So. . . I’m guessing that ONLY a “fulltime cruiser” will understand how very small a 43 foot boat really is.

We have a V-Berth (at the bow, which is the pointy end of the boat), designed to accommodate guests in two ever-narrowing berths that end up with our guests very definitely playing footsie. We have a forward head (“bathroom,” in non-boating language) which has only a toilet and sink, for the comfort of our guests, because we prefer that our guests enjoy the tub/shower in the master stateroom (TRUE LUXURY!)

So the V-Berth is stacked high with. . . Carlsberg Beer, Diet Coke, Dog Food/treats, several (!!!) big bottles of Appleton Estate Rum,  and bedding for prospective guests (if they can find it. . . ). The Forward Head (remember, this is the guest toilet and sink) has Stoli Vodka (several big bottles), more Appleton Estate Run,  several half gallon bottles of some kind of toilet cleaner (tell me, is this reassuring??)

We’ve spent hours trying to tie down, or hide, or find space for. . . anything that can become a missile, or slide and fall, or break itself or something else as it gets rocked or rolled. TOMORROW, Sunday, we head out. The weather forecast is not ideal.  This is the beginning of our Adventure. (I remind you all that it’s supposed to be “LOW ADVENTURE!”)

We are carrying this wonderful little gadget called “Spot.” It talks to satellites about where we are, sending a GPS message every 10 minutes. Bookmark this link, and sometime soon, when I can figure out how to do it I’ll put it in the sidebar as a widget.

Click to see where we are. . .

Yes, we are actually going to DO IT! We’re going to put aside our obligations, duties, jobs, chores and HoneyDos. We’re going to move aboard Aqua Vitae, and Go.

“JUST GO!” is advice we’ve heard over and over from our boating friends who have done exactly that, and we (I, really, Peggy) have finally come to my senses. Not everyone has the opportunity to live their dream.

We will leave Baltimore and head south when we see a good weather window. A good weather window doesn’t mean balmy sunshine and sparkling waves, it means flat water. The Chesapeake Bay is a large body of water that can be very unforgiving, especially as air and water temperatures drop.

Our ultimate goal is to move slowly south, enjoying the people and places we meet. We will stop and smell as many “roses” as we can find, which may mean a lovely anchorage, or a charming town, both of which abound on the ICW (IntraCoastal Waterway) the “road” we will be traveling.