So, in the past few weeks the First Mate and I have decided that it is time to solidify our plans to cut the lines for the last time and sail out. As with all life-changing decisions, this has taken a bit of time to make. Although the thought of such a massive change makes one a little queasy, the uneasiness is offset by the tremendous excitement that it can bring. We have been living aboard part-time for a few years now, so a good portion of the life changes that are needed have already been done, but in making the decision to go full-time, close the office, and sail away, there are quite a few changes that are still to be made before we leave.
So, around 2009 we made the decision to downsize. At that time we had already decided that we would eventually be living aboard a sailboat and we knew that we had a LOT of stuff to get rid of. After paying off all our debt and either selling or throwing away a lot of personal items and furniture, we moved into our office. Besides getting rid of things, moving into our office was one of the best decisions we could have made. All the money that we spent in paying for a residence was gone and we could concentrate on looking for the boat of our dreams and getting ready to leave!
Now here we are, on our fourth and final boat. Finishing up a few touches before we are completely ready to leave. Although we could leave on the boat right now, we still have a year before the Captain’s retirement kicks in, so there is time to finish the few things that are left. Things like plumbing in and connecting the watermaker, rewiring some of the 120-volt systems, connecting the autopilot that was originally on the boat and replacing it if it does not work, a little here and a little there, but just the little things.
As we get closer and closer to the magic date of June 1, 2019, the excitement grows. We hope you all will follow along as the beginning of the next page of our lives nears!