Reality Check

Well, hello out there! (echo, echo, echo)

It's been FAR too long since I've logged onto this blog to make a report on our progress (or lack thereof).

I feel like we've been completely consumed by the "real" world. The life of responsibility. Wake up, look presentable (is this clean? sniff), feed everyone, make lunches, beds, clean  the cat box, toss the garbage, drive Gia to school then me to work in traffic - Work - WORK, then drive back home in traffic, Traffic - TRAFFIC!! Make dinner, do homework, feed the cats, clean the lunch boxes, do some kind of boat project, shower?? Have I mentioned it's been a LONG time since I had a 9 - 5? I wasn't just working 5 days a week either, I was picking up gigs left and right for charters. Days that can last up to 15 hours. I was tired. All work and no play.

Last week, I had a breakdown. I should have stopped to use a restroom as soon as I felt the urge. But I was in a rush, right? Got to get to work on time! To my surprise the highway suddenly turned into a parking lot, a horrific accident shut 95 down at midnight - it was now 8:30am. After 2 hours my eyeballs were yellow and I'm pretty sure I developed a twitch in my eye! I didn't realize how much I was wrapped up in this hustle bustle shit! My blood pressure rose; my nerves were shot. I had premonitions of a major wreck on highway 95 with every tap of the brakes. Because I wear my heart on my sleeve everyone noticed. I didn't know how to turn it off. I wanted to throw in the towel. What was the root of the problem?

I wasn't living in the present moment. All the projects that need to be done, the supplies to be purchased filled my mind. I held my breathe  and clutched the wheel as I pushed pedal to metal rushing to make some deadline, to punch a time clock. What the heck!? I haven't felt this - EVER! What could I do? Well, for starters I decided to get the heck off the highway. Now, I take a nice leisurely cruise down US1. The speedometer doesn't reach 50mph. I hit every light. And I don't give a flip. In fact, I crank up the tunes and chill out. After taking this step back I see other vehicles filled with "rushers"; zigging, zagging in and out only to end up beside me. I say a silent pray that they too will slow down.

Que Sera Sera - Whatever will be, will be. There will always be things on my mind, projects to do and lists that need doing but as long as we stay in the here and now, the future can wait.

A big part of what's going on right now aboard Felicity should be recorded and it will, eventually. I mean it's pretty major stuff! But I'm so tired, I'm so pulled in other directions I haven't been able to steal away. The reason there aren't more blogs out there that describe every detail all the amazing things that take place during a boat refit is because it's time consuming, it's hard on the body AND the mind! So, please be patient with us and me as we slowly pump out updates.

Namaste!
Jessica
xox

Two Hulls Are Better Than One

Livingston 12T

(with our dinghy that is) 

So, after about 2 years of pining over this particular model of Livingston catamaran dinghy we pulled the trigger! Our friend, Sandy, was in need of a new dinghy and was tired of dealing with the woes of the inflatable versions. After talking her ear off over how awesome the Livingston was for us, she decided to try one for herself!  Two weeks ago, on a sunny Saturday we walked onto the lot at Power Cats of Fort Lauderdale and began to drool over our future tender. This was maybe the 50 or 60th time Gordon had been by to oogle her, the salesman recognized him, they shook hands and Travis (salesman) pondered aloud, " You going to take this one home today, man?" We hoped to, but it all depended upon weather or not they accepted our cash offer. He played like he couldn't take our initial offer and we told him out right, "Okay, well I guess we will go home then." He reconsidered and retreated to his office to work some numbers, when he returned his counter offer was $38 higher. Again, we were still just tire-kicking, we weren't quite ready to take ownership of another boat, it was just something we kept dreaming of. A way to get back out on the water in between our day jobs, an escape from the laundry list of projects aboard Felicity. We said we wouldn't pay the $38 in hopes that he'd just dig his heels and we could stay in our dreamy comfort zone. Suddenly, the thoughts of buying a new outboard motor, fuel tank, oars, life jackets, anchor, and dock lines hit us smack in the face! Travis laughed, "Oh man! I can't let you down man, I feel like I'm selling the boat to my brother-in-law, I see you more than I see him!" And with that became two boat owners!!

The purchase of our dinghy is a huge milestone for us and we couldn't be happier!

Livingston Boats is celebrating over 40 years of production right here in the USA (Eastern North Carolina) and over 75,000 satisfied customers!!

Visions of MIBS, Yacht & Brokerage Show

 

So, I've been away for a long time with the business of the Miami International Boat Show. 

Here's a photo recap of the MIBS, Yacht & Brokerage Show that I was a part of, enjoy!!

BRAND NEW 2013 70' & 76' Monte Carlo, Italian built boats.

2013 50' Beneteau Trawler

2013' 38' Beneteau Grand Turismo

Underway on the 70' Monte Carlo, our parade making way toward 17th St Causeway

25 knots = FAST!!

After delivering the Italian boats, I was stationed for the remainder of the show with Westport Yachts, built in the USA!

Occasionally, I gave tours but mostly we wiped off fingerprints, smiled, directed folks to the tent where they would be assigned a tour guide.

People came from far and wide to the FREE event!

Boats were squeezed in nice and close for maximum visibility.

It was a beautiful boat.

Weather ranged from sunny & hot to cold & windy to downright pouring rain!

All these girls were stationed to different boats and over the course of 5 days we had GREAT FUN!!

Boating Stigmas

Image found here.

After two sailboats and two distinctly different cruises through the Eastern & Western Caribbean we purchased a power boat. (Begin SCOFF) Felicity, a 1968 50' Hatteras was (in our minds) the end-all-be all. The. Perfect. Boat. (for us) Honestly,we were a little anxious to reveal this monstrous boat that lacked a mast, sail and a deep draft. Why? Well because for centuries sailors and power boaters have not seen eye to eye. It seems your either one or the other NOT BOTH! You  can't straddle the proverbial line between laid back sailor and stuffy, wake throwing power boater! Yet, here we are. Decidedly in love with both types of boats and the lifestyles that accompany them. We are able to talk from both sides of the coin thanks to experience and quite frankly, we may "someday" become sailboat owners' again.

So what's it like to be a rag-bagger and a stink-potter? A blow-boater and a WAFI (wind assisted F****** idiot)? Well, really it feels no different. I don't mind being both. But I do mind the fact that while we haven't changed peoples' reaction to us sure have. I've met losers and real winners from both camps. It doesn't matter the type of boat, AT ALL!

I don't like the stigmas. To each his own. Yet, from the fly-bridge I sure do see things differently. I see that regardless of the boat we surround ourselves with we are one and your actions speak louder than words. That being said I have advice for both sides,

Please wave "Hello!" to all vessels that pass.
Please know & follow the "rules of the road!"
Please use your VHF, communicate with traffic.
Please use common sense and compassion.
Please practice patience, for your own good and the good of others.
Please be aware of your wake and know that you ARE responsible for any damage left by that wake.
Please be aware of your vessel at all times and keep annoying sounds to a minimum (halyards, noisy generators).

I merely write this post to remind us all that when stripped of our sails and engines we are all just brothers and sisters with a passion for adventure on the water!

"Winterfest" 2012 Boat Parade

Jungle Queen, pic courtesy of MondoVacilando

This year was our first Fort Lauderdale Christmas Boat Parade and man did we have great seats!! Without even having to leave the comfort of our home because our canal, just off the ICW is where all the boats go by! We had drinks, music and good friends aboard as we sat back and enjoyed the show for a good two hours! It was fun to look out for friends of ours, who also live aboard, that were lucky enough to be in the parade aboard 160' motor yacht, "Caprice", that was fully decorated, sponsored by the Galleria Mall. Overall, we learned it's not the size of the ship that counts but just how many lights you had and how good your sound system was that counted the most!!

Kids4Sail - Where Cruising Kids Come First!

Site is actually now, Kids4Sail.ning.com

Raising kids on a boat is something I had absolutely no idea about until I had to do it! Even now, that I have done it, I consider myself no expert!
Plenty of people email and ask me questions like:

How did I plan?
What was it like homeschooling?
How did the kids respond to cruising?

My answer is this; with all the rum punches in between the whirlwind of cruising over 13 different countries, 3 different boats, 2 adopted cats and 4 school grades I don't know how it went but she turned out awesome so... I'd say it went pretty dang well!! My blogging has morphed quite a bit since we began this journey and unfortunately I have no old blogs to refer to our child rearing experiences aboard; only my memory holds the little tricks I learned along the way.

BUT if you are planning to raise your kids aboard someday have I got the website for YOU!! Kids4Sail is an incredible way to meet other cruising families. The website is a host for blogs, read their blog, photos, videos and even has a forum for kid related topics such as homeschooling and activities aboard! I "met" Erika Lelievre, the administrator/organizer of this site online through a mutual friend, a cruising mom, and joined the site as a way to keep in touch with the many children we've met while cruising. The best tool we've found is the "Member Map", it's been great for planning to arrive in an anchorage with some kids and scheduling play dates or home school dates! For you, it can be a veritable gold mine of information to help push you into (or out of) a pending decision.

Our little site has grown in leaps and bounds and we are hoping to gain at least 100 MORE cruising kids to our list so please, please, PLEASE JOIN or PASS the website onto a cruising family you know! Be sure to check out their Facebook page too!

**Seriously, though if you have specific questions about raising kids aboard or any topics for that matter, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to dust off the cobwebs from my memory!;)

The " Working Man's Price"!

Just because you have a boat doesn't mean you're not on a budget!

Yachting is Fort Lauderdale's biggest money maker! These mega-yacht owners spare no expense when it comes to their boat. The salaries for a couple full time crew alone can cost up to a million per year, not to mention yacht maintenance and slip fees! Fort Lauderdale is also known as the Venice of Florida because of the hundreds of canals that litter the landscape. One can't go far without seeing boats tied up behind every building and some spectacular million dollar homes. Being here is all part of our "master plan", which is of course, Project Motor Boat. We will be getting Felicity upgraded with some serious cruising equipment like wind generators, solar panels and a generator. Being here gets us much closer to all the connections we have made over the past 4 years with some of the best contractors in the industry!

But today, I bring you a little insider knowledge. Fort Lauderdale is often called the "Yachting Capital of The World" because it is home to thousands of marine businesses that cater to an international community of pleasure craft. What better place to begin to refit your boat, right? If you are a haggler, then yes! Let me let you in on a little insider's secret. These marine vendors are making a killing on the mega yachts! So when you need to rely on a woodworker or canvas shop, remember to ask for the "working man's price"!  Many friends of ours have bad mouthed the area because of high costs and I can relate; sticker shock gets us all. I admit, having a licensed captain and engineer on board sure helps out so we do our own work. BUT Then there are times when we have more money than time or just don't have the professional skill/tools for the job. In that case we still pull the "working man's price" card because everyone has a budget! Most of the businesses we have worked with will negotiate, especially in this economy. Give it a shot, what can it hurt?

Fort Lauderdale seems to go by many names, for us, we are calling her home. Now we can only look ahead to the exciting projects to come.

For now, though, it's back to work!

Travel Day

So some friends of ours call up last night and say, "Hey, you want to have a bonfire?" My immediate thought is, "Heck yes!" But then I remember, we are leaving in the morning! There are so many little things we need to do to be prepared and the last thing we want to do is stay up too late, drink too much and forget all those important little things in the mayhem!

The weather is not exactly perfect and we have no other choice but to go today. It wouldn't be the first time we went out without a favorable weather report. Seriously though, it's not a problem. What's a little rain from inside the cushy pilothouse with the windshield wipers going back and forth? What's a little wind when I'm completely closed off and protected in our own little haven? One of my favorite benfits of a day like today and the difference between a sailboat and a powerboat is that we will arrive in less than half the time it would have taken us to go on the inside, even with all the bridges. NOAA calls for 1-2 ft seas building to 5 and winds 10 - 15 gusting to 23mph, so we've decided to go up the ditch (intra-coastal waterway). This means we will have to go slower but it also means no getting tossed around.

As if the weather wasn't enough of an issue we have the Lauderdale Air Show to compete with! I'd like to joke and say I planned it this way so we'd have a grand entrance to our new home, sadly though I did not. The "traffic" on the water should be crazy so our leaving as soon as possible is imperative. Check out the link to the show I imagine it's going to be incredible with Choppers, Blue Angels, and a mix of military and civilian performers we will be entertained! Should make for some great photos!

Thanks for following along, here we go!

Fuel for the Fire

Backcountry.com Best Price @ 89.95 no shipping

Here she is, take a look! Fiberglass propane tanks are the coolest new invention! We have been dreaming of getting fiberglass tanks since the day we first saw them on the stern railing of another boat. The idea is that you can see the level of propane and never have to guess again! Believe me those propane gauges never work anyway so just save yourself the time and money and buy these! They are actually cheaper than stainless tanks. Since having a propane stove is all I have know for the past few boats I'm a bit spoiled. When it comes to cooking with propane the benefits are seemingly endless. The only downside would be Sunday morning pancakes interrupted by having to switch tanks or worse, lug the only tank you have into town for a refill. Not anymore!

Time Saver - Cooking with gas ranges allow you to begin cooking right away as there is not waiting for burners to heat up like with electric units.

Safety -  Propane burners cool just as quickly as they heat. Turning off the propane from the tank also saves fuel and keeps from gas leaking into your living space.

Consistency - Propane allows for even heat distribution across the bottom of the pots and pans, so forget about hot spots!

Precision - Temperature control like quickly changing from boil to simmer allows even the newest chef to look like a seasoned professional!

Propane is a great resource supplying 3 to 4 percent of our nation's total energy needs. Almost 11 billion gallons of propane are consumed by 60 million Americans every year to heat, cool, cook and light up their homes! Propane is universal and is also used in countries around the world so when you need a refill in Bahamas or Jamaica it can be simple. For us, living outside the box and relying more on self preservation to live leaves us seeking out new technologies and methods to spend more time at sea and less time at the dock and with our new galley set up we can do just that!

How will you get set up to stay longer out at sea? Are you relying to much on America's electricity? Cut the cord and seek out our renewable energy alternatives, you just may find a new hobby!

Until next time...;)

*We got our tanks (2, 20 lb. vertical) from Backcountry.com, they were available in a variety of colors including red, blue and green. We chose white;)

In The World but OUT of the Stream

The view from our world...

Once again it's been a long time since I've published anything. In fact, it's been a long time since I've actually  sat down for more than 20 minutes other than dinner time. Dinner time at our home aka -  the floating palace, is a special time where we come together and share what went on in our lives while we were apart. Last week, I noticed I was going through some sort of withdrawal from my loves! I missed spending time with them and felt that school and work were taking there toll on us.

Having been separated from North America for the past 10 months I see not much has changed. I notice it in my customers' actions. They come into The Bookstore in a rush practically shoving their credit card in my hand or rushing their children to "hurry up and select a book" because they are double parked. It pains me to see. Recently, a product came in called, "Today I..." It's a game of conversation starters for families so that they can get a dialogue going about their day. When I saw this my gut reaction was, "Really?" I am so thankful our family doesn't need a game to tell us how to talk to each other. In fact, I heard someone say they were trying to have at least one family meal together each week and I thought, "Wow, is that enough?" What could be so important that people don't have enough time to sit down each night and have dinner?

Cruising/ Living on board has afforded us tons of quality time, time to cook together, talk about our days events and just bond. GR and I both agree that as children our families spent every night eating dinner together until we moved away from home. Even with all the after school sports and activities our families felt compelled to create an environment where talking, sharing and spending meal time together was imperative. It's not about the food it's about the gathering. Studies show that kids from families that spend meal time together are less likely to smoke, drink underage, swear, consider suicide and are more likely to have table manners, use better vocabulary and do well in school.

Now, we are living on the boat but we are citizens in the "real" world. I hold onto the sanctuary that we have created aboard Felicity. As we dinghy out to the boat I slowly feel the chains of land life lift off my shoulders. As we approach the stern of the boat, I feel the excitement and relief that comes with any homecoming. We throw all our backpacks and bags down and congregate in the galley. We make dinner, do home work and share the load of daily stresses.Our little "island" in the Bay offers the most incredible view of the "land of plenty" with out all the taxes, anchors and commitments. If we really wanted to we could throw off the lines and take off to any other place but here! We are secluded and separate in more ways than one. In that way, I love being a cruiser/live aboard in the world but out of the stream.

In what ways do you stay connected with your family?

With Peace & Love for You Today.