1.
In March of 2020, we took our fifth biennial sailing trip to the British Virgin Islands, enjoying what would be our last hurrah before the pandemic hit the US and the world pretty much shut down.
It was a great trip, but Covid suddenly changed everything and by April we barely remembered we’d even been on vacation. Sometime in late May, I noticed Stephen checking out catamaran websites. At first I didn’t think anything of it, but over the following weeks, I caught him looking at yet more websites about sailing and catamarans. Finally, I said, “I see you!”
It was mid June when Stephen shared his fantasy of selling everything and moving onto a sailboat. This was a month after he had read an email from a high school classmate, who mentioned that he had retired early and moved onto a sailboat a number of years before. It didn’t take me long to (ahem) get on board. The thought of downsizing and unloading so much of the clutter and under-appreciated possessions that filled our house was mesmerizing. I’ve been overwhelmed with the amount of junk we just can’t seem to get rid of, and here was the perfect opportunity to make it happen.
Stephen sent me links to a few Interview With a Cruiser blogspots he’d read, and within a week, all our free time was spent watching YouTube videos of couples who had done this, as well as videos of catamaran reviews.
My foremost concern was and continues to be my four cats (one of which came to live with us AFTER this decision was made). I have spent more time researching cat litter and litter boxes than I can shake a bag of cat treats at. Oh, by the way, having a 16-year-old diabetic cat means a diabetic diet (only grain-free canned cat food) for ALL the cats in the house, which means no bags of cat treats. How will we deal with this when cruising? Oodles of cans of expensive food that undoubtedly aren’t available in other countries. And how in the world will those cans recycle?
These cats better build their fishing skills quickly.
Don’t let his sweet looks fool you, this one’s a killer. Also, he loves seafood, so whenever we want to eat fish, I’m throwing him overboard and then wrestling him for the catch when we pull him out–of course, he’ll get first dibs.