Tag: sailing

Domino On The Boat

I’ve mentioned Domino here and there in our posts but have not given her the full attention she deserves. People want to see more of our faithful traveling cat. Which is understandable as she is very cute. So this post contains photos of Domino on the boat. Don’t worry, she’s faring well since her first month on board sailing vessel Sava.

Sailing with A Cat

We haven’t had any issues with Domino in any of the countries we’ve visited. Either they haven’t asked about pets or when we’ve said we have a cat, someone will come to check her out but no one ever has. We have papers confirming her latest shots, but haven’t needed them yet.

Meal Times Must be Regular

Domino likes her meals at set times. This hasn’t changed a bit versus living in a house. She wakes us up at sunrise for breakfast. Sometimes she’s served as our alarm clock when we needed to get up to set sail or go to shore.

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Being Scared, and Getting Used To It

Melinda has been convincing me to write a post. So here is a bit of me. I am living on a boat being scared, and getting used to it.

Perception vs. Reality

Folks watching and reading about this adventure may have the perception that it’s easy and relaxing. But, to be honest, almost no day has gone by without some level of fear and terror. Sava is a big boat with a lot of moving parts, some of which break down quite often, and already have.

When we left the mooring just over two months ago and motored down The New River, not knowing how to steer this boat or even where we were going to spend the night, I was literally shaking all day.

Stressful Times

Then the next day we ran aground a couple of times. It was then that I realized lots is going to go wrong, and we just need to deal with it.

Since then there’ve been numerous very stressful hours and moments.

On our first outing after being on the hard in Fort Lauderdale, heading to Miami in a hard east wind and under power, the motor failed. We had to take quick action and drop anchor. We called Seatow to get us to Miami. It was rough, but during the tow, I managed to solve the problem.

Sea Tow boat Miami living on a boat being scared
We needed Sea Tow in Miami
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Blue Water Sailing

Six months ago, we started looking for a boat. Three months ago, we officially bought Sava. Two months ago, we flew down to Florida and moved onto our boat. We’ve gotten used to her, learned how she works and kitted her out with the things we need for our life and journeys on board. Tomorrow is another new experience for all of us: our first “blue water sailing” trip. Destination: The Bahamas.

New Experience: Blue Water Sailing

This is not our longest trip. The sails to, from, and within The Florida Keys were further distance and tomorrow’s should take less time. What sets it apart for us as sailors is that we will not have sight of land for a few hours tomorrow. It is a bit scary but we’ve built up to this and are taking baby steps. We aren’t trying to cross an ocean here, but the Gulf Stream, which has its own set of issues, like pushing us away from where we want to be.

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