Imagine this: I sold most everything and moved onto a sailboat! With a man (Ford) I’ve known for about six months, a boat site unseen, a foreign country, and a 55-gallon drum of my belongings. I did that! What’s the worst that can happen? That was January ’19, and I am still onboard. We now have an addition to our family, Izzy, the jack russell terrier (terrorist). 

The boat is a 38′ Fontaine Pajot Catamaran. We live by mother natures rules, with Neptune and Zeus deciding when and where we go. Sailing is like glamping with creature comforts few and far. Can you live without ice? Now, you can have ice, but that’s more solar power or a generator running for more power. We keep it simple to only systems we can fix ourselves and in remote places.  

We have done long passages, but most trips are less than a week. Each sail requires some planning for the amount of time at sea and if the destination is remote.  Planning for weather is hard as it is only semi-accurate for three days, and the rest is a gamble. Planning for food is fun. I never sweat about what will be for dinner because I pull out the top frozen meal, and there you go….dinner is served. Every morning we look at what needs to be used for fresh food and incorporate that into the daily menu. No fuss! One less worry for the day.

There is no list writing for the grocery store; I love going to the grocery stores in other countries. Well, I did work in one for thirty years, remember? Hands-on your cart, and let’s go up and down every aisle. Phone in hand for translator and google. Some trips are short and dull; others give Ford a suntan waiting outside with Izzy for me. Do you do that? Then getting the groceries onto the boat is enough for a separate blog post. I get hives just thinking about it. 

Sailing is, as they say, working on your boat in exotic locations. We manage it all by planning for a boat project, Izzy land time and a run for us, regular daily chores, and an adventure every day. Time on each varies day to day, but Izzy always gets her time. The adventure can be as small as a bus ride or time with a goat on the side of the road. It really doesn’t take much to engage my senses. 

Today I met a couple from Germany who had friends from Tampa, FL, onboard. They spent time playing, and by playing, I mean chasing her along the waterline. Then on our run, we saw a sleeping sloth! I also worked out a deal to buy some fresh fruit and club soda from a local stand on the beach. The fruit was part of their display for drinks. I will have to take the bus to town tomorrow for more. It’s an adventure with the indigenous people, but it shoots the day. 20min walk to the bus, 1 hour to town, shop in a few markets, then reverse. Aren’t you exhausted? What do we spend our days doing… well, everything is a process, and everything you touch onboard will need some attention. 

Kick off your shoes, breathe in the fresh salt air and subscribe to be part of the crew.