When hubs and I made the initial plan about moving to Florida and the type of boat we wanted by that time, we started with a date. My stepson was about 12 years old and split his time between us and his mother and was slated to graduate May of 2020. We knew we didn’t want to be that far away from him while he was still living at home, so May 2020 became our plan. The dream started in 2012 and became a goal in 2013. We moved to Florida on the sailboat of our dreams in April 2020. Close enough.
We fueled our plan and stayed motivated by talking through our action steps and made it come true. We were realistic in our goals, but still put forth a great deal of effort. It’s hard to describe the empowerment of reaching such a huge milestone. When we touched land in Tarpon Springs with that boat on that day – we felt unstoppable.
So here we go again. The year leading up to the move, from the time we purchased her to the time we sailed her 1500 miles home, was all about safety. Once we got her here, it was all about comfort. Now we are introducing another countdown.
Since it worked so well last time, let’s start with a date. And a to do list. I am a compulsive list maker. Based on the to do list (color coded, naturally) we set an aggressive but realistic date of October 6, 2022. It’s our wedding anniversary and close to the end of hurricane season.
In order of importance, our to do list by that date:
1) New standing rigging
2) Sail maintenance & repair
3) New logo on the back
4) New top & dodger
5) Generator
6) Add more solar
7) Dinghy motor crane
These are the boat efficiency and upgrade things that must be done before we leave. By leave, the plan is to cast off from western Florida and spend an undetermined amount of time cruising the Keys, the Bahamas, and up the eastern US. And beyond that, who knows? We have some ideas, but more on that down the road.
We mentioned previously that we have tailored our life over the years to lead up to this moment. And I mean EVERY aspect of our life, from the timing of buying our last new car to the age and breed of our dog. And now our jobs.
Looking forward to blogging more along the way and sharing the steps of this leg of our journey.
Sailing Marionette 