Image from “fountainofyouthmyth.wordpress.com”
For the ladies out there, I have discovered a secret for feeling young again! Simply by coincidence, we mark our move onto LIB almost exactly on my birthday. So now I associate my birthday with how long we have lived on LIB instead of how long ago I was born. The result? I have dropped 50+ years!
Seriously, it has been a year since we officially moved on board? I’m amazed that so much time has passed because this all still feels fresh and new.
I would outline all the changes and adjustments we have made since moving on our catamaran, but I pretty much covered those in our Six Months Afloat blog.
Instead I’ll apologize for the lack of posts lately. I cannot blame it on the internet, but rather on the lack of interesting stories.
We have been in a holding pattern for weeks (and weeks and weeks) here in Annapolis as we arrange and plan some changes to Let It Be. (I’ll write about those soon!) Between being in one place for several weeks and selling our house in Texas, there have not been many fun stories to share.
However, we have some exciting things coming up. The Annapolis Sailboat Show is next weekend. The boat show is a giant, indoor/outdoor toy store for grown ups; or at least for those who like seeing all the new sailboats and sailing gadgets.
Google image of the 2016 Annapolis Boat Show
As if that isn’t exciting enough, many folks we have met in various anchorages in the Caribbean will also attend the boat show this year. Frank and I have heard from several and we hope to reconnect with all of them during the four days of the show!
But honestly, our youngest son is coming in town for the show ~ yippee!!! I know we will want to maximize our time with him, so we probably aren’t as available as we usually are.
How is it that all the fun things seem to happen at one time?! Many days we have nothing but projects going on and I would love a distraction! Oh well, no complaints. But I am looking forward to next weekend.
The other event I’m really excited about is our upcoming Sail to the Sun 2016 Rally! For those who aren’t familiar with a sailing rally, it is when a group of sailors gather and travel together on their individual sailboats. In this rally, we will spend two months traveling from Hampton, Virginia to Miami, Florida via the Intracoastal Waterway. Approximately 20 boats are enrolled it this event.
I am super psyched about exploring the ICW from our boat and learning the history of the ICW as we travel. Wow, those who don’t know me would think I am a history nut because I keep talking about how much I want to explore these historical areas. But more likely, the truth is that I was completely UNinterested in history when I was in school so I get to learn the history all over again.
I’ll talk a lot about our ICW Rally as we travel. In the mean time, I am making my list of all the vendors I want to visit during the boat show. Fun times!
Ticket to Ride 
We spent many summers in Annapolis, love Annapolis!! Be sure to visit Davis’s Pub, and if you can, go to a Navy football game, it’s great fun.
The ICW is both boaring and fascinating. It is a great piece of America that so few people experience. It is long and slow. In some places it is the height of luxury and in other places it is filled with sad fishing camps. It can be shallow, which was a bigger deal for us with a 6 foot draft, than it will be for you. It is wide and it is narrow, there are lots of bridges and even a few locks! The Skipper Bob’s publications will help with fuel, anchorages and anything else you will need long the way. We are in Vero Beach Florida, and Brian is in Fort Lauderdale, we would both be delighted to see you. Safe travels!
LikeLike
Hi Bev. We have hit Davis’ Pub a few times! A fun place that is a zoo at boat show time. No Navy game thus far… touring Annapolis and Naval Academy this week with some friends. Excited about the ICW. Pretty certain it will be a far cry from the ocean. I’m sure we are in for a lot of hand steering and the auto pilot gets to sightsee. 😉 Hope it works that we get to see you!
LikeLike
Thanks for posting the rally. It’s earlier than we will be leaving DC for the islands but we will be taking the same route. I’m going to check out the itinerary for the list of anchorages.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It would be fun if we overlapped!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t think we’re leaving until January but if you’re staying far south we may be able to catch up to you in the islands.
LikeLike
Our plan is to spend the first part of 2017 in the Bahamas….
LikeLiked by 1 person
January is getting closer, have got finalized your Bahamas plans?
LikeLike
We have not finalized our plans. Our ICW rally ends in Miami around Dec 15th and we will leave by Jan. 2nd. Not sure where we will go in the Bahamas first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
There are so many island to choose from, and if you don’t have much of a schedule you can get to all the good ones eventually.
LikeLike
Absolutely! Especially since our cats have such shallow draft. We loved the Abacos. Years ago we went to the Exumas on a chartered sailboat, with a captain, and we are looking forward to exploring ourselves.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We were recently looking at monohulls but we kept coming back to the shallow draft. Even a shallow shoal draft on a monohull seems enormous when you compare it to our petite 18″.
LikeLike
I understand that completely! Good luck.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Can’t wait for the ICW posts! That should be interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person