I am at the airport, all checked in and through security. Plane is here and it looks like an on time departure. It’s been an exciting two weeks: completing purchase and final repairs (well, almost), sailing her down to Grenada, getting to know the boat much better, and then getting her hauled out and prepared…

A long and successful day: JACE is safely out of the water and strapped down on the hard, secure for hurricane season. I get up at six before it gets too hot. I have a long list and work through it. Brad soon joins me and together we make good progress. Wash deck and all…

We get incredibly locked into our beliefs of how life needs to look, based on the environments we live in and the people who, like us, follow those norms. Being here in the Caribbean reminds me again that “our life” is not the only recipe to follow. Through this boat buying process we’ve met a…

Our decision to stop overnight at The Saintes was brilliant. Not only are we finding the most picturesque bay with lots of red-roofed houses studding the lush green hills all around; not only are we enjoying the swim off the back of JACE, a most amazing sunset, and a wonderful fish dinner in town; not…

Our first night at sea was mostly uneventful. A few squalls to dodge, a couple of freighter to watch out for. But otherwise benign. Mostly! It is 2am during my 12-3a watch that our engine suddenly but gradually loses RPMs. From 2,500 to 2,000, then just 1,500 and after a few minutes it drops and…

We are off! Au revoir St Maarten! Tony does us one last favor and picks us up at 7:15 with his car to drive us to the French side, where are are officially, to go to immigration and check out of the country. We use the opportunity for a “manifique petit dejeuner” before we return…

I think we are actually ready! Today was a busy day and I am so glad I have Brad here as my advisor and companion. He really is a great guy, calm, patient, good sense of humor and – importantly – a lot of experience. He and I are a good team and have genuine…

When the repairs that were commissioned over two weeks ago still weren’t done on Saturday, I asked our broker Tony if we should push out our flights. “No, come one down. All will be well”. Then it came differently. It’s a long and complicated story which I won’t attempt to explain. Suffice to say the…

Since we have done this once before, I am not surprised how overwhelming the first day is. It’s a lot to take in. But I know I will get through it. After a sleepless redeye to JFK I finally crash on the flight to St Maarten thanks to a row of three seats all to…

The past two and a half weeks since we returned from St Maarten have been a whirlwind of activity. So much to organize: Completing the purchase, organizing insurance, registering our VHF and EBIRP with the US FCC, updating our website, deciding where to register JACE, selecting and booking the boatyard where we will store her…