Summer Recap

This summer has absolutely flown by. We knew we were heading out of Florida but didn’t expect to spend the summer in Georgia. Quite frankly, we planned to head further north but life had other plans.

We stopped in Brunswick for a few weeks in July to travel for work and take care of some boat projects. But, Brunswick ended up becoming home for a few months after we lost someone very close to us unexpectedly. In hindsight, we couldn’t have been in a better spot because we were only a few hours away by car.

Our friend, Chris

Some of you may have known Christopher Holley. He was Tommy’s best friend since high school. Chris passed away unexpectedly in August after an anaphylactic reaction to a wasp sting while doing yard work. He leaves behind his incredible wife and two beautiful children.

We have been back and forth to Atlanta this summer to say our goodbyes, spend time with his family and celebrate Chris’ incredible life. You absolutely never expect to lose someone so young and vibrant so suddenly. He was one of our biggest cheerleaders when we set off on this adventure and truly the world’s greatest friend.

Brunswick punch list

In between our road trips across Georgia, we tackled a lot of boat projects. Some were planned and others were unexpected.

During our first week at the marina, we had the absolute worst weather. Naturally, it was the week that Tom was traveling for work. During one of the nasty thunderstorms, we were close enough to a lightning bolt to have some indirect damage, including a solar controller, wind instrument, starboard ECU and rail pressure sensor, as well as a few lights, fuses, and relays.

All in all, these were all minor things compared to the refit last year, but mentally dealing with more lightning issues on top of the planned work and personal matters was hard.

The planned list included things like an exterior wax/buff, leaky hatch repairs, oil change on the watermaker, installing new bedroom fans, surf and wing foiling board storage, curtains, as well as new engine fuel filters for the diesels and the dinghy. The pièce de résistance is definitely the new trampoline net!

All in all, it was a very productive summer. We didn’t do a very good job documenting it because we were just focused on getting through it. The world keeps sending us reminders that life is too short. We are certainly determined to make the most of it and can’t wait to start heading south again. We have one last land trip planned this summer, which includes a stop by the Annapolis Sailboat Show. You can expect a full recap of that trip in a couple weeks.

As will all travel plans on a boat, they’re always tentative. But we plan to head down to the Keys, Marquesas and Dry Tortugas before heading back to the Bahamas this year. Time will tell but we will do our best to post more regular updates once we’re back on the move.

Give your loved ones an extra squeeze today. Call your friends and tell them you love them. Thanks for being here with us.