A little history....

Our sleep patterns still don’t seem to be quite normal yet. We’ve been waking up consistently around 3am each morning but I’ve been able to stay in bed and get some more sleep. Mike doesn’t have as much luck, and usually gets up, makes coffee, and does very important stuff I’m sure. It can make for a really long day for him. And the mosquitoes (which are starting to appear) don’t help much either. But overall today was a pretty quiet day….actually can’t really remember what happened. I finished sanding the two aft handrails….did some varnishing. Mike did some various odds and end jobs. Ishmael continued his work on the head. We had a crappy shower, made some dinner and then the best part of the day….got into bed and watched Avatar! We shoulda’ seen it on the big screen…

Since there isn’t too much report today maybe we will provide some background to the folks who have no idea what we are doing here...

So in 2006 Serena did some volunteer work in India (that is another story altogether) while Mike was hiking the PCT. And the original plan was to meet up in India, travel some in S.E. Asia, and make our way down to New Zealand and work as nurses. We had spent some time getting our NZ nursing registrations and wanted to be able to live and work outside the country for a little while. But after Mike sold his boat, Krill, in 2005 he had always been on the look out for the next one. After not being able to find the right fit on the West Coast or BC he expanded his search to the rest of the world. Before he came to join me in India he had found a boat that intrigued him in Cyprus. So since he was flying that way anyways… She was a step up from Krill (at least in size, not in style or spirit). A Bruce Roberts’ design, ‘Mauritius’ model. 43’ steel center cockpit ketch. Bulletproof. A definite blue water, go anywhere boat. He liked her and after much consideration we decided to pursue plan B. How could we not? Mike had this dream of sailing in the Med and it really felt like everything was in alignment. It was the right boat, the right price, at the right time. If we had said no, we would have always wondered “what if?”. We didn’t want to regret not doing it. It was while we were in Varanasi, India, that Mike made the offer on her. A short re-route through Moscow later, we arrived in Cyprus on Valentine’s Day 2007, bought the boat, and spent the next 2 months hauled out in Larnaca. After a few fix-um-ups and some time getting to know the boat a bit more, we set off into the unknown. That first crossing from Cyprus to the city of Fethiye in Turkey was a bit of a test. 145 miles, 26 hours on a new boat. Battling sea-sickness and fatigue, our first approach of the Turkish coastline is actually quite memorable. Heavy, leaden clouds that broke with dawn’s first light to reveal huge snow-capped peaks. There was this scent coming off the land that we could smell from miles and miles away. A mix between vanilla, orange blossoms, and spice. It was sweet, foreign, and inviting. After about a week making our way west along the south coast of Turkey, we crossed to the Greek island of Rhodes at the end of April and spent the next two months sailing (and motoring) our way through the Cyclades and Dodecanese Isles. The dream is happening! Along the way we met up with Mike’s mom and step-dad, our friend Chad and Mike’s dad and step-mom. It was fantastic to be able to share the boat with our friends and family! There were parts that were challenging and new things to learn but overall it was really dreamy. We left Independence in Marmaris, Turkey at Yacht Marine (for the 1st time) and returned the following spring. This started a routine of spending a few months a year in Turkey with the boat, and going back to Seattle to work and save money to finance our next fix. It’s proved to be more work than play (at least in time spent), but the playing by far outweighs the work! Between quiet bays, amazing coastline, friends and family coming to visit, it’s been an incredible few years. Last year Mike made the journey solo and spent 3 months working his ass off. He says “the boat won” but was successful in getting many important projects done, with the help of his dad and brother. And that leads us up to this year….we got married, quit our jobs, sent our dog Sunny to live with Mike’s mom and step-dad (thank you!) and rented out our house for one year with the idea of spending that entire time on the boat. We are hoping to get back in the water the first of June so Independence can get her belly wet again since it has been a couple of years. As far as a more detailed plan, we know we are meeting our friends, Shan, Heather and their little boy, Lucca, in Croatia the second week of August! After that, maybe more time in Croatia, maybe Italy. Winter over somewhere…Croatia, Montenegro, Spain…? Leave the boat in Tunisia and travel by land somewhere…? Bring the boat across the Atlantic…?! Run out of money and come home…? It’s all a bit up in the air, but stay tuned and find out!