Decision Time

Ofter the Dramamine fog wore off, I felt great! It helped that for a good part of the day the ocean was as smooth as glass. I had no idea that the ocean could be so still. We headed closer to shore so we could get cell service and check the weather. Dave and Lisa (our Captains) were concerned about a storm heading our way Wednesday night that was predicted to have pretty strong winds. The plan to continue off shore to Beaufort, NC and then duck into the ICW depended on the timeframe for the Wednesday storm.

Let me add a bit here about Dave and Lisa. They are both captains and have been living aboard an Antares (Unwritten Timeline) for years. They spent quite a bit of time in the Caribbean and then were stranded in Nettles Island, FL when COVID hit and most countries closed down - making a return to sea impossible. They are fantastic teachers. Watching them work together to handle the boat was fascinating. The showed us just how much we have to learn.

Good news! We were able to go off shore to Beaufort and anchor before the storm. More good news - no return of the dreaded seasickness! And the bad news, during one of my bouts consulting the side of the boat the day before, I lost my sunglasses :( We got to Beaufort without encountering any significant weather and dropped anchor for the night. We were treated to a very nice sunrise the next morning.

The remaining of the trip to Point Marina was through the ICW (Intra Coastal Waterway). The ICW is a very cool 3,000 mile inland waterway that runs from Massachusetts to Texas! It consists of channels and rivers that are all linked to allow passage (with caution around bridges). I got a lesson in chart reading from Lisa as she navigated the waterway. The ICW is a multi-use kind of thing - much more traffic than off shore - with fishing trawlers, crab pots, and recreational boaters.

We arrived at Point Marina, NC at about noon on Thursday (6/20). What a lovely spot! Dave and Lisa have some grand plans for the place. It is tucked in to a creek off the Neuse River. We were minimal help, but we did dry off the boat after Lisa spayed it down to get the salt off and Dave fixed the clogged air conditioner filter. Later that evening, another couple with an Antares arrived and we got to hear more stories about the live aboard life. The general consensus seems to be that living on a boat involves quite a bit of boat cleaning and fixing interspersed with unforgettable experiences.

Our flight left Friday at noon. We needed to make the final decision on the purchase of Volare by Wednesday. We had a lot to talk about on the long flights, and delays, of the journey home.

We both loved being on the boat and were not deterred by my seasickness bout or the amount of work it takes to keep a boat like Volare in good shape. Dave was super excited about the electrical and mechanical systems (lots to keep him busy and learning). It was time to put aside the romantic notion of traveling the world in our beautiful sailing home and become super serious about the practicality.

Pros:

1. We LOVED being on the water and definitely want to learn to sail.

2. The people we met were all super friendly and helpful. We'd have knowledgable folks to consult as we learned. We know we would be in a very welcoming community of people.

4. The places we could go would be unique and we would have experiences we could not have any other way.

5. We felt confident we could figure out the boat cleaning/maintenance routines and that they would be manageable.

Cons:

1. We don't know how to sail.

2. We don't know how to navigate.

3. We consulted an insurance agent and talked to others who purchased boats with similarly slim sailing resumes and the insurance cost plus restrictions was not encouraging. We would likely have to be marina-bound for several months (or even a year) unless we paid someone to help us move the boat. This meant we would have little opportunity to practice our sailing skills with our own boat.

4. Between the house proceeds being less than anticipated and the stock market tanking, we felt a little less secure in the financial soundness or our plan - especially since we'd be paying A LOT for insurance, we'd have marina fees for several months to a year, and we'd need to pay a captain to go anywhere.

5. We did not find being in a marina nearly as wonderful as being on the ocean and the idea of spending so much time tied to a dock was super unappealing.

Summary: we definitely want to learn to sail and pursue a live aboard life. We have too much to learn to live aboard at this time and the cost of not having the experience would put too much stress on our finances.

Decision: with a huge amount of disappointment/sadness, we have decided not this boat at this time. We had to say "Good bye" to Volare. No flying on the sea for us right now.

New plan: we traded in Max (Dave's Mini) on a small SUV. We are still selling/re-homing everything and heading East with not much more than our clothes and Sofie - who will soon be the Brown Road Tripping Dog. We will be staying with Dave's brother, Charlie and his wife, Heather in Washington DC for a bit, take sailing lessons, and see what evolves two months at a time.

The new rig: