Travel Planning: Water vs Land

When we decided to take this year off of cruising to "land travel," it was in part to take a break from the stress (read: weather) you meet as full-time cruisers. When cruising, we of course had some places and people that we wanted to see, but weather always had a >51% say in what we actually did! Anyone who has cruised for even a few weeks knows that time is devoted every day to studying the weather forecast, the charts, where your buddies are, where you can get a slip if you need one, where to pick up parts, and figuring out when/where to pump out/fill up/dump trash...it's not all cocktails and sunsets! And sometimes the weather can be more than a nuisance--it can be downright terrifying. 

Wind, waves, rain, and rainbows! Riding out a front in an exposed anchorage with fantastic holding in the Exumas, Bahamas.

So now that we are firmly in land-travel mode, how are we doing? Well, I certainly don't check the weather as often! Now our time is spent pouring over calendars, tour reviews, tour comparisons, travel mode options, neighborhood reviews, talking to fellow travelers, etc. It's still a lot of planning, but I feel like time and money are the drivers now whereas weather used to dominate. For example, I spent almost 2 hours this weekend trying to book a "promotional" rate on an airline that would have had us all flying for $400USD. I entered in ALL of our family's info multiple times only to have the promotional rate be "no longer available" and after several rounds of that I FINALLY secured suitable flights for $800USD for the family. That was a crusher! But with four travelers we really do spend time carefully comparing options since "only $20 more" on a tour adds up to $80 for us (which is like two nights of nice lodging for the whole family here) so it's worth the effort. This weekend after getting some tips from some girls we met in a hot spring (yep, that's a totally normal statement now), we made the decision to walk away from a $1300USD, 9-hour trip by plane and instead go for a $300USD, 33-hour bus trip (including 20 hours on a posh bus!) for our move from Peru to Chile. We have the time, so why not save the money and try something new? If we hate it, we'll just drink less wine and go back to booking flights (don't tell Frank that I said that!).

The "Travel Agents" enjoying the fruits of some of their labors in the Andes Mountains in Peru.

We are making this journey with a mix of week-long to month-long lodgings, with a few weeks of "do all the touristy" stuff mixed in here and there. We will probably learn quite a few lessons as we go!

~Jo, Nomadic Momma 

What's a CLOD?

If you know, you know! Being a military family we LOVE some acronyms and were pleased to find that our sailing community was full of them! But now we are getting too familiar with one of them...CLOD.

Per Merriam-Webster a clod is "1: a lump or mass especially of earth or clay. 2: a clumsy or stupid person."

But if you're familiar with cruising community acronyms...

CLOD = cruiser(s) living on dirt

I mean, it's a great acronym, but not a title I was super excited about acquiring! But alas, we are CLODs now. It may only be for a year, or it may be for longer, but I guess I'm here to begrudgingly accept and celebrate our new title!

~Jo, CLOD and nomadic momma 😭

A long chapter comes to a close

It was bound to happen someday, but I'm somehow still surprised that the day has come! We have moved off the boat! But let me back up a little...

Last week we took the boat out for one last sail as a family of four (For now or forever? I have no clue.) on the Patuxent River and realized the prop could use a scraping to make the trek to Deltaville smoother and faster. So I donned head-to-toe gear to try to avoid getting stung by jellyfish and did a little free diving to knock off the hard growth. We actually found out that the windlass was broken when we went to anchor for the prop cleaning so add that to the "fix sometime" list! Thankfully it works in the "up" direction so it's not super critical. Anyway, it was a great day on the water! We sailed and shared some of our favorite boat memories.

Light winds but still a great day on the water!

The next day, after determining that there wasn't much wind at all for the journey to Deltaville, we took the sails down since we need to do that anyway before she sits on the hard. And then we said goodbye to neighbors, had one last "Trent's famous pasta" night on the boat, and Sunday morning 3/4 of the crew departed by boat and 1/4 departed via car. NAS Patuxent River's marina has been a great home for the past two summers, but it was time to go!

Wonderful farewell gifts from S/V Cuckoo and Trent's famous pasta before the crew got her underway from West Basin Marina for one final time. 

After a night on the hook in Little Bay, VA, the crew arrived in Deltaville at high tide and we were hauled at 1300. We got settled in a nearby hotel and enjoyed air conditioning while the boat was getting power-washed and blocked, then we went over in the evening to move out and to move the dinghy from the davits to the foredeck. It was SO hot and we decided that they only way this was going to work was to get up at sunrise the next day to do some of the major jobs like winterizing the engine and water systems. So Tuesday started very early, but we made some great progress on winterizing everything, wiping down every surface with vinegar (which was hell because it was so humid, but it had to be done), and topping off the diesel. We took a break during the hot afternoon to rest and to wash all the linens at a not-so-nearby laundromat (literally my only complaint about Deltaville!). And by late afternoon, we were done.

It was a smooth haul-out.

Sweaty work, but she's winterized, emptied, and the dinghy is on the bow.

Done. 

Finished. 

Moved out. 

All smiles because we are finished with the nasty work, but crying a little on the inside.

When we moved off the boat in 2015 I wasn't emotional. I knew our time on land was finite. I knew we'd be back as soon as my command tour was over. This time is different. This time I can't definitively say when or where we are returning and that really is affecting me. But we are making sure the boat is "ready" for whatever "next" is by getting the hull sandblasted/painted and that gives me some comfort. 

~Jo, former 1st Mate/nomadic momma

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!)

Marina Life

Long, hot showers. Laundry we can walk to. $5 weekend movies. A car. $2 bowling on Wednesdays. A three-minute drive to the grocery store. Paintball weekends. Old friends. Mail. Local distilleries and wineries. Long walks. A little mom maintenance...

Friends! Land fun!

These are just a few of the things we've been enjoying since we came to our summer home less than two weeks ago. But we've also been catching up on some deferred maintenance on the boat, too! She's been given a good scrub outside, the anchor windlass has been serviced, batteries have been topped off and equalized, the fridge has been defrosted (and boy was THAT overdue!), the water maker has been pickled, a/c filters have been cleaned, rugs have been cleaned, and the bilges have been super-cleaned! And we also did a beach clean-up as a family!

We have plenty of cleaning and projects to keep us busy this summer!

Cleaning a beach as part of "Clean the Bay Day."

And somewhere among all of that work we got the Skipper a whole new wardrobe (not exaggerating), went on a few dates, and started prepping the starboard aft cabin for the return of OUR DAUGHTER! I can't tell you how EXCITED we are for all that June has to offer! The Skipper is on his way to Scotland for another round of hiking and Scotch-tasting this week with his brother-in-law, then next week Trent and I will join Grandma Sue and fly to France! We can't wait to hug on Katreina and meet her French family before taking a week to do a little sightseeing in France. 

We are so thankful for all that our girl has experienced this past year while living in Tours and can't wait to meet the family that has welcomed her so generously. Good things are coming.

~Jo, 1st Mate

Hurry up and wait...and get home!

As military veterans, "hurry up and wait" is something we have known all too well over the years! It transfers well to boat life as we are always at the mercy of Mother Nature and boy does she make us hurry up and wait sometimes!

We hurried out of Charleston after one night with the intent to do an overnight passage to Beaufort, NC. In the middle of the night, thunderstorms offshore and lumpy, short-period seas drove us to head for Wrightsville Beach, NC instead. We arrived just after sunrise and grabbed a prime spot to wait out the clocking winds over the next few days. Shore access is super easy here so we went right in for a big Mexican lunch and some errands!

Passing by the T/S State of Maine at anchor in Charleston; a little bird hopped a ride with us; and we finally had a meal and margaritas ashore!

Winds were pretty strong out of the north for days. We kept looking for a chance to creep along close to shore to Beaufort but seas were still forecast to be uncomfortable (and this is supposed to be fun!). The ICW was an option, but we aren’t huge fans of this section so we waited. We booked some travel (woo hoo!), relaxed, and eventually…I got stir-crazy. We have sooooo much to do this summer and once I was rested, I became restless! So I pitched a plan…a 24-hour run to Florida and back. See, we have some things in storage that we need for travel and school next year, and some things that would be better to have on the boat this summer. With a 1-day rental I could make it there, get stuff out of storage, get our mail, sleep a bit, and get back! I left at 1730 one day and was back 24 hours later with our stuff and a bag of Bojangles biscuits for the boys. Success!

The life of a road warrior. Outside of the boat and our car, this little bit of stuff in storage is all we own.

By the time I got back Frank had also decided that we might as well take the ICW. With just a few long days in the ditch, we could be back to our marina in Maryland. After six nights in Wrightsville Beach we set off on a long, cold, windy transit to Morehead City. It honestly went fine and we had a pretty good rest despite thunderstorms in the area.

I was NOT ready for this wardrobe!

Wind, fog, and thunderstorms would continue to factor into our travels as we went from Morehead City to just south of Dowry Creek Marina. Our transit of the Alligator-Pungo Canal and Albemarle Sound the next day was one of the calmest we’ve ever had, and we had a very peaceful night on the hook in the North River, just south of Coinjock. We were up at sunrise Sunday to make the run to Norfolk, but opted to continue on until sunset and settle into a nice creek up the Poquoson River near York Point, VA to wait out some severe storms the following day.

Scenes along the NC/VA Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway.

We were up at sunrise again today and now here we are, heading north in Chesapeake Bay, just north of the Potomac River. Tonight we will tie up to a dock for the night for the first time since mid-December. 

I really do love sunrise on the water!

This will be our home base for the summer. In two weeks we will begin some travel that will end with our daughter returning to the U.S. after 10 months in France. We won’t spend much time on the water this summer and will instead spend our time visiting friends and family and preparing for the next chapter as this one closes. Lots of changes coming, but it’s good to be home.

~Jo, 1st Mate

Goodbye, Bahamas! Hello, Charleston!

And we're off! Well...not so fast! First I had to untangle the anchor chain from a submerged casuarina tree. Then we had to adjust some settings on the autopilot and run a calibration (a.k.a. drive in a bunch of circles) since we were having autopilot issues on our way into this anchorage. But once that was done we were on our way around 1700 on May 1st! I provided a killer dinner of teriyaki wings and fried rice and we went right into the watch rotation (Frank 00-04, 08-12, 16-20; Jo 04-08, 12-16, 20-00; Trent wherever he can help out during daylight), sailing into the sunset!

Calibration worked and we have autopilot! And dinner! And a beautiful sunset!

The next morning we came off the bank and turned north into the Gulf Stream. We had great sailing and were making 8-9 knots over ground with the help of the stream. 

Sunrise and sunset at sea.

On May 3rd we had another great day of sailing, caught and lost a mahi, and had a tight flyover from a USMC Harrier jet.

Everyone stood some watch today! Too bad we lost this fish (out that little hole in the step!), but the evening was magical.

We finally had to motor a little bit during the night, but on the 04-08 watch the sails came back out so we could slow down to enter Charleston after sunrise. I managed to sail all the way up the channel and it was great! I also got to see the T/S State of Maine, the training ship from my alma mater Maine Maritime Academy, as we came up the river. We checked in with the CBP ROAM app, got some fuel and water at the city marina, and anchored off of Fort Johnson to wait out a stormy afternoon and night. 

Final sunrise of the transit and celebrating a successful homecoming.

This roughly 60-hour transit was really pretty nice. It's great to have made so much progress up the coast in such a short time, and to have done so much of it under sail. My emotions are all over the place. I know that our whole lifestyle as a family is about to change and I want to savor every last minute on the water, but at the same time I want to get to Maryland and get moving on the "next." But for now, we are here.

~Jo, 1st Mate

Northern Abacos

Our days spent in the northern Abacos were pretty spectacular! We had to balance a desire to check it all out with our desire to take advantage of a weather window back to the U.S. that seemed to be opening up in about a week. 

With those constraints we anchored at Man-O-War Cay for a few hours of exploring and lunch. This is a community that is still rebuilding, but we loved the shipbuilding history and small-town feel. There was a great grocery store and we snagged a fantastic lunch at the convenience store with fellow cruisers on S/V Samba. That was a real treat as we had met them many months prior at the free docks in Great Bridge, VA and it was great catching up with them and discussing future plans.

A nice walk around town with a visit to Albury Boatbuilders and a nice send-off from Samba!

That same day we hit Great Guana Cay to check out the famous Nipper's and Grabber's bars. On it's own, that whole experience was just ok (and holding was sketchy where we were), but since we got to hang out with our friends off of S/V Yemaya for the afternoon it was pretty fun! We probably need to give Great Guana some more time on a future visit, but we just anchored for the night, had our Nipper's/Grabber's experience, and saw the crew of S/V La Vagabonde (THAT La Vagabonde for all you YouTube fans) have a VERY close call with a cargo barge while they were anchored before continuing on.

Nice beaches and bars...I can see how this would be fun with a crowd!

We had a lazy, easy sail west through the Whale Cay Passage and anchored off of Green Turtle Cay at Joyless Point. I don't get the name as it was a wonderful anchorage! We dropped the hook and headed into Black Sound look around and walk around Plymouth Settlement. We stumbled upon fresh baguettes, loyalist history, and tons of places to eat in this cute, colorful village. We returned via dinghy to try out happy hour at Pineapple's (and dip our feet in the pool) before heading to the really nice dinghy dock in New Plymouth to tie up for some dinner. We once again got to hang out with the crew of S/V Yemaya before spending the evening at the local park, playing basketball and swinging with the local kids. It was much fun! And there is a bar serving up great Goombay Smashes right next to the park so the Skipper was happy, too! The kids we super talkative and nice and we had a really great time. This whole place just felt "right" and I think this is the vibe we were hoping for in the Abacos...I may have even looked at properties for sale there! The next day the adults returned to town for a morning walk, breakfast sandwiches, and coconut bread before we all went to the Green Turtle Club to check out of the Bahamas at Customs and Immigration. We would still have a few days to explore, but it was a little tough checking out knowing that it will likely be years before we return and even then it will likely be without the kids. This is a tough pill to swallow!

We loved walking around New Plymouth!

This town has plenty of places to hang out, but our favorite may be the town park!

With check-out complete we pulled the hook and hopped over to Manjack (a.k.a. Nunjack) Cay. This was a sweet little spot and while it was too rough for our taste for snorkeling on the outer reefs, we did have a great cruise among the mangroves and harvested a few conch for dinner.

Easy conching on Manjack Cay.

Next stop was Powell Cay, where we planned to stay for a strong front that was forecast to come through. We got there with plenty of time to walk the trails and beach and we collected a big haul of plastic. I love that Fishing for Plastic has a collection point here! We had a great day of service and made it back to the boat before the weather turned. This is another spot where we could probably spend a bit more time...

Lots of trails and beautiful beaches, and a great place for dropping off collected plastics!

After two nights at Powell we had a brisk sail to Great Sale Cay. Winds were 5-10kts above forecast and we definitely did not need the motor! The anchorage was even sporty once we got there and we almost ran over a sunk casuarina tree! But we got settled and started making preps to cross back to the U.S. After that first night at anchor there conditions calmed down and I was able to give the hull, prop, and rudder once last scrape in clear water. We DESPERATELY need a bottom job, but my efforts should be enough to get us home. I also did a little sewing (with Trent's help!), prepped some food, we rigged jack lines, and we decided to put the dinghy engine on the rail for this transit. Honestly, we are hoping to ride the Gulf Stream all the way up to Charleston and we don't really want to have all that heavy load on the arch for it, so we are trying something new!

A FAST sail got us set up to cross and we had a nice morning for chores.

Annnnddd...change of plans! We were going to leave Monday morning but we just got a weather update and have decided to leave this evening so that we can have more time to just sail and make Charleston ahead of a front later this week. Bon voyage!

~Jo, 1st Mate

Hello, Abacos!

After two seasons of trying to get to the Abacos but having to wave off due to COVID, we have FINALLY made it! We departed Spanish Wells via Ridley Channel and had a full day of somewhat rolly sailing through Little Harbour Cut in the Abacos. Frank reeled in a mahi mahi along the way (and another got away with one of our favorite lures) and we settled in for a peaceful evening off of Lynyard Cay. We had arrived in the Abacos! Lynyard Cay provided a nice spot to wait out some really stormy weather and we enjoyed a little beach right near where we were anchored. 

Good (albeit rolly) sailing and GREAT fishing! We ate well!

Once the lightning and storms cleared, we had this sweet beach to ourselves.

Once the weather chilled out we took a little day trip down to Little Harbour. While you can get moorings in the harbour, we didn't want to be slaves to the tide and weren't planning to stay too long. I really wanted to check out Pete's Pub and Gallery, the local art gallery and foundry that used the lost wax process to cast bronze sculptures. As we entered the harbour we were utterly shocked at how busy it was! It was about a week before Easter and a weekend so we guess that we might have hit a spring break crowd, but it was a shock to the system after all of the peace and quiet we've had. So many boats, so many people, and so much music blasting from empty boats. We did manage to get past the chaos and visit the gallery (the work is exquisite!), braved the crowd for a rum drink, and hiked out to the lighthouse ruins. I'm glad we went, but hope to return when it's a little less wild.

Pete's! And we celebrated 13 years aboard Lehe Paine that day!

From there we made our way up the southern Abacos, stopping off of Channel Cay (We Did Not Set the Hook) and the north end of Tilloo Cay. This is where we first really started to see some of the damage that remains from Hurricane Dorian in 2019. Having never visited the Abaocos pre-Dorian it's tough to really say how recovery is going compared to what it was like before, but we see old ruins alongside new construction, visitors zipping around in boats, and even the local floating bar is serving at Tahiti Beach. Recovery seems to be well underway. More to come as we continue north!

First real glimpse of Dorian damage on Tilloo Cay

Hanging at the Thirsty Cuda on Tahiti Beach

~Jo, 1st Mate

Eleuthera...with a few new twists!

Our time in Eleuthera has admittedly been a bit more subdued this year. While we love so much about the island, we are excited to visit new places still before our cruising season is over so we sort of marched on up the island, stopping in Rock Sound and Governor's Harbour before shooting through Current Cut to the northern end of the island. 

Rock Sounds was perfect for a mix of chores and treats--there is a new ice cream spot! This is also where we spent our 105th consecutive day away from a dock (and still going)!

We had good southerly protection and easy access to town at Governor's Harbour.

We spent a few days bouncing around Meeks Patch and Russel Island anchorages as the winds went from westerly to northerly to easterly. We were surprised to be all alone as we anchored off of the Sandbar Bar & Grill for a few nights (and a few good meals), then equally surprised to be one of only a few boats to enjoy the protection of Meeks Patch in easterlies. Honestly the main anchorage off of Spanish Wells looked like a washing machine when we transited it the other day! Meeks is only 15 mins away...I don't really get it. And throw in Current and Royal Island and this area has all-around protection all within easy reach. 

"X" marks the three anchorages we hit before heading into Spanish Wells for a mooring. We actually never anchored in the "main" anchorage while we were there.

Our "solo" spot on Russel Island was right off of the Sandbar Bar & Grill. This place has a beach you can dink to, amazing cocktails, a little happy hour action, good eats, and BRUNCH! Ah, so nice for the northerly winds!

Our sweet spot on the west side of Meeks Patch had a cute little beach for sundowners and even some piggy neighbors (not our thing, but they looked well-cared for!).

NEW THINGS! We switched up our roles a bit while bouncing around anchorages, with the Skipper taking a turn on the bow and Swab and the 1st Mate covering helm duties once each! It's good practice every now and then (but I like my spot on the bow!).

Anyway, we headed into Spanish Wells proper and took one of Bandit's mooring balls for a few days so that we could have easy access to town and an easy northbound departure. At $25/day it's really a steal for easy access to town in any conditions (just be ready for close neighbors and maybe even closer commercial traffic!). 

The moorings are close together which can make snagging them a little challenging depending on the wind/current. We had an early wake-up when the East Wind freight boat had to turn around pretty darn close to us!

The mission for Spanish Wells was easy--drop a bag of trash, get two gallons of gas, get some fresh food, goof off in a golf cart, and eat and drink WAY too much at Budda's. We accomplished it all easily in a day and a half! We even had a fun dinghy cruise and chatted with fellow cruisers, too! It's a cute, fun little area and I'm happy we got a few days here before moving on.

We love some Budda's! Also love the ease of provisioning here and the fact that the "big" grocery store has this whole "locally made" bread/hot sauce/jam/pickles section.

By far this was the main attraction for the boy!

~Jo, 1st Mate

Captivating Conception Island

We left the hustle and bustle of George Town for the peace (and good hunting!) of Calabash Bay on Long Island. While the anchorage can be a little rolly, it was fine while we were there. Highlights: two spider crabs*, three lobsters*, and happy hour with friends at Cape Santa Maria Resort.

Happy Hour with S/V Makae. Sunsets here are amazing!

Calabash is also a natural departure point for those heading to Conception Island and we lucked into weather that would support a visit to one of our favorite, pristine stops! It didn’t hurt that we also picked up two mahi mahi* on the way. We were too early for the tropic birds on this visit, but we did have a great time exploring the island on foot and snorkeling the crystal clear waters. As the island is a national park and therefore a no-take zone, the sea life is abundant and not shy!

Such beauty on land...

...and in the sea!

This was also a great stop to say goodbye to our friends on S/V Makae as they continue their trip south. It’s been great connecting with someone from my little hometown in Illinois, meeting his beautiful wife, and talking all about boats and travel with them! 

We will miss you, Shanty and Kurt! Fair winds and following seas, S/V Makae!

We were super surprised by just how busy is was out there! We’ve never seen more than a dozen boats at Conception, but there were 20 our first night and 30 our second! Having debated heading to San Salvador, weather uncertainty had us heading back to Calabash. It was odd to be more “alone” when we returned to Long Island, sharing the southern anchorage with just one other boat (another Beneteau 393!). Hoping we will be able to visit Conception again this season when we start our northbound journey, but if we don’t I’m glad we at least made it out there once! (And San Salvador…I’ve still got my eye on you!)

* No awesome pics of our catches so that we don't confuse anyone about Conception Island--it is a NO TAKE ZONE. All of our catches were on Long Island...we'll share those details shortly!

Hatch green chilis from S/V Makae...what a great parting gift!

~Jo, 1st Mate