To Anchor or to Dock? (I prefer anchoring ⚓)

Anchoring was one of my bigger worries when we started this trip. It always seemed so complicated and that there had to be a lot of work done in holding a boat in place in the always-moving water. My role in anchoring is pretty easy in that I listen for Ben's OK and then drop our Mantus Marine M1 anchor by pressing my heel on the forward button (on the left) for 10-30 seconds, depending on where we are. Then I latch the bridle on the chain and let out some more until the blue line is taut. It is pretty straightforward. (The opposite of all that brings it up, as demonstrated by Ben in an Instagram post @catamaranfamilyof5.)

Toward the bottom of the picture, the two black circles with white covers flapped open reveal the out (left) and back (right) buttons. The blue rope and metal piece on the front netting is the bridle. Anchor and chain run down the middle of the deck. The cleat is part of the locking mechanism that keeps the anchor and chain from moving when we don't want them to.

 
Apparently, I should have been more worried about docking. Typing up to a dock involves a lot of thinking and evaluating that I have to ask Ben about each time because of the different conditions and setups at different docks or marinas. I have to tie the fenders in 3 different spots along the side we will be docking and get lines hooked to the cleats, ready to throw to the dockhand or Ben. I haven't quite mastered jumping off the boat to the dock and tying it myself... and by that I mean I haven't tried and don't want to.

When our day is done, we have two choices: anchor or dock the boat. Anchoring is usually free and in a designated area off the main channel. The boat is surrounded by water and if we want air conditioning, we have to turn on our generator. Sometimes we have anchorages all to ourselves. Other times, we have a few neighbors doing the same. Docking almost always involves paying a docking fee, per foot (ours is 44 feet long), and we hook up to power and sometimes can fill up our 200-gallon water tank, get fuel, and pump out the black tank (holding tank for discharge from the toilet).

As the sun was going down on day 12, we crossed Mosquito Lagoon, Florida into the Indian River. Thinking we could find a place to anchor in Titusville, we had a little more to travel. I was in the cabin getting the kids ready for bed. Approaching the wider part of the river, the wind and waves picked up, and Ben heard a call of distress from another boat on the VHF radio saying they had 3 feet of water in their boat. He remembered seeing a public dock/boat ramp right at the mouth of Mosquito Lagoon, turned us around, and told me to tie up the fenders and prepare the lines on the port side.

If you don't know where Mosquito Lagoon, the Indian River, or Titusville are, they are all around Cape Canaveral, home of NASA launches. Our NASA clearing the week before inevitably hung over my head as we were preparing to dock and sleep here overnight. I checked NASA's launch schedule (this time we knew we would be sleeping in/near a launch zone and could prepare!) and hoped and prayed for no launches scheduled for June 23rd with a 2:30 wakeup call.

Blue dot is the Cartermaran.

We were the only people at the public dock and didn't see any signs saying we couldn't dock there, so we did. Usually, when we wonder about if we are allowed to stay overnight at a place (in our boat or our truck camper), we figure the police officer will have some empathy about getting tired, not wanting to continue and jeopardize our lives, and having our 3 small kids with us. Fortunately, we haven't yet had to explain ourselves.

As the Cartermaran approached the dock on the port side, I was prepping the lines and adjusting the height of the fenders on the foredeck. The current pushed us quickly to the dock and Ben was yelling knotty things to me about tying up to the dock, expecting me to execute the plan seamlessly. Of course, I had no idea what he was saying to do, so I asked for clarification. I clearly was moving too slowly and he decided he would drive and tie at the same time. I stayed on the foredeck since I knew he'd yell for me to do something that I'd have to decipher.

He directed me to tie up to the bow cleat and I could see and feel the line sliding quickly like a snake, around the cleat in an S, as I attempted to tie it. I started getting anxious about the boat running into the dock and about the job I was supposed to be doing without really knowing what was expected of me. In between listening to Ben, translating the terms to English in my head, swatting the mosquitoes, and attempting to tie the line, I was getting eaten alive. This place obviously lives up to its moniker.

Ben had me jump onto the dock with him and walk the boat backward with the stern line while he held the line and walked backward with the bow. All I could picture was the Cartermaran drifting out and away from the dock with only the kids onboard. That added a bit more anxiety to the already stressful situation. I heard water spouting and looked up to find a manatee in the water by our boat. I called for the kids to come see it, but the girls were asleep and Moose wasn't able to find it. Manatees are so cute and are always such a pleasant surprise to see. I remember selecting them for a research project one time after I had moved to Colorado, in an attempt to share the cuteness with my peers who lived in a landlocked state. Growing up in Florida, I remember feeding manatees whole heads of lettuce by my dad's work in Port Everglades. (Looks like that is now illegal, so my kids sadly won't have that experience.) Another experience we didn't get to have that night: being woken up by NASA in Cape Canaveral.

On our way out the next morning, we got to see the Kennedy Space Center from afar, barely making out the logo and flag on the side of the 525-foot building.

Two dolphins were riding our wake for about 3 minutes. It was our first close encounter with them. Ben spotted them and called us up to see. Moose, Roo, and I stopped making breakfast and went out to watch. Bear was still hibernating, so we woke her up because I knew she would be sad to miss it. We watched them until they were done entertaining us and swam away. Dolphins are so mesmerizing to watch. We have seen them so many times since our initial encounter in North Carolina. It doesn't get old. Ever. For any of us. ...which is great because we are way more likely to see them when we choose an anchorage instead of a marina.

Learning One Wave At a Time

For Father's Day, I bought Ben this boat and coincidentally, on Father's Day (day 10) he had to demonstrate his skills and navigate through a very windy Port Royal Sound, South Carolina in 10-foot waves. Happy Father's Day, Babe! 🤪

Between the wind and the waves in the sound, the boat was gliding up each wave and slamming down repeatedly, water splashing up the sides of the boat. We faced sustained 25 MPH winds, head on at the bow with gusts of 45 MPH. I was picturing our boat performing like the boats in The Deadliest Catch during storms, minus the rain. 

Each sound, bay, or inlet that we crossed had its own challenges. I have been a big fan of stopping for the day and anchoring before we reached any open water so that we could cross first thing in the morning when the winds and waves were calmer. This wasn't an option since we had just begun the day just a few hours prior.

Port Royal Sound is between Parris Island and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. We were hoping to meet up with Steve, our buyers' broker, and his wife in Hilton Head, but that didn't work in our favor. We didn't want to endure the rough water any longer than we had to, so we will meet them on the water another time!

The kids were in the cabin watching TV. It didn't bother them at all. In fact, they hardly noticed, beyond me nagging them, asking to see that their life vests were on and properly zipped and clipped. I was sure we'd need to swim ashore.

Ben and I were in the cockpit. He was laughing and even told me, "We are learning... one wave at a time. I think I saw that somewhere." I rolled my eyes at him as he was mocking our motto, in an attempt to make me less anxious. I was avoiding accidentally updating my mom and freaking her out, at all costs.

As we crossed further into the sound, the waves were continuously bouncing the fenders, which I tied to the bow of the boat. Ben told me that he hoped I tied them well enough since they were all over the place. Thinking back on when I put them up there, I was pretty confident I tied them well.

We remembered to close the portholes and the hatches in the cabin as the waves picked up, but we had forgotten the hatches in the cockpit. One big gust blew the port side hatch back and it slammed open, landing on top of the 20-year-old cockpit air conditioner. Big hunks of the plastic covering flew off the back of the boat as I apologized to the water and animals for our unexpected and unavoidable shattering and littering. Ben said it was okay because he wanted to replace that anyways.

In the foreground, you can see the white plastic piece. It is all that remains of our AC cover. The black part is supposed to be under the cover that we lost.

Unfortunately, there was one more casualty during the crossing of this sound: one fender. Ironically, I HAD tied it well enough and the fender itself blew off, leaving the line securely fastened to the bow. I was sad to litter another thing (even though it would float to shore), but proud of my line securing skills, which I only learned at the beginning of the month.

Notice the 3 colors of line tied to the metal bar. The gray line is the one from the fender we lost. While we were filling up on diesel after that event, the worker, not knowing our story, asked if we wanted an extra fender (the black one) that some rich guy didn't want anymore. Karma works in mysterious ways.

Our journey down the coast had us narrowly dodging Tropical Storm Claudette the whole way. She was crossing over the Carolinas as we were southbound in South Carolina and moving into Georgia. Although this was not Claudette, it was an unwelcomed visitor on our trip.

A few waves, a lot of learning, and still we continue on this journey!

Stop Buying Balloons! (Featured Writer: Bear)

            Have you ever had a balloon before? I have. I loved balloons till my family went on a boat trip. In three days we saw 11 balloons just floating around in the ocean.

            Balloons are fun until you accidentally let go and they float away. You think they just float up and go into outerspace, but you are incorrect. Most of those balloons float and as they lose their helium, land in the ocean. That is how it starts. Once they are in the ocean they are pretty hard to get back. We tried to get the 11 balloons we saw, but missed every single one. The balloons can kill some animals that live in the ocean water. Balloons are like plastic bags, they pollute the ocean a lot. Balloons can be fun to play with, but they can destroy ecosystems.

            Animals can be tricked by the balloons. They think balloons and ribbons might be food. They eat those parts and they will die. One of those animals are sea turtles (my favorite animal). They think the balloon is a jellyfish and they eat it. Balloons can get stuck in sea grass that manatees eat. Balloons can also get stuck in coral reefs and the balloon slowly dissolves and the fish eat small parts of it. 

            We waste a lot of money buying balloons. Since balloons are full of helium, the balloon deflates slowly and after a few days, the balloon is totally flat. Balloons can easily pop. They are a choking hazard for little children.

            People make so much money by selling balloons, since we buy so many, so we should stop buying balloons. Think twice about buying balloons for your next party.

Adjustments

Like anything new, living on a boat takes time to adjust. Being on a boat for an extended period of time is different than going camping or to our property, in that we all have only this ~800 square foot boat for space. There is no outside free roaming space (until we get to where we are going). Luckily, there is enough room for everyone to have their own space, if they want it.

Before we left, people asked us why we'd just dive in and buy a boat without trying one out first. The answer was simple: it wouldn't be ours. We have two full months to commit to this journey and like our camper and cabin, we wanted the kids to feel like this was an extension of their house and comfort zone. Living in a chartered boat for a week would result in rambunctious kids and an anxious momma. Those are not the memories we wanted to make.

When we left, we told the kids they could bring a stuffy (or in Roo's case, a doll) and a blanket. I packed a few school workbooks, crayons and colored pencils, puzzles, books, and games. Other than that, they're left with their imagination and, once we get to Florida, the water. Pro tip: less toys = less cleaning = less nagging = less frustration. Wins all around, minus the "I'm bored," complaints, which have decreased once we explained that there were plenty of chores to keep the boredom away.

It took the first 6 days for the kids to acclimate to life on the boat with minimal toys and things to do. They started drawing and writing together, found games to play on their own, made up games, and became creative with what they had. On day 6, I checked in on Roo who was playing quietly in her room to find her playing with Baby Sadie and Baby Yoda. She had built bunkbeds for them out of porthole covers and screen inserts. I told Ben that if we had chartered a boat for a week, they'd have spent that whole time adjusting to the boat rather than enjoying it.

There is a lot of downtime on the boat for the kids and me while Ben is our water chauffer. That downtime is spent cooking or making meals, doing or checking on laundry, cleaning, sweeping and vacuuming, learning to navigate, listening to music while looking at the coastline and houses, watching the helm, playing, napping, and just hanging out. Ben has taught each of us how to drive the boat both with the wheel and the autopilot controls. 

After the first day of our journey, the kids realized they could stomach the big waves in the ocean while they were in the cabin watching unlimited TV on one of the 4 smart TVs in the boat cabin. Meanwhile, Ben and I were hanging out in the cockpit wondering when someone would throw up. (It was Moose on day 3, and only once.)

We don't have a dishwasher on board, but we do have a dish scrub brush with a soap dispenser. Bear thought this was the coolest thing ever and after discovering how it works, she stepped up and volunteered to wash her dishes after almost every meal resulting in one less for me or Ben to have to worry about. Occasionally, she'll do all of the dishes without even being asked to! Once Moose saw how it worked, he too has asked to do the dishes. Chore fun is a win for everyone!

We have a lot of living space at home, but so far, I am not missing it at all. (Maybe we should sell our house and downgrade!) I love having minimal stuff. It has made me not mind the chores as much since they get done quickly. There is a lot less hanging over my head when I go to bed at night and that is an adjustment I don't want to give up!

Mouse & Maisy (Featured Writer: Roo- age 4)

Once a time there was a little mouse. He splashed in the pool that he had. Before he dod that he brushed his teeth and put on his bathing suit. After that he goed outside and played in the pool. After THAT he wanted to play hide n seek with his dog, so he hided behind a tree. Then he goed on a trip to the swamp and goed to the beach too, like we're doing. He's going to the same beach like ours. He is going to marry Maisy at the beach so they put on their marrying clothes and then they goed off to go over to their marrying place. Then they finally played a game, then they goed back home, and goed and did something funner. The end.

Cleared for Launch by NASA

When I was a kid, my cousin and I went to space camp. I thought it was the coolest camp anyone could ever go to. In part because of the movie Space Camp and also due to the fact that I worked hard to pay my way to attend. We spent a week in Hunstville, Alabama learning how to be astronauts and deciding if that was the path for us (or just having fun with the zero-gravity rides and mock missions). Turns out, it wasn't the path for either of us, but that love of space has always had a place in my heart.

When people think of NASA, they think of Florida and Texas. I remember attending elementary school in Florida and going outside to search the skies for the rockets after the launches. I didn't realize how unique that was until we moved to Colorado and could only watch them from the TV, never seeing them in the sky. 

How many of you knew there's a NASA flight facility in Virginia? We didn't, until 2:30 this morning when Ben went to check the anchor we dropped at 10:30 last night in the dark. (The first anchoring where we were yelling back and forth to each other because we couldn't see well and there were some shoals nearby we were trying to avoid.) He came back, got into bed, and let me know the anchor was still in place, despite all of the rolling waves we'd been experiencing through the night.

All of a sudden, there was a white light illuminating our bedroom hatches. Knowing we were the only boat anchored in the area, it called for our attention. Ben got up and noticed it was another boat, so he went onto the deck. I heard him talking on the radio so I got up to see what was going on. The guy on the other end asked what our intentions were, how fast we move, and told Ben we'd be in the way of the shuttle launch. That's when Ben told me that NASA needs us to move within the next hour. He and I looked at each other, both barely awake, in disbelief that this was actually happening. He radioed back to clarify why we were moving and the guy on the other end confirmed it.

While all 3 kids were still asleep, we started the engines and lifted the anchor. We weren't sure how long they'd sleep since their beds are over the engines. The night before was a late one because the next safe inlet (Toms Cove) was several hours away, so we were hoping they would be asleep for a while considering the long day ahead of us. If you know Ben, you know this 2:30 start to the day meant that we could get so many more miles in today. We wouldn't be anchoring in a new place in the dark. 

Looking west to Virginia from the Atlantic Ocean
Sunset was around 8:45 PM, so we had about 90 minutes of boating in the dark, on the open water. I quickly found out that is not my thing.

Despite me telling Ben 4 hours prior that I did not want to ever ride in the dark again, I didn't have much of a choice. What are the chances that we happened to wind up in this cove where NASA launches from, on the eve of a shuttle launch?! We were escorted out of Toms Cove, in the dark, by NASA 4 hours before the expected 0700 Minotaur 1 launch. 

Moose and Roo slept until after 7 AM, but Bear joined us closer to 3 AM in the cockpit. She and I cuddled together bracing ourselves for the waves in the dark, not knowing which ones would be big, which would be small, or where we were. In my head, I kept a countdown until sunrise when we'd be more aware of what was going on around us. We kept nodding off while waiting for the launch that was delayed because of storms in the area. (Storms that we likely experienced in the ocean, but didn't notice because of the darkness!) Needless to say, we couldn't wait to get to bed and hopefully sleep longer than the past 2 nights!

Around 9 am, we watched the live coverage (this link cuts to the chase and just shows the launch) on YouTube, dragged the kids out onto the deck, and then saw the rocket soar up in the sky. Having my kids experience a launch like I remember doing as a kid made my space-loving heart so full. 

I guess space camp was the closest I'll be to witnessing the real thing.

Look for the faint white squirrelly vertical line- that's the path of the Minotaur I!

Underway on Our Maiden Voyage-Days 1&2

We are underway on our maiden voyage! At around 8:15 AM on June 11th, we left the dock in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. Leslie and Don, whose dock we were at for the previous 3 days, and Ben's dad and step-mom helped us cast off and wished us well. The kids, dog, and I were on the starboard deck, waving and saying our goodbyes, Titanic-style, while Ben was at the helm. I was looking forward to christening our boat with champagne (yes, I brought a bottle just for that), but some research I'd done said we had to actually rename the boat first. With so many moving pieces right now, we haven't renamed her, so we will save the champagne for our first cast off with Cartermaran adorned on her sides and stern, and as the AIS (automatic identification system- which is what other boaters use to identify who and what the vessels around them are and their coordinates, but not every boat has an AIS).

naptime - day 1

The first few miles brought us out to the open ocean. We had 20 miles of open water before our boat was guarded by land on both sides. Even though the waves didn't look big, my stomach thought they were. After 11 miles, I was the first to succumb to seasickness. The rest of the ride included some naps and time up in the cockpit listening to some tunes, but it didn't bother any more stomachs.

Our first anchorage occurred at the Sheffield Island Lighthouse in Connecticut. When we pulled in, there were a few other boats and the sun was getting ready to set. Miraculously, there was no yelling or fighting from either Ben or me as we learned how to do this together. I was expecting it to be more like hooking the truck up to the trailer, but it was very peaceful and only took one try!

Sheffield Island Lighthouse

As we lifted the anchor the next day, Ben said a light started flashing near the toilet, which indicated the waste tank was 75% full. He called several places around where we were headed and found a pump-out boat in Manhasset Bay, NY. Fun fact: It is illegal (and unsanitary) to dispose of waste within 3 miles of the US shore, so pump-outs are free ensuring that people don't break the law and dump it too close to shore. A man on a small boat (with a tank that holds ~300 gallons of waste) met us in the bay and tied up to us, then he hooked a vacuum-style hose pump onto our black tank and it started emptying our waste. This is actually a pretty crappy job... pun intended. ;o) It didn't take very long and then we were on our way, about 75 gallons lighter.

NYC has always been a place that I have loved (that's why there are so many pics for you all to enjoy on this post). The kids had never been there. Ben hates it. All five of us thoroughly enjoyed our cruise from the Long Island Sound into the East River and down to the Hudson Bay. My favorite comment from this day was from Bear as we were riding the waves from other boats in a no-wake zone, "This is why I don't like rollercoasters!" 

Traveling by boat was the best way to see a lot of sights because took out all of the crazy people and interactions (although that does contribute to my overall enjoyment of the city). We saw so many things! Riker's Island Prison and Vernon C. Bain Center, a floating prison on a very prison-looking barge, were on opposite sides of the river from each other. Moose loved watching the airplanes take off from Laguardia and fly low, right over us, one right after another. FDNY and NYPD boats kept cruising by us, so that was exciting too. We spotted one of the FDNY stations, saw a bunch of parks, and even a wedding!

Riker's Island Prison

Vernon C. Bain Center (Prison Barge)

FDNY Boat

FDNY Station

It wasn't a very warm or sunny day, but the kids and I (with my perma-smile) sat out on the foredeck, bundled up in blankets while listening to music and sightseeing. The Chrysler and Empire State Buildings, and the Freedom Tower (which, very intentionally, stands at 1,776 feet tall) all could be seen and identified by boat, peeking between various buildings from time to time. At an earlier time in our trip, Ben mentioned that he wanted to take the tender to go to the 9/11 Memorial, but after our rendezvous in the city with the truck, camper, and trailer, he decided it would be best left for another visit. 

Chrysler Building

Empire State Building

I really liked the unique design of this building on the East River.

We cruised under all of the bridges (Bear's favorite part of the day) that cross the East River, including the Brooklyn Bridge. Winding in and out around curves, Bear was the first one to spot Lady Liberty off in the distance, while I was trying to get a good picture of the Freedom Tower. She squealed, "Statue of Liberty!" I started to tell her it was too soon to see it still, but then I saw it too. It took a while to get into the bay and we watched as the statue got bigger and bigger. She stood there in the Hudson Bay coming into closer proximity, along with about 500 huge boats, ferries, barges, and jetskis all zooming around. Initially, the plan was to anchor behind Ellis Island for the first night, but we had been averaging 9 or 10 knots per hour, so that was not a possibility. Approaching the bay, I was glad we didn't anchor there because it was super windy and the waves and wake were so big. I had forgotten just how busy that place was! 

Freedom Tower standing at 1,776 feet tall (needle adds extra height).

Our first peek at the Statue of Liberty on the left with the Freedom Tower on the right. The Manhattan Bridge is in the foreground with the Brooklyn Bridge behind it.

We stopped for a few minutes over by Ellis Island, out of the way, and taught the kids about what happened there a while ago, letting Bear know that she will learn more about it next year in school. Circling to the front of the statue was Roo's favorite part of the day. I was amazed to see just how many people were still out about sightseeing in NYC and at the statue. It looked like the city was back to the normal hustle and bustle of years past.

Statue of Liberty, Freedom Tower, & Thin Red Line USA Flag

Our amazing day ended with another successful anchorage in Sandy Hook, NJ right off the Coast Guard Station. Two other boats joined us for the night and we heard the bugle call from our boat as the sun went down on day two of our journey.

Porthole view of Sandy Hook Coast Guard Station