life changes
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Close quarters are scarier than the open ocean!
Transiting the IntraCoastal Waterway (ICW) has some advantages over going out into the open ocean. Weather conditions matter, but not as much. You’ve got easier access to marinas and docks if you need them. Getting help is relatively easy. It also has some disadvantages…like bridges. It’s pretty well known that for most of the ICW Continue reading
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Overnight Passages
Even being three miles off the coast, the quiet, the stars to the east of the boat. Not seeing anything else out there, save a freighter or a cruise ship on the horizon, it’s magical. There’s a peace that comes with sitting at the helm on a calm night with the disconnection from everything except Continue reading
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We are underway!
Leaving the dock at Green Cove Springs was always about timing. I always planned departures and arrivals based on the tide. I didn’t want to fight the tide there and used to my advantage, to either get off the dock or get pushed on the dock. So when we left for the last time, it Continue reading
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Persistence, grit, determination …it’s all needed
Persistence We have been visiting family and friends lately back home. Something that has come up more than once is people’s amazement at our persistence. I’ve heard more than once, “From what you’ve written, I would have bailed a long time ago! I’m impressed by your persistence!” This has been a difficult year. Without a Continue reading
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Day trip through the keys? Jet Skiing and Key Lime Pie!
Once the decision was made that we were going to hang out in Key West instead to wait out Hurricane Beryl, I called Sandy to let her know. After a week off, I couldn’t extend my trip, so while the crew of Manta Jo would hang out at Key West and Everglades National Park to Continue reading
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We found out how good our anchor is!
One night, on our second time at anchor, we discovered the significance of being able to anchor properly and have good ground tackle. Dark had just settled in, and I noticed the wind picking up. The stars were no longer as visible as the clouds rolled in and the boat began to shudder as the thunder clapped Continue reading
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Navigating Setbacks: Restoring and Testing the Sailing System | The Great Wander
When we set out on this adventure, my grandmother warned us that my grandfather was always out there working on his sailboat. Everything is always breaking she said. He was always buying parts for it and going out to the dock to fix it. She’s not the only one to have said that. I’m pretty sure that every YouTuber Continue reading
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The Creepy Crawlies
It doesn’t matter where you live, you have creep crawly critters. In houses you can have mice, rats, spiders, or snakes. You just might not be super aware of those critters that you are sharing your space with. On a boat however, your awareness of these critters does become a little more heightened. In December, when we were Continue reading
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Progress!
I’ve been writing a about our difficulties. Lightning strikes, no power, stuck at a dock. I was beginning to think my blog about sailing was going to be about boat repair and that was it. I am happy to write this time, though that we are making headway! We are beginning to think about weather windows, not quite there, Continue reading
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Boat repairs…again
Last time I wrote, I shared with you the rotten bulkhead. Some Lagoons are known for bulkhead issues, but I’ve never heard that the 410 had bulkhead issues. Having said that, once we got into it, it was clear that the issue was going on for some time and it’s a hard one to diagnose without ripping Continue reading
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