What We've Learned So Far

. . . Part 1

#1:  Life is better when you work with Mother Nature, not against her. 

This is what all of our cruising friends have told us, and how true it is.  We don’t have a schedule, so we can take our time and travel when it’s nice.

#2: You won’t starve, die of thirst, run out of fuel or go without a pump out when you need one if you plan ahead.

Well, most people don’t. It just takes planning, checking Active Captain, reading cruise books like the Nitty Gritty Guide to the Tenn-Tom and the Skipper Bob series, and talking with other cruisers. That’s all.

Active Captain and print guidebooks are great ways to find information about anchorages,
marinas, navigation hazards and such. The best way is to talk to other cruisers.

#3: The electronics are the thing, at least to us.

We’ll write in more detail about this in another post. When we have a WiFi connection or bars on our smart phones, we can pay bills securely; get weather, navigation, anchoring and marina information; email family and friends; find grocery stores; access all of our boat manuals without having to carry them; read ebooks, watch movies and occasionally TV; and listen to music and – yes – Alabama football games.

The depth finder and compass are critical instruments. The Lowrance really
helps in navigation. We take ours from boat to boat. The rest is gravy.

Our nav station houses the TV, laptop, smart phones, phone booster, external
hard drive and stereo. A nav station can be as simple as a table.

#4: Teaching Squirt “to go” on command was the biggest step in him becoming a boat dog.

Squirt, our big Chihuahua mix, has the makings of a good boat dog. Before we cast off, he went through obedience and agility classes to learn to mind and to get used to shaky surfaces. About six months ago, he was taught to go #1 on command by using key words. His phrase is “Go Potty,” and he’d be taken to his green pad outside the house. He’d just not learned to go on the pad on the boat. Now after five weeks, he doesn’t hesitate. GOOD DOG!

Squirt's green pad is a fourth of a dog whelping pad with grommets, a rope and a "target" plant added. The whelping pad is washable, rinseable, dries fast and doesn't leak on deck.

#5: We can be comfortable with a fraction of the “stuff” we feel we need at home.

Carina seemed so small the closer we came to taking off. We were real careful loading the boat, leaving most nice-but-not-necessary things at home. After five weeks at our break, we took loads of “stuff” we didn’t need back to Tennessee and brought loads of stuff that we now think we can’t live without back to Carina. Will we be taking some of it back with us on our next visit? Probably. The key is to put on board the basics to navigate safely and live aboard. After that, put "extras" on board. It’s easier said than done.

#6: Beware of pelicans.

Pelican scopes out Pogopelli.

#7:  Life is better when you have the support of friends.

Maybe this point should be #1! An important part of this trip has been the support and encouragement we have received.  We have our Chattanooga friends at home, Bob and Trish on the way south to Pensacola and then all of our sailing buddies in Florida.  As we will now be on our own, they thought it appropriate to have another Bon Voyage party.  Ned and Brigitte hosted the event, and it was a blast.  They know how to put on a party.  Then they also had us all back for breakfast! 

Ned and Brigitte are amazing hosts. The ham Ned baked was pretty amazing, too.

Left to right are John, Floyd, Ned and Brigitte's son-in-law John, and Paul.

Jane, Trish and Anita test the mild spinach dip, not the "steam-from-the-ears" version.

Bob, Ned, Kent and John share a laugh.

The Norwegian bachelor farmers -- no, that's Floyd, Paul and Sam sharing cruise stories
during the evening.

Brigitte (Center) gives Carole Ann and Anita a tour of her garden.

Ned and Suz enjoy breakfast and even more stories the next day.

Anita teaches Gus, Ned and Brigitte's Golden, to kiss.

NEXT: On the Road Again