Recycled Blog Posts! 10 Things You Can't Have Too Many Of...

In no real orderly fashion I have come up with 10 things I know I am happy I have plenty of!

 1. Chapstick with SPF - Don't let your lips get fried! I still have at least 10 of these on board since we left 6 months ago. It's a good idea to have them stowed in different drawers or compartments so that you are reminded to wear it. Protect your kisser!

2. Sunblock, spray and lotion - There are times when I want to just dig a tunnel to hide from the sun. We wear long sleeve white t's and stay protected best we can but we always slather on plenty of sun screen. The spray works best for kids that run away or don't want the white lotion to show. Also good for on the go re-application! Again stowing in many area of the boat including the head and cockpit help to keep you reminded!

3. Bug Spray with Deet - Lord knows they love me! I have 100% on board that I hope I never have to use, and mostly 40%. Here in Guatemala they are big, they are mostly on shore, once you get to your boat you are usually bug free. But nothing worse than a calm night anchored out and no sleep because of the little bzzz in your ear.

4. Hair Ties - Clips, pins, headbands. - I have got some serious hair, and it needs to be contained. The salt water environment is hard on those elastic things! After a recent trip to the States I bought a whole slew of new bands. I still have plenty of headbands, scarfs, hats and pins in the drawers, much to the Cap.'s dismay.

5. Bathing Suits - Ladies and Gentlemen, you will live in your swim suit, or in the nude! (and hey, that's your deal) Part of what I hate about being back in the "real" world is all the damn clothes you have to wear. When it's Florida hot I just wanna wear my bikini! Once again the environment is hard on suits, buy extras at the thrift store, and who cares if they don't match, that's the style anyhow!

6. Peanut Butter - Peanut Butter is the all purpose life sustaining spread. You can smear it on anything and use it make cookies, or spicy peanut sauce! I still have 3 jars from a recent provision in Roatan. Prices in the States are far better for Peanut Butter that here in countries where they haven't discovered it's greatness.

7. Animal Supplies - Food, litter, catnip, toys. - If you have pets on board you have got to know that food in the islands is iffy at best. You've seen those poor little starving dogs and cats lurking at the back of Tiendas and Shops along the way. An easy way to provision is to measure your pet's portions for a month or so before you set out. 1 cup per day etc then do the math to figure in how much you'll need for your cruise. I am still working off a Sam's Club bag of Cat food. We ran out of Litter once we got here to the Rio. Litter is about $15 per container, the same ones that were only $7 in the US. Makes me want to potty train 'em!

8. Incense - I like incense for two reasons. Sandalwood and Lemongrass act as a natural bug repellent. They make the boat smell great and they also come in handy before a yoga practice in or off the boat. :) Just remember to keep them in a zip-loc baggy so they stay dry.

9. Liquor - Need I say more. Rum is cheap in Bahamas so stock up there. But if you are more into Sour Mash like we are, Burboun Whiskey is expensive in other coutries. Unless you can find a Duty-Free shop like the one in St. Kitts. We once bought a case of Jim Beam there at the tune of $7 a bottle!

10. Fishing Lures - These little numbers can cost you a small fortune. So stock up buy online or from a local place and get the ones with shiny parts and flashy colors they work best for the Mahi's. Trust me!

What are some of the things you carry plenty of? Now, I'm back to my shopping list!

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!

New Guest Testimonial!

If you haven't checked out our Past Guests page, please check it out! It's where our friends and guests say a little something about their experience with us. Last year in Guatemala Franki & Adam came to stay with us in between their circumnavigation of the country! She had this to say about our trip. I love her so much and am so happy that we have these memories to cherish forever! By the way, we'd love to have YOU as a guest! Shoot us an email and let's plan something! Or just keep in touch and when we end up where YOU want to be, come on down we'd be thrilled to have visitors!

Too much fun? I think NOT!

"We were cruising down the serene Rio Dulce in Guatemala. The sun was setting, the calm waters looked like sheets of blue ice and lush mountain ranges towered over us. Jessica and I were sitting arm-in-arm on the bow. In a moment of pure bliss we looked at each other and Jessica said, “This is what office people see on their screen savers”. We relished the moment. We were living the screen saver, a reality.

I consider Jessica, Gordon and Gia to be a rare breed of very special friends. Their sense of hospitality is unrivaled. If you’re after adventure, they’ve got it. If you’re into really interesting conversations about life, yoga, music, literature, cultures, they’ve got it. If you’re into wonderfully organic food and incredibly cool music, they’ve got it. What else can I say, it’s a blast being with them and it will stay with you forever."

                           *Franki

Culture Shock

I was just reminded the other day that it's only been 2 weeks since we left Guatemala. I think I may still be reeling from a bit of culture shock. I didn't realize how detached I've become from America. Sure I keep in touch through the web but living on the boat sure changes a lot about a person.

As I watched dozens of Mac & Peterbuilt semi-trucks drive past the car window as I rode along in the back seat of a friend's car I felt like a complete outsider. I thought about the consumption our homeland has become accustomed to.  Fuel prices are incredibly high. Every thing is disposable, including people; it's all very disheartening. With all the advertisements shoved in my face through the media, different accents from NC, SC, GA and FL, and hard core work on the boat I began to feel a bit woozy.

There was a time in Guate that I actually had a little breakdown. I cried because I just wanted to go to a Wal*Mart. I'm sure that really I just wanted something familiar. I just wanted to walk down the aisle of a store and pick up my favorite, Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I just wanted to have that comfortable feeling of "home". Why do I still long for that? I know deep down that is not going to satisfy me for the long term.

In order to stay me, to continue living the way I choose to live I have to be very conscious of my actions and choices every minute! I was ashamed at the check out counter because I hadn't been prepared for this trip to the market and was without my reusable canvas grocery bags. It pained me to use those plastic bags. In Guatemala we would have been charged 2 centavos per bag.  Regardless we re-use them for kitty litter but we still feel obligated to refuse plastics because we have seen first hand the damage they can do.

Do you get culture shock after your return from cruising? Do you bring your lessons onboard home to share with others?