After 3 weeks on the boat with no one else present to intervene, the verdict is in: Mike and I did not kill each other in our sleep. This is no small thing because it means we could cruise successfully and our relationship would survive. To put this in perspective consider this: we’ve been married 31 years, we’re both seriously “oldest children”, and are pretty much accustomed to doing our own things. We both need our space and our privacy. We are both at the proverbial ‘top’ of our fields and when at work, we are the ‘go to’ people. Not to mention that I’ve worked for myself for the last 13 years. (Translation: Boss me around at your peril.) So the fact that we can live on a boat for even 3 weeks without killing each other quietly and surreptitiously is significant and encouraging.
Why, yes, those are Tate’s famous Margaritas in those jelly jars. Mike was hoping if he medicated me before the game he might win.
Plus, we had a ton of fun and played Scrabble at least once. I read a total of 10 books, including Love, With a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRoche. Great book! Mike read Moby Dick, which is a tome so huge it took him the entire vacation. Our days developed their own rhythm: Mike gets up and makes coffee. Melissa gets up and joins him. One of them makes breakfast. Then there is reading and napping, then lunch. Then more reading and possibly a paddle or row to leisurely explore a beach. Then more reading and napping. Dinner in the cockpit or in the cabin while watching a DVD. Beautiful sunsets. Bed at sundown, 5 minutes of reading, then deep sleeping.
Now I have to go back on my diet. Damn and damn, again. It was totally worth it.
Visibility about 1/4 mile, give or take. Winds on the nose at 25 knots, but higher winds ahead of us. This might be exciting, but it’s not relaxing. We turned around and were happy to do it. Photos just don’t do the sea state justice.
My last post announced that our plans took a rapid change when Mother Nature intervened in our attempt to go to Barkley Sound. It seemed the better part of wisdom to abandon that plan rather than to go willingly and knowingly into gale force winds and fog. Moonrise would surely take the beating well, but that wasn’t our idea of a restful vacation. So we turned around and went back to the Gulf Islands. Since we had more time than usual, we got to go further north than we have before and explore places new to us. What a great thing to find a new anchorage, spend a couple of days, and then move on at our leisure! Being on a boat is so easy when the weather is fine. We really needed this time of deep sloth behavior.
This wooden boat is in the boat yard at Port Townsend. Notice the instructive sign.
Now that we are back, the push is on to continue paring down our ‘stuff’ and prepare the house for either sale or rent. While away, I was sorely tempted to just sell the place and be done with it. If we can get Moonrise sold to a new owner and find a boat we can live on, then we will feel like we’ve really moved forward with our plan and the decision about the house will be easier. Being away for three weeks helped us clarify that our goals remain constant. This is a good thing, because being in the house we can get so involved with the day to day maintenance of the place that our world becomes quite small and dense, like a black hole from which there is no escape. Being on the boat allows us a vision of a simpler way of living that would be less chronically stressful, even though it comes with its own kinds of problems.
Last year I posted about some of the Pacific Northwest Archetypes we experienced on one of our weekend trips. This trip there are extensive lists of archetypes, which makes a handy way of organizing all the data we have. We both look forward to catching up on the blogging, one part of our everyday life is always a pleasure. We have stories, and we will be telling them.
Archetype of Water and Stone, Kuper Island, B.C.
Sounds like an amazing time … glad ya’ll didn’t kill each other! =)
I know! Right? That’s always a good thing. Not killing, PLUS having a good time! Doesn’t get better than that.
Really looking forward to hearing more and seeing photos! I understand your excitement at being able to be happy in such close quarters. Mark and I are of a similar temperament as you and Mike and every time we travel or do mini cruises and are able to be happy together 24/7 I breathe a sigh of relief. 🙂
This was our longest trip together with no kids. It’s very different than when someone else is on board, or when we have breaks from the boat like we did last year during our vacation. Andrew was with us for part of that. Also, I need to learn to just get out of his way sometimes, and I feel guilty at not being able to be as physically capable as he is. I’m sure I’ll blog some about that in the future. I don’t seem to mind the inequity when at home, but on the boat, somehow that is different. I’m not sure why.
Mike thought he would beat you at Scrabble? HAHAHAHA
Now, now, it’s always possible. It was close.
Wow, how do you play scrabble on the boat without a diamond edition set? We have it and it holds the tiles in place, otherwise all hell would break loose.
Looks like a fun trip. Glad no one was killed. I know exactly what you mean with the reading/napping/dinner/deep sleep. Feels great.
It’s our lucky set that we’ve had for decades. We only play on occasion, but it’s fun to get back into doing things like that together. We used to play alot when we were younger.
I was counting the weeks down while you guys were exploring, waiting for blog posts and photos, etc. It never occurred to me that 3 weeks of close quarters could lead to any sort of snarling, because you both seem so well-suited together – at least in your writings here. I’m glad my assumption was confirmed, and I look forward to the next chapters of your adventures.
Oh my, Belinda, we never snarl 🙂 Yes, you are right that we are well suited. But being on the boat together brings a whole new area of learning to do things together. Generally, we parallel play. He does his thing and I do mine. That doesn’t work so well on a boat all the time. I can’t imagine being on a boat with anyone but Mike.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF ELVISH? HOPEFULLY NOT PERTAINING TO THE ANTICS OF AN ELF.. WOULD THAT NOT THEN BE ELFISH??
No, it’s actually a language from The Lord of the Rings series, and as such, a proper noun. But I let it slide. There was another one I was going to challenge, but we didn’t have a dictionary on board, and I fear the Margaritas got the better of me. 🙂
THANKS FOR THE CLARIFICATION PERHAPS WE CAN SIT DOWN AT THE SCRABBLE TABLE ONE EVENING. IF YOU DON”t MIND PLAYING WITH AN OLD SAILOR WHO HAS GONE OVER TO THE DARK SIDE .. WE WILL BE ON A 34 AMERICAN TUG RED IN COLOR SOME WHERE IN THE PNW ALL OF SEPT AND SOME OF OCT [IF THE WEATHER HOLDS] FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS,, STEVEANDTINA
We’ll keep our eyes open for you! Don’t tell anyone, but I can totally see myself going over to the dark side in the future. Shhh.
Welcome back to the internet! I was just thinking about you the other day, it had been weeks. So glad to hear you and your husband BOTH made it back to shore after 3 “intimate” weeks, that is great news for your travels to come.
I vote sell the house and buy a boat big enough that your family can come visit. Be truely FREE!! But everyone is different, we are young and don’t care to be tied to one location, but you might have your roots in that area, regardless if you go sail you may always come back to the Puget Sound.
Aren’t those margiritas GREAT. Oh yum. I want one right now. Too bad about this work thing…
Ugh. work. That’s the worst.
You are on the right track with the ‘sell the house and buy a boat big enough…’ idea. One of the reasons I want a bigger boat is because of family. We would like to put down roots somewhere else eventually, not retire here in this house, even though we love the house. It’s really a lot to take care of, and we have never actually liked the town we live in. So we will make that decision for sure when Moonrise sells and we finally have the other boat, whenever that is. I know it will be easier for me to make that decision feel right if I have a boat big enough for my kids.
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