Coming Full Circle: Return to the BVIs and USVIs

This was a bit of an emotional time for us. As we lost our first boat to #irmaria in Nanny Cay back in 2017, seeing the BVI and USVI post hurricanes was an experience to say the least.

Sunny loves her beach time!

Approaching Virgin Gorda, BVI

A flock of flamingos fly over Virgin Gorda. 

After checking in at Spanish town, we headed straight for The Baths, one of our top favorite spots. The kids wasted no time jumping off the boat and swimming ashore to play among the passageways in and out of the gigantic boulders.

Huge tarpon visited each night. 

Captured this remora with the GoPro. It hung around our boat for most of the day!

We stopped by all of our favorite spots, explored new places, and reunited with old friends. We spent a few days in Nanny Cay, just for memories and to sort of close out that chapter. We also checked some boat jobs off the list.

Installing a brand new cone clutch.

Exploring old hangouts.

The well-loved playground

It was so great to see all of the progress since the storms. The islanders are resilient people with strong hearts. Stef took an opportunity to teach a robotics class to a group of local children.

Teaching a class on robotics and coding, using Ozobots.

A few of the places we stopped as we sailed around the islands:

Stern-tied ashore at Benure's Bay.

Cow Wreck Beach, Anegada

Anchored off a sand spit off Jost Van Dyke Island, BVI

A racing pigeon visited us off Anegada. We looked up his tags online and sure enough, he was involved in a race. We learned they won't leave until they get fed and watered. After a little refreshment, he coo-cooed at us and flew on his way!

It followed us everywhere and peered into the hatches at night, as if asking to come inside! Sure did leave a mess behind though...

Us as we sail away from Tortola.

After checking out the BVI, we hung out in St. Thomas for a few days to stock up on provisions and wait for a good weather window for passage to the Bahamas. Check in was simple using the ROAM app. No need to visit customs or immigration until time to clear out and get a zarpe for the next country.

We toured the local marine science institute, which was right near our anchorage.

Marine research institute

Mural on the institute campus

Sundowners and lots of great fun with friends every day!

Fun times with friends! Brewer's Bay, St. Thomas USVI

Boat kids playing in Brewer's Bay, St. Thomas

Early on the morning of our departure, we heard someone shout to call 911. We saw a dinghy heading towards shore. I pulled out our medical kit, called 911 and Jared headed to shore in our dinghy. A nearby cruiser, who happened to be a local nurse was en route, as well as our friends on Dragonfly.
Jared took the CPR kit ashore with him and assisted with efforts to revive the man.
A lot took place that frustrated the entire anchorage of cruisers, but basically, the man died as a result of poor emergency responders. The ambulance was about a mile away and took 45 minutes to arrive. The responder would not assist, so it was the cruisers who pulled the victim up out of the dinghy and placed him on to the stretcher.

The cruising nurse mentioned to us that she was teaching a CPR course later on that afternoon and offered to include our family at no charge. We took her up on that opportunity, especially as Matthew had gone ashore with Jared. Matt pulled the dinghy ashore all on his own, as Jared had leapt out to assist with the situation. We felt it was worth delaying our passage for a few hours to take advantage of this opportunity.

After spending a couple of weeks here, it was time to move up to the Bahamas, where family and friends were flying in. Bahamas, here we come!

Hermit crab peeking out to say hello. Brewer's Bay, St. Thomas USVI

Boat Survey and Paperwork Delays

Hauled out for repairs.

I had started to write about the survey process prior to moving aboard and then time just got away from me. Read a few previous posts and you can see what was occupying my time.

This first part is about our experience buying RoundAbout (Laura Ann)  in the BVI.

The survey: A boat survey usually takes 1 day, maybe 2 days, tops. The entire process involves the marine surveyor inspecting every inch of the boat, both in and out of the water. It includes the in-water portion of the survey, the sea trial, and haul-out for the dry dock inspection. The haul-out involves a power washing of the bottom and drying time. It is really important, as the surveyor can take moisture readings in the hull (something you don’t want to find at all) and it allows for a more thorough inspection of boat’s bottom systems and all other areas that are below the water line.

Geoff hard at work. Jared and Clive in the background.

We arrived for the survey mid-morning and our surveyor, Geoff, was already hard at work. We let him be, so he could concentrate. Upon this first part of the survey, it was discovered that the port engine had an oil leak and ended up needing to be removed from the boat for a complete overhaul due to finding further issues. This meant that after the first part of the survey was completed, they would haul the boat out, remove the engine, and then get to work on the remainder of the phase-out process. This was beneficial to us, as we would not incur the haul-out fees the buyer is normally responsible for.  It also meant that our survey would be stretched out over a week’s time, rather than 2 days.

The engine took awhile to repair and the sea trial ended up taking place about a month after the initial survey date. Not as neat and tidy as most surveys usually are. We were traveling across the US at this time, so Clive and Geoff went along with a few other company employees for the trial. We received a good report and we set a date to take ownership in a few weeks when the phase-out had been completed (there was a list of items that needed attention based off the survey report).

After we arrived on August 30th, we walked through the boat and took acceptance. The charter company was great in that if we were to find anything in the next few days that needed attention, to just let them know and they would take care of it. We didn’t find much beyond a couple of wobbly shelves, a corroded power cord, and some missing inventory items. They took care of these things the following day. We went on our merry way out of their marina and in to our slip at Nanny Cay. We mostly worked on hurricane prep though, and didn’t have time to enjoy our new home. A few days later, we were evacuating off the island as Irma (and later Maria) was heading our way.

Buying RoundAbout2.0 in Europe

Finding a surveyor: This time around was a bit more challenging. In the Caribbean, Clive knew our surveyor, Geoff, and he also came highly recommended by a lot of sailors we talked to.
In this case, we had to find one on our own. We did not know anyone who knew of a surveyor in Turkey. By this time, you probably know that Stef has mad skills when it comes to research. She can find out about anything and everything online, and so, she set about to the task of finding a surveyor. The one we chose had a lot of positive reviews on the forums and facebook groups we belong to, had a website, and was also on the list our broker came up with. After a few conversations via email, we hired him to conduct an initial survey on October 18th, so we could see what we were getting into with this new boat. We received a nice lengthy report with lots of photos. We appreciated his attention to detail and professionalism. After reviewing this report a few days later, we decided to move forward with the in-depth survey.

The survey:  The actual survey took place a couple of weeks later on November 3rd, (due to logistics of the busy yard schedule) and lasted an entire day. It began with the haul-out occurring the previous evening, so the hull would have time to dry out a little before the survey began the next morning. Starting at 5am, our surveyor worked all day and conducted the sea trial on the way back to the marina. The inspection lasted until 11pm. We received an email from our surveyor around midnight, his time, stating that no major issues had been found, and that the report would come along in a few days.

Negotiations: After we reviewed the report, we sent it off to our broker with the list of things our surveyor said needed repaired and servicing. While in the BVI everything on our list was repaired, this is NOT the case in the Med. We were told that boats in the Med are less used and are in really good condition. Um, nope! In fact, the boat was far from the condition we were told it was in. There are stress cracks in the gelcoat, fractures in the supports holding up the hard-top bimini, ripped rub-rails on the transom from hitting the dock, torn section on the genoa sail, chips in the gelcoat, saildrives and engines needed servicing, bleach stains on the galley table, among a few other items...and they won't include the inventory that was included in the BVI. Our surveyor said that for a charter vessel of 5 years, it was in good condition compared to other charter boats. Wow, if this is considered good condition, I'd hate to see what the other boats look like. We were very disappointed because we had such a great experience with the same company in the BVI and had set our purchase price for the boat in Turkey based upon this experience. Once we realized they do not do phase outs, we negotiated a lower price due to the amount of work we are faced with completing. The base has also closed down permanently, so the staff are not happy and obviously do not care about the quality of their work (as reported by our surveyor since we spoke with him).

 The next step was to send in the list of recommendations our survey had written up. The seller responded to fixing some of the gelcoat issues (which we aren't really confident about, but we will see how they look at delivery), two chafed lines, and a couple of other small items. After negotiating some more, we reached an agreement and set a date for delivery. This was supposed to happen the week of Thanksgiving. We booked our tickets and hotel and set off for New York (the only direct flight to Athens). The day before we were set to fly, we received a call that not all of the paperwork from the seller had arrived, and so we would have more delays. WTF?! We were beyond frustrated by this point, but what else could we do, but turn around and go back to Virginia to wait it out. We'd also have a home to stay in for Thanksgiving instead of a hotel.  We were told over and over that the documents were in the mail.

More emails and phone calls. I think everyone involved wanted this to be over already, no one more than us! Delivery was then set to take place after Thanksgiving--more delays!!! The hold-up was that we were STILL waiting for the seller's documents to arrive from France. Here we are in the middle of December and it took THREE tries for the seller to get the paperwork correct. Seriously.  Our broker got the head honcho of the company involved at this point, because, really? Three tries? At this point, I am amazed J and I did not take to drinking heavily due to all the stress!

We finally had everything in order as of Tuesday, December 12th. We received copies of all documents and the final piece was getting the boat's registry deleted from Guernsey and registered with Delaware (we will transfer registration over to the US Coast Guard). The stars had finally aligned and we were moving forward! But, we would not truly celebrate until we had inked those papers.
We were out to dinner Thursday evening (12/14) when we received a phone call that our documents were ready. Mind you, this was at 4:55pm and the banks closed in 5 minutes. They weren't supposed to be ready until the following day, but we weren't going to complain.

We HAD to get them notarized the SAME DAY, per instructions. A quick google search and Stef found a notary at a local UPS store. We boxed up dinner and promised the kids dessert after the paperwork was sent off.
Fortunately, it was a few minutes drive from the restaurant. 45 minutes later, it was all completed, scanned (so we'd have a digital copy) and on a UPS truck for delivery! Whew! We then drove back to the restaurant for dessert to celebrate!

We booked our flights and hotels on the drive home and then loaded up the u-haul to prepare for the drive to the airport the following morning. It was a 6-7 hour drive to Newark, so we wanted plenty of time to unload the boxes (we have 27 pieces of luggage--boxes plus we have 12 large backpacks) and return the uhaul and rental car.

From start to finish, it has taken over three months to get this deal done and a hell of amount of stress!

Delivery and moving aboard: 

Our SPOT gps tracking device.

We mailed a GPS tracking device to our surveyor who placed it aboard the boat on the morning of 12/15. While there, he took another look to ensure everything was done in according to our repairs agreement and we learned that NOTHING had been done as agreed.  Really, this was beyond frustrating! WTH people?!?!  The silver lining to this (because I always try to look for one and stay positive) is that at least we will know the work will have been done correctly, as we will be doing it or overseeing those who are. After more phone calls and emails, we will NOT be signing the release of liability until we are physically ON the boat! We did ask that the delivery take place under the seller's insurance though. There will also be the GPS tracker, so we can track RoundAbout's journey. After what we just went through, we are taking no chances and want to limit as much risk as possible. Once we see the boat in person, we will sign the remainder of the paperwork and set about moving in! We seriously cannot wait for this to finally happen!

Surprise, the registration documents needed to allow the boat to leave Turkey had not yet arrived to the captain. In our experience, our surveyor had to go pick up the package himself from the Fed Ex delivery agent. We have relayed this info to the company, so that the captain is aware he may need to go pick it up. /We kept checking every day, as we asked for and received the Fed Ex tracking number. It had arrived in Istanbul on the 19th, but just sat there.

We waited another week for the boat to be delivered to Greece and it was finally here two days after Christmas. We tracked the journey on our SPOT app and determined they were making 9-10 knots! The passage lasted about a day and a half in total and we arrived Wednesday morning to greet the delivery crew, meet our new home, and start moving aboard. But, that's another entire post itself!

A Tribute to RoundAbout

As any boat owner will tell you, it is more than just a boat. It is part of you, a member of your family, and for those of us who live aboard, your home. It still hurts to think of the state she is in. Sad, broken, and in need of great repair. There is hope though, so read on for an update on our home and what is in store for the crew of RoundAbout.

While we did lose our home and most everything on board, we were safe and sound when the storms hit. The positive besides safety, is that we were fully insured. Due to friends finding our vessel the day after Irma hit, the photos they sent allowed us to submit our claim rather quickly. In fact, we were the first claim our insurance received!

Once we learned Irma was heading our way, we prepped as best we could. We could not have run from the storm, as we had just purchased her, and moved aboard. We did not have the proper "out at sea" equipment, we didn't even have a dingy! As an ex-charter boat, she was equipped for cruising around the islands, not the open blue. We had to do what was best to keep our family safe, and so we tied RoundAbout in a spiderweb of thick dock-lines, took down all sails to reduce windage, surrounded her with fenders, hired our friend Travis to manage her, and hoped for the best.

We evacuated out the day before Irma hit and despite our best efforts, we could only sit by and wait to hear of RoundAbout's fate after Maria came barreling through a week later. Jared made it as far as Puerto Rico, but could not secure transport to Tortola and so returned stateside just before the storm. We did make contact with a crane company the day before Maria, but they only said they "would do their best to secure her". It never happened.

She was mostly in the same spot on the sea wall, resting on her rudders. A floating dock scraped the starboard hull, creating about a 12" crack. This allowed water to enter the starboard cabins. We received reports of water activating the bilge pumps. The pumps were successfully keeping the water at bay. However, after a week, the batteries ran dead and the pumps stopped working. I couldn't help imagining what it must have looked like, as the water crept into our home. Our sons' cabins were on this side and all of their belongings. Their clothing, toys, books, and little mementos from friends were now becoming submerged. As the water level rose, RoundAbout's starboard side began to slowly sink under the weight of it all. The water came up to the steps leading down from the saloon. You can imagine the state of this water, not being clear, but murky instead, filled with diesel, debris, and all sorts of things leaking from submerged vessels; not what you'd want inside your home.

To add salt to our wounds, someone stole ALL of our fenders, new dock-lines, and broke into our boat. Our go-pro and all related equipment (which was my birthday gift from Jared and had hundreds of family photos) was taken, along with our VHF handhelds, the kids' walkie-talkies, and other items.

For additional photos and drone footage, you can check them out on our blog's facebook page.

We then received news that our insurance did NOT want the vessel, so it would be our responsibility to handle the salvage and disposal. On October 6th, we received a frantic call from Clive stating that there was only ONE spot on the barge and if we wanted our boat on it, it had to be NOW. What choice did we have? We had to take that spot, or risk causing further damage. After speaking with the salvage company, we learned it was going to be $8k to lift RoundAbout from where she rested and placed onto land in the boat graveyard. We just received an invoice for $12k. What?! We know of others that were only charged $8k, and some of those were completely sunk and had to be brought up from the bottom of the marina. For those of you waiting to have your boat lifted, check around to see what others are being charged, before you agree with the salvage company.

On top of this cost, we would also face storage fees from the marina. We had to figure out something or this was going to add up quick. As if in answer to our prayers, we began receiving emails from blog followers asking us if we would consider selling RoundAbout, despite her damaged state. Apparently, there are a lot of people out there who buy damaged boats at a great discount and then restore them to either sell or keep for themselves. All were very respectful in asking and we appreciate it. Thank you.

Jared flew back to the island to sort this all out. The port side was completely dry, as was the majority of the saloon! Our starboard cabins and engine room was submerged, and so work began to "pickle" the engine to prevent damage. The engine can remain this way for months and still be good to go! Jared also had the task of removing our belongings off the boat. There was a lot that just went into the trash due to the condition. However, he did manage to save a few things. For example, Zach's stuffed fox was up on the top shelf and was perfectly fine! He ran into a dock neighbor and they helped each other rescue things off each other's boats and tossed it all into a barrel of disinfectant. After soaking in this, they ran them through the wash. He said a final farewell to RoundAbout and left the island.

After Jared sent me the videos and photos, I created the advertisement for RoundAbout and posted it online. Our broker could not believe the number of emails he received; so many that the server shut down! We were also overwhelmed with messages on facebook and our email inbox. All this interest made me hopeful that RoundAbout would actually sail again someday! A few days later, she was sold. I know that RoundAbout will be lovingly restored and perhaps we will see her out sailing around the islands in the future. To RoundAbout and her new owner: we truly loved our home, as she was the perfect vessel for us. Wishing all the best with her restoration and we look forward to seeing her out on the water again someday.

So, now what? Well, shortly after the insurance declared CTL (constructive total loss) on our boat, we began our search for another floating home. We knew we wanted another Leopard 46, as after all, ours survived TWO Cat 5 hurricanes (it was the floating dock that did her in)! That is a testament to the build quality, right there. I'll admit we briefly entertained the idea of other boats, but after comparing them to the features of the Leopard, we just knew it wouldn't be a good decision for us.

 After we began our search, we learned the inventory was very, very low. So low, that the only ones available were in the South Pacific or Europe (there were four total). Then, a couple of listings popped up in the US and Caribbean. The prices had been increased dramatically, as if the sellers realized their opportunity at this newly created 'sellers market'. One evening, I was looking over the listings and just felt good about one of them. I kept going back to it for some reason, despite the boat being in Turkey. We then found a listing in Belize, but it had gone under contract the day before we put in our offer. So, perhaps, this one in the Mediterranean was meant to be, after all. We put in our offer and it was accepted less than  hours later! We received the news as we were having lunch with the kids. Jared looked up with tears in his eyes and held up the email on his phone. We were overjoyed! We had a home!

After this sunk in, the reality of figuring out the logistics to get to the boat took over. I immediately began researching flights, hotels, and 'all things Turkey'. We visited the Annapolis boat show and replaced some of our gear. We were making progress towards resuming our life afloat!

I had just purchased our flight and submitted applications for our e-visas, when Jared looked up from his computer and said "We won't be going to Turkey. They have stopped all visas". After a quick Google search, I read the news on the political situation involving the US and Turkey. Back to square one, with the main question being how would we take delivery of a boat when we couldn't get to it?

We posed this question to our broker and the seller (a charter company). After many emails and phone calls, we came to the idea of having the boat delivered to the neighboring country of Greece. We also asked for the seller to deliver it under their insurance (we didn't want to lose out on our investment if something went wrong while underway). This past week, we received news that our request had been granted; as they received special permission to deliver the boat to Athens. We would be able to close escrow and take ownership there. Things are finally falling into place.

Stay tuned for the details on RoundAbout 2.0!

And yes, we are keeping the name RoundAbout. While we submitted paperwork to rename her from Laura Ann to RoundAbout, we didn't have time for the official renaming ceremony. This means, we can still use the it. I don't think there could be a more perfect name, with all that we've been through. We will continue this sailing adventure; just in a round-about way! 

Island Recovery and an Update on RoundAbout

s/v RoundAbout in the wreckage yard 

Jared has traveled back to the islands to deliver supplies twice now, helping out in Puerto Rico, as well as the BVI.

He is presently on island again to sort out RoundAbout, now that she is in the wreckage yard. It is now our responsibility to sort out the disposal and avoid storage costs. Apparently, there are people looking to buy wrecked vessels, so we hope to have the sale take place while he is there.

While we were fortunate enough to get her pulled out of the water, a lot of damage was done. It hurts my heart to see our home this way.  As you will see in the drone video below, there are still a lot of sunken vessels in the marina and thousands more damaged on land. There are so many who lost not only their homes, but their businesses as well. So, what about recovery?

The islands are resilient and have already begun working their way to recovery. Restaurants, hotels, and charter companies are opening back up. This saying has been going around the island and it is so true: "Our sand is still golden, our water still blue, and the drinks are cold"!
These photos were taken AFTER the hurricanes! #bvistrong #isandstrong #recovery

The latest reports are that the islands will be ready for tourism next month! It is critical to the rebuild effort to have tourist dollars. Please come visit! You will make a major difference and enjoy a lovely vacation! We can hardly wait to get back! Here is a link to the latest info for tourism.
Another link to the BVI Tourism board.

We have been amazed at all of the support we've received and believe me, we are truly grateful. You keep our hearts full! To address some of the questions we've received:

What are your plans? We don't use the word "plan" anymore. Because, well, just look at the past month. We are under contract for another boat, another Leopard 46 that is currently in the Med. Why another Leopard? We are fans for life, after seeing ours survive TWO category 5 hurricanes, one being a direct hit! It was the failed docks that sunk her, not the hurricanes.

A preliminary survey takes place on the 18th, with the in-depth survey and sea trial around the end of the month. We are anticipating taking delivery early November and sailing through to make an Atlantic crossing sometime in December or early January (making sure hurricanes are not in the forecast and that the weather is clear for the passage). The passage from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean is usually about 2-3 weeks. We will hire a captain to take us across, this being our first ocean crossing and the need for appeasing our insurance.

From there, we anticipate resuming our life afloat in the islands and assisting with recovery efforts. Jared, a civil engineer, will work on rebuild efforts, while Stef will work with the education sector.

How are the kids handling all of this? You know, they are pretty great kids and have dealt with all the chaos brilliantly! We are continuing their homeschool routine and taking field trips to local historic sites. They are excited to move aboard our new boat and exploring new places. Swimming from the boat is high up on the list.

How is Sunny? Our sailing pup is doing just fine! She has been to the vet for another checkup, and is healthy and happy! She is enjoying playing with the kids, going for walks, and exploring. She does NOT like being apart from us and follows us everywhere. Yep, even if one of us goes to shower, she is right there next to the tub. Separation anxiety, for sure. We are hoping this eases as time goes on.

As a family, we have gone through a lot and have grown stronger because of this. Personally, I have learned a lot about myself and gained a new perspective. What used to cause me stress is NOTHING compared to recent events. Our kids have some life lessons under their belt and learning about determination, perseverance, and most importantly, helping others. As Cadence loves to sing (and has become our family mantra as of late): Don't worry about a thing, 'cause every little thing is gonna be alright!

Drone videos Jared took this morning:

Video of RoundAbout

Video of Nanny Cay Marina

Moving Forward

FYI, this is a pretty depressing post. It's our blog, meant to record our life as it happens. This is as real as it gets.

In all honesty, it has been a tough few weeks. Since Irma passed, we had thought our boat was repairable and looked forward to returning to the islands and helping out where needed. Jared flew out to Puerto Rico with a lot of supplies and was waiting for a vessel to take him over the next day.
He was going to deliver the supplies, secure our boat, rescue Sunshine (our dog) and help out as needed. We should learn to stop making plans.

Maria was forming and heading our way. The second hurricane within a week. Another Cat 5. Jared flew back to Maine, where we are staying temporarily with friends to wait out the storm. He booked a flight to head back a few days after.

It was during this waiting period we got word that Maria had caused further damage and our boat was now sinking. It had come off the seawall and the starboard side was going under. Someone had stolen all our fenders and who knows what else off the boat.  Despite all efforts to contact the marina and a salvage company, no one would help us. We've called, emailed, texted and nothing. The only response is "maybe we can get to it, but no promises". The marina manager stated they could not move any boats without a surveyor signing off. Our previous surveyor was on site and could do the job, but our insurance denied this, stating they had to use their own. This delay caused us to lose our home!

If something had been done to secure RoundAbout before Maria hit, we would still be ok. Now, we truly are losing our home and everything on board.

Since then, we've booked another flight, only to have it cancelled. Three times, we have been attempting to get there. We are beyond frustrated. We have to keep trying. So far, we have another flight booked for later on this week.

In order to maintain some degree of sanity, we try to keep a routine. We are doing the best we can for our children at present. Keeping somewhat of a school routine, taking them on outings, and keeping up a strong front for them. However, it is a huge challenge to do so. The other morning, I just lost it and couldn't keep myself together any longer. My children comforted me, which made me feel worse. I am supposed to stay strong and I failed.

We have received word that our insurance marine surveyor is on the island and will get to the boats 'when he can'. We have no idea when he will get to ours or how long it will take for them to get back to us. We think it will be totaled, as the starboard half is submerged and gets even more so each day. Water is already into the saloon. I get sick at the thought of this. After all the hard work to get to this sailing life and now it has been taken away, before we even got started. We literally had 5 days. DAYS! Ugh.

So now what?

We are not making any plans at this time. We are just trying to survive from one minute to the next. Earlier today, I found myself crumbling and I had to talk myself through the next few minutes. Doesn't that sound crazy to you? Sometimes, it just overwhelms me and it is all I can do to focus and get through it. These waves of anxiety and stress are so hard to struggle through. Friends remind us to breathe and that it will be ok. The rational side of me knows this. However, I find it hard to breathe, literally,  and the feeling in my stomach just won't go away. Jared and I are going back and forth from being the supporter to being in need of support.

It then reminds me of an article someone posted on one of the BVI facebook groups about hurricane victims and what they go through. Yep, totally checked off all those indicators. Then, I get angry with myself for getting so low. This is NOT me. I am the "chin up and deal with it" kind of girl, not this emotional wreck of a person. Perhaps, this is a teaching moment, or an opportunity to grow from this experience. See, there is my rational and positive side coming through.

So, we take the days as they come, deal with whatever photos and news comes through from those on the island. We try to remind ourselves that we are fortunate. We have our family and are together. We are insured and will get through this. Still, it is very hard to deal with.

Despite all these emotions and despair, we do have some hope. We know that once things are settled, we can find a new boat and start anew. We are not giving up just yet.

Buying a Boat Overseas, Part 2

Got your beverage? Settle in, because this is a long one...

We said goodbye to our house after a long day of packing. After making sure all was set, we left the keys for the new owners, took one last family photo, said goodbye to our neighbors, and pulled away. After a quick stop for a coffee for J and I, and snack for the kids we set off. It had been a long day and we still had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. We were officially homeless, or in-between homes, as our boat is not ready for us just yet.

We set up a home base at the grandparents' and arranged for all of our packages to be sent there. There is so much stuff we have to order for this adventure! We made two large purchases the following day. Because part of our plan while we wait for the boat work to be completed, is to travel across country, we needed to find a travel trailer. We found a great one but realized our Honda Pilot would have a tough time towing it with it loaded down. So, after a short discussion, Jared and I headed over to see our family friend who is an auto broker. John is a dear friend who I have known since childhood and we have bought most of our vehicles through him. It's just easier that way because we avoid the whole negotiation process. We walked onto the lot, found a Toyota Sequoia that would do the job, and bought it. Just like that. None of the usual dealing and wheeling, as we got a great price! It is not brand new, but it is in great condition and will easily tow the trailer. 

With that big item crossed off the list, we could focus on the upcoming trip to the BVI.

We loaded up our bags and drove off at 3:30am for San Francisco airport. We arrived at 6am, found a parking spot, and caught the shuttle just as it pulled up. Checking in and going through security was a breeze, thankfully. At one point, the TSA agent asked Matt where he was going and what day it was. He got the first part correct, but being still half asleep, he could not remember the date. Poor tired kiddo.

We found breakfast and boarded the plane. The flight went well and our connection boarded early, which meant we arrived at St. Thomas a little earlier than expected. Right as you exit the airport there, you are surrounded by what our boat broker calls the taxi mafia. There are so many, that you never need to worry about being stranded. With a short drive to our hotel, we dropped the bags and headed to the beach to check it out. The kids really wanted to swim, but decided to go to the pool a few feet away instead of the ocean at night. The water was brightly lit up in different  colors, which they thought was pretty cool. An hour or so later, we were all settled in bed and crashed hard. It had been a long travel day.

After a lovely breakfast the following morning, we caught a taxi to the ferry terminal. $200 for all of us and our bags to go to West End, Tortola. Ouch! We took the kids to the restaurant upstairs for a cold drink (strawberry smoothies) and eventually made our way back down to the waiting area. The woman who was the security guard must have felt sorry for me struggling with braiding Cadence's hair in the wind, so she came over and helped me out. She showed me a new braiding technique with quick work of her hands. I need to practice more and branch out to the different styles. We boarded the ferry and arrived after 45 minutes or so, to West End. Jared and the boys road up top, while Cadence snoozed on my lap. The next step is to go through customs. There are three lines: Visitors, Residents, and Belongers. We hopped in the visitor line and a friendly customs agent checked us all into the country. After going through another security area, we were through and were welcomed to the BVI.

Fortunately, Clive, our broker, generously offered to pick us up. He pulled up just as we were exiting the building. He took us to Nanny Cay hotel and marina, which was our home base for the next few days. After dropping the bags off in our room, we hopped back in his car and went to see our boat for the first time! She was docked at the maintenance yard area, preparing to be hauled out. We stepped aboard and explored all over. We fell in love and she just felt like home. After a couple of hours exploring around, we returned to the hotel to relax a little.

Nanny Cay is a beautiful marina and has lush gardens and a nice swimming pool next to the beach. There is a lovely beach bar in-between the two and serves dinner as well. The environment is laid-back and very kid friendly. After exploring around, and trying out the beach (the swell was a bit large), the kids hit the pool and Jared and I had time to relax a bit. Later on, we walked past the marina to the little market to load up on drinks and snacks for the next day. Dinner was at Peglegs restaurant, which sits atop the building next to the beach. The kids had lobster for the first time and loved it. After a lovely dinner, we headed to get some sleep because tomorrow promised to be a long day.

We woke up and grabbed an early breakfast from the restaurant just passed the marina. Clive picked us up back at the hotel and we set off for our  boat. Geoff, the surveyor, was already at work. We settled the kids down below in their cabins with the AC running. Jared, Clive, and I walked around with Giles (he works for the Moorings). Sometimes, we would talk with Geoff, but we wanted to give him space in which to work and focus.

We had a bit of bad news though. One of our engines was leaking oil, so we could not do the sea trial. While Geoff would continue to do the in-water survey, Moorings would haul the engine for repair. We took measurements for solar panels, washer, and other things, and made more notes. Eventually, Geoff would need to go inside, so I walked the kids over to the pool at the Moorings base. It was so hot, I jumped in with my clothes on. No worries, because I dried off in like 5 minutes with the heat. I settled in a chair to watch the kids play. After a couple of hours, Jared came as the survey was finishing up. Giles had arranged for us to go out sailing on another Leopard 46 at 2pm, so we ate a quick lunch and swam some more to stay cool.

At 2pm sharp, we walked over to the D dock and climbed aboard to go out for a sail. Leopards sure do sail well! Wind was about 20 knots with 4' to 6' swells with some breaking (steep swells) and we didn't bash around much at all. Everything ran quietly and it felt so good to be back out on the water, sailing the same type of vessel as our boat. I recorded a lot of video, listened down below (not much water noise or creaking), and no one experienced feelings of seasickness. Score!

The update we received is that our boat would be hauled the following morning and Geoff would continue the survey then. We also might get to do the sea trial later in the week, if the engine was repaired in time. Fingers crossed.

After Clive dropped us off at Nanny Cay (his office is based there as well), we set a plan to meet up with him the following day. We let the kids play in the pool again while Jared headed off to do some work in the room. Clive's daughter joined us, as she is Cadence's age and those girls had a blast together! They swam, swung on the playground, and made a fort with towels in a tree. They played so well, that when her mother came to pick her up, she didn't want to leave! So, I watched her until Clive came to pick her up after work. The girls ended their playtime snorkeling on the beach and finding sea shells. The boys had returned to the room earlier to relax a bit before dinner, so I didn't see them again until I walked Cadence back to the room. We changed for dinner and decided to try out the beach bar. Ordered a couple of pizzas and cold drinks and watched the sunset. So lovely!

The following morning, Clive picked us up to take us to our charter boat that would be our home for the next week (since we couldn't be on our own boat, we decided to charter one instead of staying in a hotel). This would allow us to sail around the islands with the kids and make some fun memories. We dropped our bags, settled in with the charter company, and then grabbed a taxi to the market. A couple of hours later, provisions stowed, Clive picked us up to check out our boat up on the hard. She had been hauled out earlier that morning, so by the time we arrived, the boatyard crew were already at work. The engine had been hauled out the previous day, so she was getting a wash down with an acid solution. This gets rid of the corrosion, as well as any undergrowth. Geoff had already been by to conduct the out of water portion of the survey. He found only a few items: one of the rudders would need to be rebuilt, two seacocks replaced, and some work needed to be done to the keels. Our rub-rails also needed replacing. No delamination or osmosis, thankfully was found! We didn't stay too long, as we did not want to interfere with the work going on. Plus, it was hot.

Clive dropped us back at the boat and we made plans to meet up the following week. 

We had hired a captain to show us the ins and outs of docking a catamaran. While we have sailed quite a long time, we had not sailed a large cat. We wanted to ensure we were doing things correctly and so we took the time and spent the money for the instructor. We went over docking, anchoring, pulling up a mooring; all different on a catamaran. It was good to have this practice before we set off on our own. After a couple of hours, we had dropped off the captain and had set off for Norman Island.

Later that evening, we received an email from Geoff with the survey report that had been done so far. It was a long list, but better than we have seen before. But, I'll save that for another post.

For now, we are sailing around the islands and exploring the BVI a bit more. We will return about a week later and meet up with Clive to hopefully go out on a sea trial on our boat. If she isn't repaired by then, we will head back to California and work out way across country until we move aboard in mid-August. Clive will go on the sea trial with Geoff and Giles and update us. That's all for now.

Here we go!

We have been asked by a few of our followers for updates, so here is a quick one! 

In a nutshell: We are a few days from moving out of the house, loading up the rental truck, and leaving our little town of Pacific Grove. Our good friend, "fire chief Mike", as the kids call him, is going to look after Sunny for us while we fly out to the BVI for the boat survey and sea trial. Afterwards, we will fly back to our home base at Jared's parents to load up our travel trailer and head off on our road trip across the USA (yes, after picking Sunny back up, of course). 

First stop will be to drop off our pallet of stuff to our shipping company and then take the next month or so to travel while we wait for it all to arrive in Tortola. I'll write a dedicated post on the why/how we decided to use this particular shipping company in a later post. 

From there, we have a very loose plan to visit the Grand Canyon and then make our way from there. I'd love to take the kids up to Yellowstone and visit family and friends along the way. Then, possibly Mt. Rushmore and ?? If you have any suggestions on must-see stops, please comment below! We'd love to hear your ideas! =)

~Stef

BVI to USVI: Homeward Bound

5am found us up and about preparing to set sail for Road Town, Tortola. The trip seemed to fly by and we were a little sad it was over. On the other hand, we were missing our kiddos like crazy and thought ahead to when we would bring them back to enjoy these beautiful islands on our own boat!
We sailed as the sun rose and enjoyed a nice and relaxing ride. Coffee in hand, we took in the views and relished the last bit of time out on the water. Around 7am, we hailed BVIYC on the VHF and got crickets. Their website stated they opened at 7 am, but in fact, they didn't open until 8 am. Oh well, we decided we would just tie up to the fuel dock anyway and unload the boat.

As we neared the dock, two employees waved us over and helped us tie up. Awesome luck! They said they would go through checkout with us even though no one was up in the office yet. Perfect! We got everything off the boat, trash deposited, and by the time everything was checked off their list, the office staff let us know we were good to go. They even called us a cab so we could catch the 9:30 am ferry to St. Thomas! Only downside was Jared's sunglasses decided to go for a swim as we were walking away from the boat. He dug out his snorkel mask and underwater flashlight (the water was really murky) and dove in. After a few dives, he came up with sand. At least they were lost at the end of the trip and not at the start!

The cab ride to the terminal was quick and before we knew it, we had our tickets purchased and some time to kill. We set off to find Jared some new sunglasses and souvenirs for the kids. Mission accomplished, we stopped by an ice cream stand for a cold treat and head back to the terminal.

After going through security, we settled down to wait for the ferry. I had been writing down our daily adventures and was in the middle of this morning's recap when it was time to board.
















We started out sitting outside but the sun was pretty intense, so we decided to move inside the cabin. A blast of frigid air hit us,so cold, I wished I had my jacket! We took in the views for the next 45 minutes (so many other islands we want to explore), and soon we were on solid ground and walking in search of lunch in Charlotte Amalie.

Google showed us that a restaurant was close by at the marina, so off we went. The Hook Line and Sinker  is a nice place with views of sailboats all around. Let me just say that this restaurant has the BEST food! Definitely go grab a meal there if you are in the area. SO GOOD! The staff was great as well.

As we wrapped up lunch, I called David, our cab driver from the start of our trip, and a few minutes later we were heading to the airport, chatting all the way. If you want David's number, let us know. He is a superstar and knows these islands in and out!

After going through airport security, we grabbed a snack and settled down to wait for our plane to arrive. There isn't much to do at this airport, so bring a book or two. We were told to check in at least three hours before our flight. Well, it took us all of 20 minutes to get through to the gate. Not sure where that three hours came from, but we heard it from both our new boat broker AND our cab driver.

Oh well. I took the time to catch up on my journal entries and Jared napped. No sooner had I caught up on my writing, that it was time to board the plane. We were now on our way to Miami, FL to catch our connection to San Francisco, CA. We settled in with snacks and just watched the islands disappear beneath us. As we flew towards Florida, we tried to identify the various islands we were seeing. This flight did not have the cool interactive map (guess we just lucked out on our first leg of the journey), so I noted the shapes and decided I would look them up once we got to Miami.

We landed 45 minutes ahead of schedule and had time to get some dinner before catching our connecting flight.

Around 11:45 pm, we landed in SF and much thanks to the baggage claim gods, our luggage was out FIRST! Wahoo! We were in our car and driving to the grandparents by 12:10am. By 2:30am, we had showered and crashed into bed (after kissing each of our kiddos). Matt woke up and briefly smiled and gave me a hug before falling back asleep.

What a trip! It solidified our entire reason for going cruising with our family. The island time, culture, and new sites we experienced, were just the tip of what we will be seeing. All in less than 6 months!

We are lining up a trip to Florida in February to attend the Miami Boat Show and hopefully buy a boat! If not there, then we are for sure going to look in Croatia or Greece. I really want to start over there anyway; so much history and things to see! Not to mention the food and culture!

We've been asked about sailing the BVIs in October. Let me just say that it was great! There aren't many boats around, so you have your pick of the anchorages. We had The Baths to ourselves for a morning; same for most of the snorkeling spots and beaches. Saw only ONE tiny mosquito the entire trip! We came prepared to wage battle after reading travel forums and it was all for nothing (guess we will just pack away the repellent wipes and blankets for another trip).  So, yes, October is an awesome time to visit the islands! =)