the Botanical Garden, Chocolate World, and the kids got a few hours in at the park before a major thunderstorm ripped through the area--no big deal as we had a pool and foosball back at the hotel! The next day the kids were at the park from open to close, hitting both the waterpark and ride sides of the park before we got them back home. (The adults quite brilliantly spent the day at cafes and breweries, taking walks, and reading!)

Hershey, PA was a hit!

After a little more time in the 'burbs, it was time for a girls' trip to New York City! We joined Katreina's aunt and cousin as guests of Maria and William in a beautiful apartment in the city for the three nights. It was amazing! Our NYC adventure got off to a great start with a free disco night at Lincoln Center! The next day six of us took the subway to Battery Park and embarked on a trip to the Statue of Liberty (thanks, France!) and Ellis Island. It was a long, hot day, but after recharging with some NY pizza, I took the four teen girls out to Times Square...on a Friday night! It was CRAZY and so much fun! The next day, just my little crew rode bikes through Central Park, visited the World Trade Center park, and shopped in Times Square before joining the rest of the ladies for a birthday celebration at a trendy restaurant. Somewhere in there we had lots of ice cream, fruit, and hot dogs from street vendors, and we ended the trip with a NY bagel breakfast!

The girls had a blast in NYC!

After the excitement of NYC we rejoined the boys and shifted gears completely with a week in an AirBnB bungalow in Nags Head, North Carolina. The house was so perfect and cozy and had all you need for a fun time at the beach--volleyball, corn hole, a fire pit, a hammock, a grill, beach chairs, three cozy king-sized beds, and a big, cozy couch for relaxing. While we were there we visited with Grandma Sue, hit the beach, shopped, visited the aquarium, went mini-golfing, went go-karting, threw some axes, and the kids even rode in a monster truck! And as a treat for the world's best brother, Trent got to go on a Cessna flight where he actually flew the plane for a bit!

Nags Head, NC (a.k.a. the Outer Banks or OBX)

On our way back from the beach we actually did visit the boat! We wanted to show the girls how we actually do live so we all stayed aboard for a night. The kids hit the bowling alley on base for some fun and as there was no wind (and it was really hot! they went out on a dinghy ride for a bit. It was just a slice of our life afloat, but I'm glad they got to experience it.

#boatlife

Having Margaux and Jehanne here was great for us, too.  It was great to see what they thought of some of our cultural norms and foods and activities. I'm so thankful that they (and their parents!) have adventurous spirits and were up for the range of activities we wanted to do. And I'm happy that we were able to have the time to do this with them. I definitely teared up as we said goodbye to them at the airport. I think I was sad to see them go, but simultaneously excited about when we will all meet up again in the future! The girls are already plotting for summer 2023...

Absolutely LOVED hosting these girls! "French Invasion" was an absolute joy and we can't wait to do it again!

~Jo, 1st Mate turned nomadic CLOD