Making the Move

Literally & figuratively!  I must confess...it has been months since I last posted a blog, and even then I had to apologize for my lack of follow through! *holding hand out for a slap*  The last year has been a steep learning curve, and learn we did!  We learned how the boat works inside & out, what she is capable of handling, what WE are capable of handling, and what we needed to call in the troops for. We sailed from Annapolis, MD, all the way to St. George, Grenada, in ten months...by the time we arrived there, after visiting more than eight countries, and many more islands in those countries, we were tired!  We had been through some pretty heavy weather, high seas, and many repairs.  We had also been shaken down, shaken up, and learned that beer makes a great "Boat Boy" bribe. We discovered that we can live together in close quarters, without killing each other-handy, that!  And we discovered that Laurie has a mental block when it comes to tying knots: sometimes she ties them no problem, and sometimes brain farts are involved.  Go figure.

Out She Comes

We had visits from Dick & Kay (Bill's mom & dad), Jack & Donna (Laurie's dad & his lovely wife), Ryan, Morgan & Vickie (our two demon spawn & a girlfriend), Steve & Yolanda (Carmel friends), and Bruce & Abbie (more Carmel friends).

After a very short debate, we decided that it had taken us so long to get this far, with such a short time to really enjoy it, that we were not quite ready to leave the area without exploring it more.  Hence our decision to head for Grenada, and put Mañana up for Hurricane season. This allowed us to head home for a few months & finalize the sale of our house in Carmel, visit family & friends, and have a break from boat life for a bit.  We flew to Wisconsin in late July, spent a couple of weeks there, then headed back to Carmel.  During our time in Carmel, we managed to finally close on the house, sold all of our remaining furniture and miscellaneous items, and unloaded the truck at a used car lot, pretty much on the way to the airport.

Front Entry

A bittersweet moment when we closed and locked the door for the last time.  We spent ten years in that house, and put our hearts into the remodel that made it so much a part of us...it was almost like leaving a family member behind, albeit a silent one!  If the walls could talk.....

Life goes on, and so do we ♥