The Offshore Voyaging Reference Site

Back on Board

Our last extended cruise ended in the fall of 2003 when John and I hauled Morgan’s Cloud in Maine so that we could spend the winter at our house in Bermuda. We had a big decision to make: If we wanted to refit Morgan’s Cloud and keep on cruising, the house would have to be sold. But the house was a little piece of paradise on the water in Bermuda—not something we could afford to replace if we decided later that we had made the wrong choice.

After much agonizing, we decided to continue cruising and so we sold the house in the spring of 2004, moved into a condo with John’s mom, and started in on what we thought would be a one year refit of Morgan’s Cloud.

It is now the spring of 2008 and we have finally moved back on the boat, three years later than we expected. As most of you know, refit woes weren’t the only thing slowing us down, though we had enough of those. Family illness was also big on our agenda.

I have to admit there were many times during the past three years when we questioned whether we would ever get back on the boat. Though two short cruises—one to Newfoundland in 2005 and one to Maine in 2007—kept the goal fresh in our minds, the main thing we needed was perseverance.

So here we are, living on the boat and cruising Maine—the truck we bought for the refit up for sale, our cabin in Nova Scotia (welcome haven during the last three years) well looked after by friends—working out the kinks that always appear after a major refit. And looking forward so very much to the people we hope to meet, the friends we hope to see again, the places we want to revisit and the new places we want to explore.

The moral of this story? Yes, we are ‘fortunate’ to go cruising, but we aren’t ‘lucky’ (drives me crazy when people say that!). We’ve made some difficult decisions, given up some shore-based comforts, and worked very hard to make it happen. You can too if you want.

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Jeffrey

An old post I know, but I am catching up and trying to learn all I can about what is involved in making this lifestyle possible. Like most things worth doing, it takes hard work, choices and compromises. And it’s so helpful to hear about your challenges along the way – thank you for sharing.