Aunt Susan Asks?

Aunt Susan Asks?

We haven't got any comments on our blog. Since we spend a lot of time anchored up creeks without a Wi-Fi connection we would probably take forever to respond, so maybe that is just as well. Anyhow Mandy's Aunt Susan had some questions for us and maybe everyone would be interested in the responses.

Susan Durrant wrote:

We've been following your blogs. Looks as if you guys are having a great time in between the mud baths. Just think of how much money people here in good old Toronto pay for the privilege of having someone slather them with mud. Of course, the bugs are a totally other thing. Ugh!

-Actually one of the side benefits (?) of fighting the frost for the last 2 1/2 months is an almost total lack of bugs except where noted in the blog. The other benefit is that we have been able to use our cockpit for refrigeration at night up until recently. Ack!!!

You seem to be making good time.

-Except for stopping for really bad weather we have been travelling almost constantly. We are one of the smallest and slowest vessels on the waterway so to manage the miles we put in longer than average days. We seem to be keeping pace with a lot of other people but are probably also more burnt out.

Are you where you hoped to be at this point?

-Actually we are almost exactly where we thought we would be mid-december, central Florida. However we had no concept of how far it would be in real time. We would leave earlier, a month or more, if we had the option. Then get the added benefit of both warmer weather and more spare time to check things out on the way.

It's the little things we want to know - .... We need a day in the life type of thing.

-6:00 get up
-6:01 brush teeth
-6:03 spit and rinse
Ha Ha, Just kidding but we do usually make an early start though.

How are the sleeping arrangements working out?

-Fine but Rob has the worst time of it being the biggest, and his sleep has suffered. The "double" bed is cramped as we expected, but Rob is shorted head and toe not just side to side like Mandy. Also the cat after 13 years has decided he wants to sleep with us and pin the blankets when we try and shift around at night.

How long did the animals take to acclimate?

-The pets settled in right off though Jeremy (the cat) gets all worked up in some sailing conditions and whether it is nerves or sea sickness we often will need to monitor/clean up after him. Since most of the trip is canals/waterways this has been only a minor problem.

And speaking of animals - have there been any unfortunate mishaps (read peeing) on or in the boat?

-No the pets have been very good although getting them off for exercise is time consuming and limits where we can anchor and still reach the shore. We have been weathered onto the boat a few times and the dogs have had to go for marathon lengths before finally giving in and peeing on the foredeck. And yes there have been a couple of accidents. With the new motor on the dinghy it will help.

How is the home schooling working out?

-Great, with bad weather and trying to make distance we have had lots of "no school" days and the kids love it! We still haven't got a set routine with all the travel and Matthew is having trouble concentrating, read day dreaming, but the content of the work is no trouble for the kids. With warmer weather we will slow down and a regular morning school session will fall into place more easily.


Are you finding the expenses reasonable - food, mooring, etc.?

-We of course are spending more money than we want to but until that corporate sponsorship kicks in we will muddle along. The food is no less expensive than we are used to, eggs, milk and chicken are cheaper, but bread seems to be pricier. We anchor out most days, it is more private and a lot cheaper. We will pay for a dinghy dock, mooring ball, or even marina on occasion so the cost isn't to high. Everything boat related is unreasonably expensive so that takes a major chunk of cash out of the wallet on a regular basis.

Has Matthew caught any fish?

-No fish but he has used a cast net for shrimp and caught crab on a string. Thats right if you tie bait to a string and dangle it on the bottom the blue crabs grab on all the way to the pot! Kind of weird, fortunately there are lots of blue crab other wise they may not survive as a species.

Are you all still talking to each other?

-Everyday, unfortunately not always when in the best of moods for an open discourse. Things are okay now and with more down time in the schedule things should be good. Things are pretty cramped on board so we have to be careful not to step on each others toes, literally and figuratively.

Guess the kids are excited about the Disneyworld trip.

-Almost as excited as Mandy. Actually we were just there the other day and are discussing seeing some other parks or hitting Sea World.

It will make a great holiday treat for them.

-It was great for everyone, especially Mandy.

Will you be spending Christmas with your friend?

-Probably a few more days here in Orlando, then off to Miami. From there we will see how the timing is. Either jump over to the Bahamas or head a little further South to Key Largo, we don't know yet.

We'll miss you guys this year and will be thinking about you.

-Us to, we have some Christmas cards which we will hopefully get out soon enough. Either way best wishes and have an extra serving of Christmas dinner for us.

And finally what are the plans after Florida?

-I'll tell you what I tell Mandy when she starts "planning". "I'm planning on going to the Bahamas, standing still for a couple days, and then get some serious relaxing in under the tropical sun before I do any future planning.


Are you going to sail into the Caribbean? At this point have you any idea about how much longer you'll be sailing? From the sounds of it indefinitely!

-This is an open ended plan but for now we just want to beat the frost warnings and enjoy some sun, sand, and surf. The chores of keeping a family and boat functioning will still be there but everything will settle into a more enjoyable pace.

Glad you're all having a great time. Dreams are worth persuing. You guys are so lucky!

-Hope everything is going well for everyone reading this back home and elsewhere. Our thoughts are with you even if we don't get to communicate as often. Hope you enjoyed the 2+ months of photos we dumped on the site in the last 2 days.

Talk to you soon ----- Susan

Best wishes to everyone,
Rob, Mandy, Matthew and Abigail