Sunday 26 October 2008

The Big Plan is a List of Plans, USA to Australia

There never seems to be enough time to get everything done before embarking upon a big event in life. That's especially true when the plan, our plan, involves multiple major moves including downsizing, selling a home and cars, shipping belongings half way around the world, getting young adults re-settled and outfitting a boat for extended cruising. No matter how much time is allowed for such major life changes, it is never simple, easy or enough. 


Robert has dreamed for some time of journeying down the Intracoastal Waterway to Florida and on to the Bahamas and the Caribbean. Once we leave Maryland, our plan will involve many steps before we reach Sydney, Australia. While we need to have some kind of plan, we also plan to keep our options open where possible to allow for any changes in circumstances. So begins our slow journey back to Australia, after 12 years in the U.S.

Our plan

  • November 16th '08 to January '09 Cruise the ICW
  • 1st December is the end of the Hurrican Season!
  • January '09 to February '09 - Cruise the Bahamas
  • February '09 to April - Cruise Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands
  • April '09 to May '09 - Cruise the Lesser Antilles
  • 1st June '09 is the start of the Hurrican Season - Need to be south of 12 degrees lattitude
  • Spend the 2009 summer in Grenada
  • Determine next steps
The jouney south from the Bahamas to the Lesser Antilles is known as the Thorny Path. We will be following Bruce Van Sant's advice published in "A Gentleman's Guide to Passages South" which can be boiled down to "wait, see and go" when the weather says it's safe to leave.

Monday 20 October 2008

Old Ironsides USS Constitution

We visited the USS Constitution AKA "Old Ironsides" last month on our way to Maine.

Monday 13 October 2008

We're Licensed Hams!

Robert (KB3RUH) and I (KB3RUI) passed our Amateur Radio Technician Class exams yesterday and are now licensed to use the ham radio aboard Bristol Rose!