Okay, so perhaps there are those of you out there that are concerned. Wondering where in the world is the sailboat Passages?! Surely the Internet isn’t so terrible that they can’t have posted anything in nearly a month. Okay here come the confession (in case you didn’t read the title) Lazy, Slothful and Happy… well at least the first 2 describe the issue. We have been sitting here at the marina in Jekyll Island Georgia for nearly a month (really- I barely believe it myself!!!) and we have internet and we still haven’t posted. Here’s my short list of reasons why:

• Initially Boyd had a computer meltdown
• Waiting on new computer to arrive
• Freezing and too cold to type
• Poor wi-fi signal strength and too cold to sit out on deck to get signal
• Increased wi-fi signal with booster antenna but now too lazy
• Okay maybe Lazy and Slothful are the bottom line

 

The truth is all of the above and maybe a little extra on the last one. We did have major computer problems, and it did take a week or more to resolve that. Then it was really unbelievably cold by Georgia standards, for about another week. We did have very poor Internet signal strength and I have been just plain lazy, and enjoying it. Let me give you a rough outline of what the days are like. I know before I came on this trip I was incredibly curious about just exactly what “cruisers” did all day every day. Perhaps you aren’t in which case feel free to go directly to the photos section.

First I have to confess that we started out getting up early (around 6am) just like at home every day. Rain or shine whether it was a travel day or not I would roll out of bed and start bumping around making coffee and getting things situated for the day. Since arriving on the dock at Jekyll Island (and about the week previous) we started “slipping”. Oh, I still wake up at 5 or 6 am but now I get up, pee, and go back to bed. I’m up between 7:30 and 8:00 now.

In fact if you were to check there’s been the odd morning that I didn’t’ wake up – the second time- until after 8:30. This would never have happened at home, first because the kids had to be on the bus before that and second because I have to get going for work most days, and if I don’t have to then Boyd does and he needs coffee and his clothes and his lunch packed and the list goes on.

So here it is

• 7:30-8:30 Wake up and get up
• 8:30 Start coffee and breakfast
• 9:00-9:30 Finish breakfast and start home schooling
• 9:30 Home schooling and clean up from breakfast
• 12:00 Lunch
• 12:30 Clean up from Lunch continue home schooling
• 2:00-2:30 Finish home schooling
• 2:30 Usually free time for everyone until dinner kids play while I:
• Sewing projects
• Cleaning the boat
• Varnishing
• Laundry
• Showers
• Read a book
• Study charts for next day/week trip
• Prep for home schooling next day
• Walk or bike ride
• Provisioning – Shop
• Food prep
• Chatting with neighboring boats
• Cleaning the boat – more than you think needs cleaning!!
• Odd work related things, email and phone messages

This list could go on forever but you get the idea

• 5:30-6:00 Start dinner prep
• 6:30-7:00 Dinner
• 7:30-8:00 Clean up from dinner
• 8:00-9:00 Free time, usually a game, book or some computer time
• 9:00-9:30 Start Nicole to bed
• 9:30-10:00 Get Nicole to sleep and check email talk about plan for tomorrow sometimes watch a movie (1-2 times a week)

Get up and do it all again in the AM

There is some variation to this, sometimes we are fixing something that broke, finding a part or provisioning for more than just the normal groceries like two weeks ago when we had to find transportation to a scuba shop and purchase fins and masks for snorkeling in the Bahamas.

Many times we are eating with other boats or they are eating with us which is lovely but does require extra effort to clean up the boat and cook larger portions for more people. Since being at the dock I don’t’ think a week has gone by that we haven’t had dinner on another boat or had some family over to our boat or had a potluck or cookout on land at least 2-3 times a week. This is the best time! At the dock now there are people from England, Canada, and all over the US. It’s a completely fun way to find out more about cruising, the people who are cruising. It’s something that doesn’t happen so often at home and I’ve found that the sense of community that comes with eating together is something worth the effort every time.

So even though it must truly seem like there’s just a lot of laziness and slothfulness going on it’s really a fair amount of practical necessities and quite a bit of fun. Once we leave Jekyll Island I’ll try hard to get back to posting more regularly.