✨Grenada✨ We made it to our last stop. This is as far south as we are going. We are about 80 miles north of Venezuela, so we basically sailed to another continent😁. We only have about 3 weeks left of the season, and the last week will be prepping the boat for hurricane season. So we will soak it all in and enjoy Grenada as much as possible. We are all excited to head home, but not exactly ready. It is a bittersweet feeling. Less bitter bc we know we will be back next season to head north. But please note that Hazel is going to be one happy kitty to head home and be a country cat again. If she had a thought bubble over her head I’m sure when she looks at us like this it would read something like “When are you @$$holes taking me home”🤷♀️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #grenada #boatlife #sailboatlife #catsofinstagram
We said farewell to Martinique this morning. It is the longest we have ever stayed in one place; almost 6 weeks. Tonight is our 15th and LAST overnight passage of the season. Sunset is typically when my anxiety sets in and my mind spirals with “what ifs” about the darkness. Tonight, however, the universe has gifted me a sense of calm and peace. A gratefulness for the opportunity to watch the sunset as we pass the pitons of St. Lucia. I know how lucky I am to get to witness the beauty of the stars on the sea; more stars that we will ever see at home. I know how precious this gift is, and as I sit here thinking about the season ending in a few weeks I am just full of gratitude. We get this one wild and precious life and I just want to make the most of it. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife #boatlife #sailinglife #liveaboard #liveinspired #gratitude
🌺 Martinique lately. . . #sailingtohi #sailboatlife #boatlife #liveaboard #martinique #caribbean #liveinspired
We had an epic day hiking Les Cascades de Didier. It was easily a Top 5 Boat Day (or as my kids would say “Top 5 Not 5”). The trail to the first waterfall (the double fall) was a pretty easy trek, but foraging onward to the larger fall was an epic hike through the river bed of the rainforest. We crossed boulders, toppled tree trunks, waded through pools, and finally came around the corner to the gorgeous waterfall! We swam in the cool waters and jumped through the waterfall. It was EPIC! Truly a magical day I will never forget. So far Martinique has been an absolute gem and a highlight of our adventure! And we still have 2 weeks left👏👏! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #martinique #martiniquewaterfall #didierwaterfall #lescascadesdedidier #sailinglife #boatlife #sailboat #sailboatlife #liveaboard #adventure #familyadventures #liveinspired
We toured @jardindebalata, The Botanical Gardens, over the weekend. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I easily took 300+ pictures and could have stayed all day. The flowers and views and colors were just incredible! Enjoy some of my favorites❤️! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #jardindebalata #botanicalgardens #rainforest #tropicalflowers #martinique #liveinspired
This week we climbed Mount Pelee, an active volcano that last erupted in 1932, but most famous eruption was in 1902 when it killed 29,000 people. It was STEEP!! It was hard. It was beautiful. It was so worth it. The pictures don’t do the beauty justice. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #martinique #mountpelee #hiking #adventure #liveinspired #sailboatlife #liveaboard #boatlife
We visited the Martinique Zoo last weekend. While I’m not a huge fan of zoos bc I feel like the animals are sad and it hurts my heart, this zoo had magnificent scenery!! Built on the ruins of an old rum distillery with lots of tropical vegetation, the views were amazing. There were monkeys, tropical birds, pumas, jaguars, and my personal favorites: possums and raccoons😂! Who knew we had zoo animals in our backyard at home?? It was hard to narrow down the scenery pics to 10 (dang IG!), but here ya go. The beauty of Martinique is incredible🌺! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #liveinspired #martinique #travel #familytravel #sailboatlife #liveaboard #familyadventures
We have been doing a bit of exploring here in Martinique. Last week we drove to Le Diamant to see this beautiful and heartbreaking memorial, built to pay tribute to victims of slavery. Martinique is closely linked to the triangular trade and slavery. The deportation of thousands of slaves to the islands of the Caribbean arc took place under terrible conditions. Although some survived the crossing, many died of thirst, hunger or simply ill-treatment. Many makeshift boats were also wrecked and the number of survivors was small. These statues were built in 1998 to honor the victims of a specific tragedy that struck the island in 1830. In the middle of the night of August 8, a clandestine ship carrying slaves struck the rocks off the coast of the town of Le Diamant. The slaves were Africans who were crossing from the African coast to the West Indies. The conditions of travel on the ship were deplorable, with the stowaways being placed directly in the hold. No less than 214 Africans died in this shipwreck while 86 were spared. The statues are white bc that is the representation of mourning in Martinique. They are in a triangular shape as a reference to the triangular slave trade routes. And they face the Gulf of Guinea; their homeland. This is such a powerful symbol and memorial to the history of slavery on this island. It is sometimes hard to accept how brutal history is. And equally amazing the beauty people create to honor the past. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #martinique #cap110memorial #lediamant #boatlife #sailboat #sailboatlife #liveaboard #explore #liveinspired
A simultaneous moon rise and sun set. Perfection at the end of the day❤️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime
Bonjour, Martinique! We have now made it some 1,850 nautical miles from St. Mary’s, Georgia since January 9th. We have had to hustle down the island chain to make it here by April 1 for a marina appt for our buddy boat. We have taken every weather window available to leave, have missed islands we wanted to see, and felt like a never ending episode of the amazing race. But, alas, we are here! No more looking at weather for at least a month, and we only have 150 miles left to get to Grenada by the middle of May. We can finally slow down and smell the roses so to speak (or the hibiscus since we’re in the islands 🌺). And we will hit all the islands we missed on our way back north next season🙌. Yesterday was our first full day here and it was dreamy. We walked around the small town of Saint Anne where we are anchored, and got a great view of the anchorage from a hill above the town. We ventured to the beach in the anchorage and had a great time just relaxing and enjoying and soaking in the beautiful weather. Finally, we went to town to order pizza for dinner. While we were there we got to witness an incredible processional of congregants of The Church of Saint Anne for Palm Sunday as the sun set❤️. The service was in French so we couldn’t understand, but it was just a magical experience. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #martinique #sailboatlife #liveaboard #boatlife #adventure #liveinspired
We made it to St. Martin earlier this week which means ALL OF OUR EASTING IS DONE!! For you non-sailors that means we are basically as far east as we are going which is fabulous bc the very predictable Trade Winds blow east to west. That means we cannot sail and have to motor directly into the wind to get where needed. Now we will be heading south🙌🙌. It took us a few days to get acclimated to the hustle and bustle of the island after St. John, but now we are loving it. St. Martin is duty-free and is know as the shopping capital of the Caribbean. There are great marine stores here, and since everyday boat life always comes with lots of fixing things we are in the right spot. Toilets stop flushing, pumps stop pumping, fans stop fanning, and so on. We hear all the time that all boat life consists of is doing boat work in exotic locations, and we can certainly attest to that. We also had some changes on board bc we sent home some crew🥺. Noah flew back to Arkansas a few days ago (this is our last pic together before the taxi picked us up). Apparently when kids turn 18 and graduate high school they want to do their own thing, so he is back home starting his brand new grown up life. And that’s all we need to talk about that bc I don’t need to cry anymore😵💫. Enjoy the photo dump of some things we’ve seen. Love the murals and beauty of the island. Oh, and French bakeries. Pastries and baguettes for days! Bring it on! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #stmartin #caribbean #frenchfood #frenchbakery #sailing #sailboats #sailboatlife #liveaboard #liveinspired
I have been wanting to come to St. John forever! The island is like 70% National Park so there is tons of sea life. Today I snorkeled at the beach in our anchorage. It’s not any beach that is regarded anywhere as fabulous snorkeling and yet I still swam with sea turtles, followed stinging rays, saw an octopus, a sea star, and a MASSIVE hermit crab. Yall, the crab was in a conch shell! It was impressive! Also caught a glimpse of a Spotted Eagle Ray as we were leaving. And then ended it with a beautiful sky. I’d say it was a pretty good day overall. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #stjohn #virginislands #usvi #skorkeling #sailboatlife #sailboat #boatlife #liveaboard #adventurefamily #liveinspired
First Virgin Island sunset. Surreal to be where the dream began 10 years ago. Just so very surreal. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #virginislands #usvi #virginislandsnationalpark #sailinglife #liveaboard #dreamcometrue #liveinspired #adventureawaits
So Puerto Rico has been absolutely magical so far, but the sailboat life is not always rainbows and sunshine.
This past Friday we left our boat in the morning, traveled to Old San Juan, and when we got back our boat was 600 feet away from where we left it! Yes, six HUNDRED feet away🤦♀️. We rounded the corner from the dinghy dock and where we should have seen masts there was nothing. We got closer and saw our boat a mere feet from shore right next to someone’s personal dock.
So what happened? Our boat came with a plow-type anchor which apparently is not good for holding in mud. What kind of anchorage are we in? Yup, the bottom is soft mud. So our little plow anchor just plowed its way all the way across the anchorage and tried to dock the dang boat on someone’s personal dock without even asking.
Somehow the boat hit nothing, didn’t ground itself, and has no scratches from her day long adventure of dragging. Luckily, a boat that sails slow also drags slow😂.
But we are having no more of that, so Tohi is on the dock in timeout thinking about what she has done! Meanwhile, we had a new @mantus_marine anchor express shipped here where it arrived today. So now we have a shiny new anchor that holds in mud
We toured @hacienda_munoz today, a local coffee farm in the mountains. It has everything I love the most: coffee, chickens (and peacocks 🦚), and gorgeous plants. Since I was little I have always wanted to live on a farm. Prior to us moving onto the boat we had a small hobby farm. We’ve had chickens, ducks, rabbits, bees, and crops. I truly find so much joy in the simple life. Now, simple does not mean easy, just back to the basics without all the excess. And sailing is much the same. Now back to today. It was magical. The mountains are lush. The colors are vibrant. The smells are rich. The wildlife is abundant. It’s brings me such joy. I could sit out there all day and watch baby chicks imitate their mama, watch peacocks raise and lower their feathers, listen to roosters crow (fun fact: if you’ve never raised roosters one of the best things is when they become “teens” and learn to crow. It is a learned skill and it is equivalent to teen boys voices cracking at first😂), take pictures of every plant, flower, and fruit. When we decide the sailing life is no longer for us, maybe you will find us hobby farming in the mountains of Puerto Rico❤️. (More pics in stories) #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailing #sailboatlife #liveaboard #puertorico #coffeefarm #lahaciendamuñoz #hobbyfarm #coffee #liveinspired
✨AGUADILLA✨ We started the day at Borinquen Field-Ramey Air Force Base Museum (last pic). It was a small room filled with so much history! Ramey Air Force Base became active in 1936 and remained in use until 1971. The volunteers there were a fountain of knowledge. We heard stories about Nazi Uboats near the area during WWII, stories about how a Tuskegee Airman saved the lives of a whole ship, saw tons of artifacts, and just learned a ton. We then went to the ruins of El Faro de la Ponderosa, a lighthouse built in 1889 by the Spanish and destroyed by an earthquake in 1918. There isn’t much left to tell that it was once a lighthouse, but the ruins are pretty spectacular overlooking the ocean. The colorful houses are part of the Cerro Cabrera neighborhood above Rompleolas Beach. Completed in December 2018, the work is comprised of the hill of painted houses, which each look like colorful mosaics, plus a number of actual murals painted on various walls and buildings in the area. Finally, we drove along the coastline and came across the I❤️Aguadilla sign. We do in fact love Aguadilla, and all of Puerto Rico. I am so intrigued by all the history of PR. It is interesting to me that this island is an American territory and yet I know very little about it. Thankful for the culture and history that has been preserved on this beautiful island so we can continue to learn. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #puertorico #aguadilla #rameyairforcebase #borinquenlighthouse #lasruinasdeaguadilla #lighthouse
Today we ventured to the north side of the island and visited Old San Juan. According to Google, “Old San Juan is home to the San Juan National Historic Site, with buildings dating from the 16th century, including the San Felipe del Morro and San Cristóbal fortresses and the old city walls. The Bautista Cathedral houses the tomb of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León. Brightly colored houses line cobbled streets and shady plazas, alongside cool cocktail bars and renowned Caribbean fusion restaurants.” It is such a beautiful area with so much history and culture. We started at the Raices Fountain; walked along the old city walls to San Felipe del Morro; toured the Bautista Cathedral where the tomb for Juan Ponce De Leon resides; saw incredible art and murals along the way, and ended with a cafe con leche at a quaint street side cafe. Puerto Rico has stolen our hearts❤️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #puertorico #oldsanjuan #oldsanjuanpuertorico #sailboatlife #liveaboard #liveinspired
After 625 nautical miles and 111 hours at sea, we made it to Puerto Rico about 4:30 this morning. It feels so surreal to be here. Our intention from the beginning of the sailing season was to head directly to PR from Georgia. Due to delays in boat repairs and lack of weather windows we decided adjust the plan and head to the Bahamas after the holidays and work our way south. We left the dock in St. Mary’s on January 9th, and over the last 1 month and 6 days we have come 1284 nautical miles. We didn’t think we’d be able to jump all the way from the Exumas to Puerto Rico as the route is known as “The Thorny Path” and is named that for a reason. However, we could not have asked for a better weather window. A majority of the passage had zero wind and was flat calm which isn’t ideal for sailing, but is ideal for crew morale and mental health. Pics 1-4: Hanging out in Puerto Real today Pics 5-9: Some of my favorite pics from sea. It was seriously flat calm! Pic 10: Hazel did so good on the long passage, but I don’t think there was anyone more thankful to turn the engine off and stop moving. Let the Caribbean adventuring begin! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #puertorico #puertoreal #sailboats #sailboatlife #liveaboard #adventuretime #familytravel #liveinspired
We said goodbye to George Town Monday. After waiting out the biggest blow we’ve been in so far (sustained 30-35 knots for 24 hours and measured the largest gust of 48 knots while a boat in a different anchorage measured it at 63😳), we had a great time in GT. 🌅Beautiful sunsets 💧Gorgeous waters 🥁House boat concert at Chat N Chill 🏐Boys killing it at volleyball ❤️Time with best friends 🐚 Shell Art 🐗Closest thing to home we’ve seen in a while 🏐👋 Our very own Tom Hanks found his Wilson😂 🎨We found some art on the Art Trail we left 2 years ago❤️ We are currently 48 hours into what will be our longest passage to date. We hope to hit the west coast of Puerto Rico (FINALLY!!!) late Friday/early Saturday. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #bahamas #puertorico #passage #sailboatlife #liveaboard
Just another day in paradise for this kid (I guess technically he’s an adult now😵💫). Caught his first Mahi, had his first legal beer with his dad at Chat N Chill, and got a tow back to the boat on the paddle board. I wish I had gotten video of his wipeout at the end bc it was pretty epic😂. @noahjames1107 #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife #sailboat #liveaboard #liveaboardlife #bahamas
We had another calm 24 hour sail from Royal Harbor (Northern Eleuthera) to Georgetown (southern Exuma). Well, that is until about 4am. Trust me, if things are going to go wrong it’s going to be in the middle of the night when your mind is designed to spiral out of control🙄. First, I woke up at 4am bc our engine died. Our main tank with most of our fuel continues to have issues where we cannot run it so we just have the smaller auxiliary tank and jerry cans on deck. We knew we were running low on fuel and with no wind all day/night we had to motor the whole time. 21 hours in we finally ran out of fuel. We poured 10 gallons from our stores on deck into the tank and then. . .. the engine wouldn’t start🤪. That’s right. For over an hour we just drifted along at about 1 knot while Justin worked to get it working (and my mind spiraled out of control). Apparently when diesel engines run out of gas air gets into the tank/engine and you have to bleed it out. Thank goodness for starlink and YouTube in the middle of Exuma Sound and awesome buddy boats (@the_salty_frys and @svjeneric) who slowed down and worked through the problem with Justin via text. We finally got the engine going again at 5:30. Whew!!! And then to balance out the terrible low, about 45 minutes later Noah dropped a line and almost immediately caught his first Mahi!!! WooHoo!! We are now in Georgetown to wait out a blow (another low of the cruising life) this week before continuing our migration south. Luckily, the water is beautiful and the sun in shining which is always a high. And tonight we will head to the infamous #chatnchill for some R&R. The highs are always high and the lows are always low. At least there is always a balance to the cruising life⛵️❤️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailinglife #sailboatlife #liveaboard #bahamas #exumabahamas #georgetown
We finally had a calm sail and it was definitely needed! It took us 22 hours to get from Freeport to Royal Harbor. We got to fish, relax, work out some kinks with our new sails and solar panels, blow the conch horn for the first time in the Bahamas this year, and no one was on the verge of a panic attack🤪. We have stayed in this anchorage before and it is kind of surreal to be back since we didn’t even plan on coming to the Bahamas this year. The familiarity feels pretty good right now. We are waiting out some weather tonight (and maybe tomorrow) and then heading south to Long Island. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #eleuthera #bahamas #sailinglife #sailboat #loveaboard #adventure #liveinspired
Leaving Grand Bahama! Next stop: Royal Harbour, Eleuthera. The sun is out, the seas are calm, the wind is minimal, fishing lines are out, we are motor sailing, and absolutely loving life! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #bahamas #sailing #sailboatlife #liveaboard #catsoninstagram
It’s been 24 hours since we docked and life feels much better now😂. I know the conditions we were in were not unsafe nor the worst we’ve been through, but everything feels so much worse at night and without sleep. Today has been a marathon day of laundry and mental recovery. Living on a boat is a test of mental and emotional endurance. When you get yourself in a dicey situation there is no turning back, there is only making it through. So today I have a better attitude, better weather, and much better scenery. Tomorrow we are heading south to Eleuthera and we are excited. Bring on the Bahamas! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #liveaboardlife #sailinglife #sailboatlife
Last sunset in WPB! Anchor is up and we will be in the Bahamas in the morning. Nothing like a little overnight gulfstream crossing😵💫! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #bahamasbound
First time up the mast! Our line that allows us to use a whisker pole for downwind sailing was frayed to the core in a spot and needed replacing. The only way to get it done was to go up. Noah “volunteered”, but I think he was rather excited to be done😂. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #liveaboard #sailing #sailboatlife #kids4sailteen
✨Woke up to a bright orange sky 🧡 ✨Braved the winds to go to the farmers market in town. The dinghy ride back was a bit bumpy and wet; reminded us way too much of Georgetown🌊( #iykyk) ✨Made friends with a bee🐝 ✨Watched us bob around on anchor in the 20+knot winds ⚓️ ✨ Made the first boat pizza of 2024 🍕 (everyone’s absolute favorite meal!) ✨Overall I’d say it was a good day and it finally feels like we’re cruising again⛵️❤️! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailinglife #liveaboard #westpalmbeach #lakeworth
We left St. Augustine Tuesday at 4:30pm and dropped anchor in West Palm Beach at 4am this morning. It was a sporty, windy 36ish hour ride (the only way we know how to do a sail to WPB) with sustained 18-20 knot winds from behind most of the way. The last few hours we had about 15 knots on the beam and were flying with our brand new @macksails! Enjoy these random #PassagePics. I am off to drink coffee and eat some breakfast and take a million naps. Peace out! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife #liveaboard #coastalsailing #bahamasbound
WE LEFT THE DOCK!!! We got here November 4th thinking we would leave in about 2 weeks. It’s now been 67 frustrating and emotionally trying days, but we are finally on our way south! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #boatcats #sailboatlife #liveaboardlife
We are back on Tohi and no one is more happy than Hazel the boat cat! No more living in other peoples houses, being hauled to and fro in the car daily, fighting with other cats, and hiding from dogs. She is finally back in her spot (see last pic), napping on her blanket, and watching the birds fly around the marsh. But please enjoy the many photos of her riding in the car😂. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #hazeltheboatcat #gatosdelmar #boatcat #sailboatlife
After nearly 3 weeks away from Tohi we are finally headed back. We are recharged, rested, and ready to head south. Hoping for some good weather to start 2024🙌. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife #liveaboard
Well, we are back on the hard. But don’t worry, the captain has a plan for this boat. . . Burn.it.down🔥! Yes, he literally went to get supplies to fix something and came back with lighter fluid which is totally valid at this point😂. Ok, just kidding (well maybe). We were so close to being ready to leave this weekend. We got hauled out yesterday to fix our leaky thru-hull, but when we got put back in today it was leaking a lot😫! So we are back on the hard and we have someone coming Monday to check it out. It could be a number of things from not letting the adhesive cure long enough or having the nut tight enough or something we haven’t even thought about. I swear we are the Bad News Bears of sailing. One day we will leave this yard and we will dance and cheer and go crazy, but it won’t be this weekend🥺. We are off to drown our sorrows in sushi and then be cheered up at the boat with an unlimited supply of electricity and wifi bc #shorepower! The highs and lows, man. The highs and lows😑. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime
So many of our friends and family have asked how our cat is doing, so here’s a little update. Hazel is acclimating really well so far. She is getting brave and venturing out on deck. We did lose her one time for 3 hours when we were still on the hard. She escaped her harness when i took her for a walk and found a hole to hide in. We do have an Apple AirTag on her collar which helped us locate her. Since then we have had a clean record in keeping her safe😂. She loves to lay on our bed and look out the port light. Our biggest issue has been her waking us up in the middle of the night wanting to be fed. So we are figuring that out. Overall, we are so glad we chose to bring her with us. There was no way we were going to rehome her and we heard cats acclimate well to the boat life so we were hopeful she would do well. I think she is going to love being a boat cat. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailingkitty #boatcat #catsonboats
Well, as most things with boats, things have not gone quite as planned. We are still on the dock in St. Mary’s, and also still waiting on our rigging to be finished. We had hoped to be in Puerto Rico by now, but even if the boat had been ready we still have not had a good weather window to leave. So now we are planning to get things on the boat finished up. Our rigging should finally be finished by this weekend, but now we have a thru-hull that needs replacing and we can’t get hauled out to replace that until the middle of next week. Sooo, we are hoping (and lighting candles and charging crystals and performing any kind of witchcraft to make it happen) to sail out of here the end of next week. Then what?? Well, we are gonna head back north to either Brunswick or St. Simon’s Island where we can safely leave the boat in a marina for a few weeks and head home for the holidays. We don’t even know what that will look like since our house is rented and we are nomads🥴. Then after the holidays we will be heading south as soon as the weather will let us. I can honestly say this past month has been one of the most frustrating we’ve had, but being back in the water and making the decision to head home for the holidays and reset has helped a ton. So we are looking for fair winds and following seas for 2024! Despite having a frustrating time, we have also managed to have some fun. Lots of bowling with @the_salty_frys, beautiful sunsets, enjoying all the Christmas spirit around, and being entertained by the cat. So enjoy a random collection of pictures from the last week❤️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailinglife #sailboatlife
🍁Thanksgiving 2023🍁 We may not have been home with family, but we had the absolute best day! ⛵️Tohi got to Splash 🏝️Picnic lunch at Amelia Island with our best friends, @the_salty_frys We got to go shelling, built sand castles, played spike ball and football, and also got to get away from boat projects for the day. 🦃Came back to the boat, made our own little Thanksgiving feast, and of course watched football (underneath the Christmas Tree🎄😂). We may not have been home, but we definitely made the absolute best of it❤️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife #liveaboard
Well it’s been a roller coaster of a week, but we are in the water! It’s a Thanksgiving miracle! Here is a recap of the highs and lows of the week: High: Our masts are up!! Low: The rigging doesn’t fit😵💫. Our boat sat mastless since April and it settled. Meaning that our boat widened a few inches without the tension of the rigging. High: We get to go in the water on Tuesday to pressurize the hull and help the rigging fit. Low: (one hour later) There is an emergency haul out for a boat taking on water and we can’t go in the water till Friday. High: email comes in saying we have an application to rent our house! Low: Weather windows continue to close. High: Renters get approved and want to move in Friday! Low: Still not in the water and rigging still doesn’t fit. High: On Wednesday we are told we will get in the sling and launch Thursday. High: WE ARE IN THE WATER!!! So, there is still work to be done on the rigging, but the hull continues to come up and it is looking good (knocks on all the wood around me). Stepping off the boat onto a dock instead of climbing down the ladder has never felt so good!! Happy Thanksgiving!! And Happy Splash Day to Tohi! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife
And just like that, WE HAVE MASTS!!!! We are a real sailboat again! Tomorrow the rigging will be tightened down, booms and sails will get installed, and we might be in the sling to splash the following day. It feels like a Thanksgiving miracle! And we are EXCITED!! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboat #sailboatlife
I’m not saying I believe it yet, but I’m saying there is a very good chance that our masts and new rigging get put on T-O-M-O-R-R-O-W🤞🤞!!! I went to go down the ladder and there they were, just sitting there all pretty. We also have a tentative Splash Date on Wednesday (ok, it may be Thursday depending on the boatyard, but if that isn’t the best Thanksgiving present I don’t know what it). So now send us all of your good vibes and positive juju that everything goes off without a hitch! This crew has got to get out of this boatyard ASAP😩!!! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailinglife #boatlife
We are struggling being on the hard (for non-boaters, this is what we call it when the boat is being stored out of the water), but we are making a ton of progress. All boxes have been unpacked and Tohi is liveable again🙌. We made our first meal on the boat in a loooooonnnnng time, and sat in the cockpit and watched the sunset. We should have rigging this time next week (for the love of all things holy please let it be true🤞), and be in the water a few days after. While it’s a total bummer to still be waiting to get in the water the good news is (which isn’t actually good news, but good news bc we’re not in the water😂) that there is not a single weather window between now and next weekend to head to Puerto Rico. So while it sucks to not be in the water, it would suck so much more if we were missing good weather to leave. Oh the highs and lows of boat life! But, seriously, the sunsets never disappoint❤️❤️!! #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #boatlife #sailboatlife #liveaboard
We are here. We are overwhelmed. We are still rigging-less (rigger will come by tomorrow to give an update). We are waiting for a forklift so we can get the rest of our stuff onboard. Our helpers are not helping🧁😂. The bugs are alresdy out🦟. And we have a brand new game now called “find the cat”. Just living the dream☀️🌈⛵️. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #sailboatlife #sailing #liveaboard #liveaboardlife #livingthedream #movingin #boatlife
Well, we left an empty house yesterday and made it the other side of Birmingham. Leaving never gets easier. We are sad to leave all our family and friends, but thankful they are all so supportive of our dream. This season we have a new crew member. Our cat Hazel is coming on the boat this time, and despite her initial hatred of the car she did really well all day. And please note the graphic on the side of the U-haul. I love when the universe gives us little signs like this. It makes me feel like we are doing the right thing❤️. We are about to load back up and hit the road. Next stop: Tohi!! #sailingtohi #sailboatlife #livingontohitime #liveaboard #sailboating #sailboatlife #catsofinstagram #catsonboats
Well, it’s Halloween and this is one scary sight😱 We are about 48 hours from leaving an empty house behind and heading back to Tohi. If you would like to send “anti-nervous breakdown” thoughts our way we would gladly accept them🥴😵💫. Here’s to blowing up your lives on purpose and living your dream😂! #sailingtohi #tohitime #livingontohitime #sailboat #sailboats #sailboatlife #liveaboard #liveaboardlife
We are coming down to the wire and planning to be back on Tohi for good the beginning of November. To make this happen we will be renting our house, which means we are currently starting to pack it all up. I came across these pictures as I started going through things. These pictures are what started it all. This was our first trip to the BVI in 2014. That trip changed our lives. We have never been the same since❤️. And while we have been to the BVI many times since these pictures were taken, it will be extra special this season to see it all over again with the @the_salty_frys on our own boats. #sailingtohi #livingontohitime #bvi #britishvirginislands #sailboat #sailboatlife #liveaboard
After a crazy week that started with us unexpectedly needing to drive down to the boat early to prep for Hurricane Idalia (we were planning to leave Wednesday for a week of work, but left Monday instead), some boat projects not going our way, and just being so over boat projects at this point, it is Gameday in Arkansas and the Razorbacks are on the board and all is right in the world again! College Football is life! WPS! #sailingtohi #razorbackfootball #wps
Well, the watermaker install is 90% done! Justin built a frame for it and it turned out perfectly. We still have a little left to finish but overall she is pretty much done. And this is fine bc we are going to be on the hard (boating term for being out of the water) for a few more months. This is so huge for us. Last year in the Bahamas we had to haul fresh water in jerry cans from water spouts at an anchorage back to the boat. It was an ordeal. This will allow us to take sea water and create fresh drinking water right on our boat. No more Jerry cans! No more concerns about running out of water! And to celebrate, the boys split a Captain Jack Burger. Yes, that is 2 half-pound burgers sandwiched between 2 grilled cheese sandwiches🏴☠️. #classy @seawater_pro #sailingtohi #sailboats #sailboatlife #sailinglife #boatwork #boatyardlife #watermaker #watermakerinstallation #seawaterpro #seawaterprowatermaker #liveinspired
The good news: WE HAVE A WATERMAKER!!! We drove to Ft. Lauderdale Monday and picked her up. As the captain says “our last and longest water run”😂😂. The bad news: It doesn’t fit where the captain had wanted to put it. But never fear bc MacGyver is here! So I give you “How the captain comes up with the design of the watermaker” as told in pictures. Stay tuned for the big reveal tomorrow (or so we hope🤞). #sailingtohi #sailboatlife #sailinglife #boatlife #boatwork #boatprojects #watermaker #seawaterpro #liveinspired
It is a GORGEOUS morning for a walk here in South Georgia. I mean, the humidity might strangle you, but being from Arkansas I am use to that. We are here for the week working on boat projects. Yesterday we got a new refrigeration system installed bc the refrigerator, the steering, and the inverter all crapped out about the time we pulled into the marina from the Bahamas last year. Today we will be continuing to work on the never ending challenge that is the electrical system, and also trying to clean our water tanks, and maybe paint a few interior things. Tomorrow we are heading to Ft. Lauderdale to pick up a freaking WATERMAKER (FINALLY!!!) and then spend the rest of the week trying to install it😂. But for now I will leave you with some pretty nature pics from my walk, and a recommendation to listen to Grandma Gatewood’s Walk, the inspiring story of the first woman to walk the Appalachian Trial alone (in the 1950s😳). And a great reminder that you’re never too old to follow your dreams. Walking the AT from Georgia to Maine is definitely a dream of mine. Who else wants to walk with me?? #sailingtohi #sailinglife #sailboatlife #boatlife #boatyardlife #southgeorgia #appalachiantrail #nature #ilovenature #outdoors #hiking #grandmagatewoodswalk #livingthedream #liveinspired
Well, the captain may be qualified to teach #boatyoga (see previous posts), but guess who is finally qualified to teach actual yoga!!! Who is ready for some yoga on the beach??? I will meet you there this winter❤️❤️!! #sailingtohi #sailing #sailboat #sailboatlife #sailinglife #boatlife #yoga #yogalife #yogainstructor #akashayogaacademy #liveyourbestlife #beachyoga
We brought the projector all the way from Arkansas just so we could watch the last episode of Ted Lasso. (Ok, and also Arkansas in the SEC Baseball Tournament Championship game, but we won’t talk about that). Long live the Lasso Way! #tedlasso #thelassoway #sailingtohi
There were a few random ropes laying around by our boat and if you know the captain you know clutter is not his friend. So today he climbed down the ladder and (irritatedly) stated “I don’t know who’s sh*t this is, but it’s about to
We have worked on replacing electrical outlets today. Found these gems😳. And while I am no electrician, I am genuinely surprised this boat has not burned to the ground yet🥴. #sailingtohi #boatlife #boatprojects #sailboat #sailinglife #whatthehell #electrician #yikes
We are in St. Mary’s working on the boat for a few days. First off, she looks funny without masts. They have been taken down to get our standing rigging replaced. Pics 4&5 are from where they came out. Yesterday was plumbing day. Our galley faucet leaked to the point where we couldn’t keep our water turned on, so we finally got it replaced. The Captain had to make a bigger hole in the counter, but it is in!! The rest of the day we worked on the plumbing in the forward head so we can have a working drain and be able to shower there. Many hours and curse words later it still isn’t working, but we think we know how to fix it🤞😂. (And by “we”, I mean Justin). Today we (hopefully) finish plumbing and then start on the electrical. I’m sure it will go well😵💫. #sailingtohi #boatwork #boatprojects #sailinglife
After a very chilly, but absolutely beautiful morning, Tohi made it safely down the coast and is officially on the hard. . We saw tons of dolphins, hit the tides/currents just right, and made it off the dock, down the coast, and into the traveling lift with zero issues. I think this is a first for us😵💫. . So now the work begins. You may recall we were planning on selling Tohi and finding a new boat, but just like with everything else, plans change. Now Tohi is getting a makeover. We are replacing all her rigging, getting her bottom painted, maybe installing a bow thruster, getting brand new sails, and a million smaller projects. . She will be ready to splash back in the water this fall as we plan to head south and begin exploring the Caribbean. Onward! . #sailingtohi #sailboat #sailboatlife #sailinglife #liveaboard #liveaboardlife #coastalgeorgia #adventure #onward #onelife
Well, after 17 hours of travel yesterday which included a sailboat, a ferry boat, 2 taxis, and 2 planes we are back home and woke up to frost on the ground this morning🫤. However, please enjoy these pictures from our last stop in the BVI, Cooper Island. We had clear waters, great snorkeling, swam with 3 sea turtles (forgot to take the underwater camera), the boys sipped beer at the rum bar(😁), and they also shared a tomahawk steak at dinner. And of course, we were bid farewell with a rainbow in the morning. We are so thankful for our time in the islands. It renewed our spirits and we cannot wait to bring Tohi here later this year/early next year 🤞(knocks on wood and everything around us). Until next time. . . #sailingtohi #bvi #britishvirginislands #cooperisland #islandhopping #sailing #sailinglife
Well, you can only go where the weather allows, and we were excited to head back to one of our faves, Cane Garden Bay, but thanks to running in to a cruising friend from the Bahamas we learned that there were 8 ft swells in the anchorage so we opted for Soper’s Hole instead and took at Taxi to CGB. The northern swell was knocking the boats around pretty good and we were thankful to not be there. CGB has some of the best sunsets and the clouds would not cooperate, so apparently it just wasn’t meant to be to experience it this trip. I guess we will just have to come back😉. #sailingtohi #bvi #britishvirginislands #canegardenbay #cgb #tortola #paradise #sailing #sailinglife
Anegada bid us farewell with a rainbow this morning🌈. She really is a gem. After 5.5 hours we made it to Jost! We had a quick lunch at @foxysjvd and then taxied over the mountain to White Bay, home of the famous @soggydollarbar (those views😍😍!!!). We waved at the live webcam and then hiked to @ivansstressfreebar which was way more low key and much more our speed. And I found some sweet shells which is always a plus. Finally ended our day with a super fancy, IG worthy charcuterie board😉. Just another incredible day in paradise. #sailingtohi #anegada #jostvandyke #jvd #bvi #britishvirginislands #foxysbvi #sailing #sailinglife #lovesailing #adventureawaits
Another fabulous day with @bige1912 and @the_amyanderson is in the books. We explored every part of the island. Ok, we ate and (they) drank our way through. It was tough, but someone had to do it😉. Here were our discoveries: ✨Best Bushwacker: @bigbambooanegada ✨Best Conch Fritters: @tipsybeachbar ✨Best Lobster: @pottersbythesea ✨Best overall favorite stop: @tipsybeachbar We also visited the Anegada Iguana Head Start. They hatch and raise the Anegada iguana for the first 4 years before releasing them into the wild. There are so many feral cats on the island that eat the hatchlings they could go extinct without this. We caught them at lunch time chowing down on lettuce. Tomorrow we are off again, but Anegada will forever be one of my favorite places. #sailingtohi #anegada #conchfritters #bushwacker #lobster #beachbar #daydrinking #bvi #britishvirginislands #vacation #sailing #sailinglife #lovesailing
It’s so good to be back in Anegada. We fell in love with this island in 2018 the last time we were here. They were still rebuilding from Hurricane Irma, so it is great to see how far it has come since then. Of course we had a fabulous sunset and I can’t get enough of the full moon! Tomorrow, we are going shelling! And y’all know how I feel about some shells 🐚❤️ Gah, we miss the sailing life! November needs to come quickly! #sailingtohi #bvi #britishvirginislands #anegada #sailing #sailinglife #sailboatlife #shelling
That moon😍!! #sailingtohi #fullmoon #trellisbay #tortola #bvi #sailing #sailinglife #fullmoonparty #sailinglife
We may not be on Tohi, but we are going sailing this week⛵️! Headed back to the BVI where we first caught the sailing bug! Adios, icy, cold Arkansas 🥶 Hello, beautiful, warm Tortola😎🌴 #sailingtohi #bvibound #tortola #bvi #sailing #islands #warmweather
I’m not saying we come to the OBX just to eat at @countrydeliobx but I’m also not saying that’s not the reason Troy comes. He loves him some Country Deli (and some bacon🥓), and talks about it all year. Hey Country Deli, if you’re looking for a spokesman, I know a guy😂. #sailingtohi #countrydeli #obx #outerbanks #bacon
It’s the end of an era. We retired Jeffrey today!! And by retired, I mean, him and King Triton’s Trident went into the dumpster. It was the most therapeutic day of our sailing journey😂. Now hopefully our next dinghy will be a bit of an upgrade. #sailingtohi #endofanera
One year ago today we woke up with the high of buying our first boat and the promise of living our dream aboard a sailboat traveling the world. However, that feeling soon turned in to the worst day on the boat. Due to variables outside our control we were tasked with captaining the boat for the very first time ever, off the dock, in the midst of a raging river (the tide in Beaufort IS a raging river!), and with a multi-million dollar boat on front of us bc we had to get to the boat yard down the river at high tide for a haul out. Please see pic 2 for a text sent to friends😑. We spoke with the dockhands and voiced our concerns about all the above and they assured us it would be fine. Spoiler Alert: IT WAS NOT FINE! With the dockhands holding our lines and giving us detailed info (which we followed) the tide slammed us into the boat in front of us and we were stuck to them for THREE HOURS! This is also when we got our first glimpse into the incredible world of the cruising community. So many people came to help, ease our minds, and comfort our spirits. At that point we had no idea how much damage was done to either boat (luckily not much), or if we would be able to continue or even want to continue after this traumatizing experience. The boat we hit (now know as “the one who shall not be named”) wrote Troy a sweet card and baked him brownies. The following day our friends drove up to tell us everything would be ok and to make sure we didn’t quit. This was also the weekend we adopted our motto (thanks to the amazing lyrics of @theavettbrothers): “The day will come. The sun will rise. And we’ll be fine.” It took us a while to get over this experience, but we are currently sitting on Tohi determined to make October 8, 2022 a much better experience❤️. Moral of the story: Follow your dreams, even when (or especially when) it gets hard. #sailingtohi #dreambig
We had such an incredible day at @rockynps! We hiked about 6 miles to 3 alpine lakes and Alberta Falls. We saw deer, elk, a family of turkeys, chipmunks, marmots, hippies, mountain men, and lots of wild humans😉. The mountains are truly majestic. And 12,000 feet of elevation (just 2+ miles above sea level🙃) is no joke! The air is cool and thin, but the views are worth it!! • After one day of hiking I am ready to take on the Appalachian Trail! Who’s with me?!? #rockymountainnationalpark #rmnp #hiking #notsailing #sailingtohi
Alright, who has ideas for shell art?? Posted @withregram • @sailing_tohi I tried to sort all the shells I found in the Bahamas. I got half way through, felt overwhelmed, and stopped. Typical #enneagram9, but at least I am half way through sorting🙌🙌. . . . All you creative souls out there, any recommendations for something artsy? I want to make something to commemorate our time, but it’s not my #1 strength. . . . #sailingtohi #shelling #bahamas #beachtreasures #oceantreasures
I tried to sort all the shells I found in the Bahamas. I got half way through, felt overwhelmed, and stopped. Typical #enneagram9, but at least I am half way through sorting🙌🙌. . . . All you creative souls out there, any recommendations for something artsy? I want to make something to commemorate our time, but it’s not my #1 strength. . . . #sailingtohi #shelling #bahamas #beachtreasures #oceantreasures
This is the part I’m not ready for; leaving the @the_salty_frys 🥺. We took our first vacation together in 2006 and we haven’t stopped. Living on a boat and exploring all the things is so much better with these guys, and truthfully we probably wouldn’t be doing it if we hadn’t had this dream together. Our first time sailing together was on a charter boat in the British Virgin Islands in 2014. Soon after, we both had this crazy dream and somehow we both wanted it bad enough to make it happen❤️. . . . So after 100+ days of being together every day how do you go back to “reality” and only seeing each other once a month even though you only live 20 minutes apart? Well, here’s how the last week has gone. . . “Hey, we need to go to Ft. Lauderdale to drop something off to get fixed, y’all wanna come and we can get a suite and enjoy one last trip together” So there was a road trip within a road trip within a sailing trip. . . . Then when we realized we needed to be home by Friday we decided to leave Thursday, stop half way, get adjoining hotel rooms, break out the projector and have a movie night with pizza and popcorn. . . . This morning when we were leaving each other and tears started coming, someone piped up “hey, what about lunch at the Bulldog”. So now we are headed to lunch together, but there is no more stalling or delaying the inevitable after that😥. . . . Vacationing with friends is always better, but what’s even better is after all those years of doing life together those friends become actual family. We may not be related by blood or marriage, but our kids have grown up together and we have grown into (semi) adults together😂 and we are better bc we have each other. . . . This season may be over, but Gleam and Tohi (or whatever our next boat name is) will be sailing together again soon enough⛵️. . . . #sailingtohi #gleamandtohiforever #glohi #mcfryfamily #mcfrysgosailing #framily
I cannot believe we said Farewell to Tohi this morning🥺. We shed a few tears walking off the docks and we are all sad our time on the water is up for now . It feels so surreal to be heading home after 116 days. While we are excited to see family, 3 of us wish we were staying longer. So what’s next for us? . . . First of all, this season may be over but we still have a lot more sailing to do. Tohi is officially on the market and looking for a new captain. She is a 1982 41’ Morgan Out Island. She is such a good boat and will keep you safe while sailing in 40 knot winds in the middle of the night when you’re ready to call the coast guard (oh the memories🥴). So if you are interested or know anyone who is, send them our way. . . . So now we are looking for our “forever” boat. We want a blue water boat that’s a little bigger and more equipped to be off the grid. It feels like we are back to Square one, but we learned SO MUCH this season that we actually know what we are looking for this time. So if you know of any good boats on the market let us know. . . . Until we find our next boat and start our next adventure we will be relishing in the adventures we had and the memories we made this year. Gosh, what an incredible adventure it was! . . . #sailingtohi #liveaboard #sailboatlife #sailing #forsale #familyadventures
When we were getting ready for our trip people asked if we were going to miss TV or video games or sports or other American luxuries and comforts of home. We were trying to find a more simplistic lifestyle on purpose, so we were trying to escape some of these things. . However, there were a few luxuries we did miss. In no particular order: Flushing toilets Long, hot showers Washing machine Dishwasher AND Ice water So if you see me in a public bathroom declaring my love to a flushing toilet while downing a Big Gulp of ice water just know you’ve been warned😂. #sailingtohi
We watched our last ocean sunset last night. Watched it while listening to some JB and ended it with blowing the conch horn. Thankful to be safely tucked in to the dock tonight (especially after a 60 hour passage), but what a ride we had! . . . 🎶These moments we're left with May you always remember These moments are shared by few And those harbor lights Aw they're coming into view We bid our farewell much too soon So drink it up This one's for you Honey, it's been a lovely cruise🎶 . . . #sailingtohi #sunset #atlanticocean #lovelycruise #jimmybuffett #sailboatlife #passage
Well, here we are. We just watched our last Bahamian sunset on anchor. It feels like Day 1 of this trip was a lifetime ago and also it feels like it flew by. . . . I am going to miss so many things about boat life, but one thing I will not miss is Jeffrey. He is finally tied down on deck where he can no longer troll us. Yesterday he escaped from the boat (probably bc he heard us talking so badly about him) and some nice people found him floating in the anchorage and returned him (high winds accompanied by a 10 year old tying the cleat hitch makes for an easy dinghy escape😑). He also threw me off the boat last night. He needed to be aired up and when I took a step onto him he folded like an accordion and I was a goner straight into the water. I will NOT miss Jeffrey. . . . But there is so much we will all miss. The slow pace, the quiet, the new experiences, the beauty and wonder. It all can feel so magical. . . . We have 350 more miles to go and then we get to say “We did it”. What a freaking life we get to live! . . . #sailingtohi #manjackcay #abacos #bahamas #liveaboard #sailboat #sailboatlife #sailinglife #kids4sail #kids4sailteen #dreamlife
Like all sailing plans, they are written in the sand at low tide, and so are ours. We had planned on extending our cruising permit and staying for another month, but plans change. We realized a few weeks ago that this would probably be the case, so we have been heading north and looking for a good weather window to cross back to the states. We have our weather window to make the 350 mile passage to Brunswick, GA this week. We plan on leaving first thing in the morning and arriving Wednesday afternoon. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings as the sun sets on our time in the Bahamas, but I will save it for another post. Today we are off to soak in our last day❤️. . . . #sailingtohi #abacos #bahamas #manjackcay #sailinglife #liveaboard #sunset