Sailing Family of 6 - Not All Who Wander Are Lost.

We have landed in Ft. Lauderdale. It was a beautiful sail/motor sail down the coast to get here and when we arrived we knew it would be difficult to find a place to anchor. Lucky for us we found a great place in tiny Lake Sylvia. We love it here and are close to so many places we  might need to go for parts. On the way in we saw mega yachts with their staff lined up to load the boat.  These boats have POOLS!!  We can't image the lifestyle the owners have.  We have to admit to feeling pretty good on Allie May.  Rourke saw a boat  called Elaine May today and decided its the sister boat to ours. :) After being on the boat all day yesterday and all morning today we decided a trip to the Oyster Bar was needed. On the way there we had to go under small car bridges...we weren't sure we'd make it. Can we do it? Yes we can....barely!! We made it safely and even picked up trash from the waterway when we could. After lunch and a trip to the store to let...

We loved spending time with our friends Tom and Jeanette but it's time to get moving again. Don ran all over town looking for parts  and supplies while I suffered poolside with friends and the kids.  How lucky am I?!? :) We are full on gas, food and water.  The only consistent trouble we have is these darn no-see-ums. They are tiny but fierce! What they look like: This is what they feel like... Those aren't my images but they provide a realistic image and feeling  for these little blood suckers!

We have been moving south slowly covering about 30 miles per day.  The sites have been diverse as we have seen multimillion dollar boats and homes built on top of each other followed a few miles later by empty beautiful lagoons filled with dolphins, manatees, sting Ray's and other marine life.  The kids are adapting very well.  Honestly, faster than Don and I are.  They have been diligent about doing their school work mostly because they earn Jelly beans and lose electronics if they don't do their work.  They sleep better than we do and seem to have an endless supply of energy. It's like being at home...as at the end of the day we are the exhausted ones who can't wait for bedtime. 😜  Still not complaining, as I'd rather be here than almost any where else.   We will arrive in Stuart Florida soon and plan to catch up with friends.  The quote isn't mine but it's fitting!

We spent several days prepping the boat as well as catching the sights. Our real blessings were grandma and grandpa who were a HUGE help and we truly would have struggled without their  support.  We visited the old fort and ate some delish ice cream. Rourke was busy catching catfish.

As we have begun to tell more people about our plans to live aboard  with our kids we often hear the same comments and questions over and over.  I'd like to take a moment to respond to some of those comments and answer some of those questions. #1.  "Are you F****** crazy?!?" Well, maybe a little bit.  Those of you who know me (Sandi) personally, you know that I grew up living on a sailboat with my wonderful crazy family.  As I grew older and independent I knew I had a much greater need for adventure than most.   Now that we have kids, our goal is to give them a taste for it too. #2.  Will you have internet? Sometimes but part of the blessing of sailing is being away from the technology.  Yes, we will be able to get emails and have phone service but it will be spotty and we can't always be prompt with our responses. #3.  Are you scared that someone will fall overboard? Yes, however, we will take all the precautions we can to m...