Chapter 137: That’s a Wrap!

And so 2024, our first year of cruising, comes to a close. It’s true we moved aboard in 2023, but 2023 was filled with boat work, trying to get Meraviglia into a state where we could actually leave the dock. In 2024, we actually DID leave the dock, so that feels like a victory right there. A year ago, we were faced with what, in retrospect, was the last catastrophe: the engine and transmission failed. We ended 2023 living on a boat without an engine. From that perspective, 2024 feels like a win despite the challenges. It’s true that we haven’t actually been cruising for a year yet-we left Brunswick, Georgia on February 13, so it’s only been 10 months, but we’re going to round up and say it’s been a year. What the heck!

Where do we stand? Well, we’ve logged over 4,000 nautical miles in that time and have visited 20 countries! Here’s the list:

• United States of America (of course)
• The Bahamas
• Turks and Caicos
• Dominican Republic
• Puerto Rico (yes, it’s a part of the USA, but let’s just go with it)
• U.S. Virgin Islands (let’s not split hairs)
• British Virgin Islands
• Saint Martin
• Sint Maarten (okay, okay, yes, they are on the same small island, but they ARE separate countries and we did drive across the border one day)
• Saba
• Saint Kitts and Nevis (went to both, but same country)
• Montserrat
• Antigua
• Guadeloupe
• Martinique
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines
• Grenada
• Bonaire
• Aruba
• Panama

Plus, we transited the Panama Canal, which is pretty cool all by itself.

So, we’re feeling a great sense of accomplishment. I hesitate to say “pride” (deadly sin and all that), but Kim and I are feeling pretty good about where we have been and where we are. Yes, the country list is pretty long, but we would say our sense of accomplishment stems not from that list, but from what we’ve learned. We have become SAILORS. Did we know how to sail before? Yes, but that is a far cry from being a “sailor”. The difference is hard to quantify, but there is a general feeling of confidence that we both have. When we first started, each passage was a source of anxiety, wondering what would go wrong. Now, our passage planning is an exciting time where we anticipate the new experiences. That’s not to say things don’t go wrong-they do-but we feel more confidence in our abilities to handle those things.

What have we learned on the journey?

• We know how Meraviglia handles in different weather conditions, when we need to reef down, and when we need to adjust our course to take advantage of her best points of sail.
• We know that when we make a route to a destination, we may not follow the line on the chart exactly, and that’s okay.
• We know basic weather forecasting and what conditions we’re comfortable with.
• We know how to deploy and douse the whisker pole (and how not to wrap the genoa around the forestay!)
• We know basic sail repair
• We know how to fill our diesel tanks without making a mess (it’s been MONTHS since we had diesel in our bilge).
• We know how to to provision for life on a boat and for making offshore passages
• We know that things tend to come loose, so regularly checking electrical connections, plumbing fittings, rigging, etc. prevents nasty surprises.
• We know how to unground ourselves when we run aground.
• We know what watch schedule allows us to best function over several days at sea.
• We know how to set and weigh anchor, how to pick up and release a mooring, and how to moor and unmoor Meraviglia without inducing palpitations.
• We know how to manage our power consumption/generation to be able to stay off-grid for weeks at a time.

That said, we know we have a LOT still to learn. There are situations we have not yet encountered. Most importantly probably are severe weather and a dragging anchor. We have been blessed to have not encountered any significant squalls or storms during our time cruising and our anchor, once set, has been rock-solid. When we do encounter these things, which is a certainty, that will be another time for learning, but we feel like we will be able to deal with it when it happens. That’s progress!

And I’m going to take this opportunity to give huge props to Kim. She has come SO far over the last year. From quite anxious to very confident. She has really embraced the sailing/cruising lifestyle and has learned so much. I am so lucky-she’s the best (sorry everyone else; it’s just the truth).

Now, we are off the boat for a bit. We’ll head back to the USA to spend the holidays with our kids, so this will be last post of 2024. When we get back in January, we have a list of boat projects to complete in preparation for the adventure of 2025: Across the Pacific!

We hope each of you has a very happy holiday season! See you next year!