Waving in the tropics

Sat here enjoying the first tropical wave of the season…sounds far more warm and cuddly than the reality of the pouring rain. However, it still is pretty toasty here in Martinique.

Short & sweet trip back to Europe mostly so we could catch some time with Daddy who is sailing in Europe for 2 months.

We spent a stunning week in Lake Garda. With every type of weather, it definitely wasn’t the week to have no luggage. I’m confident we will be reunited one day….maybe next month! There were castles, bikes, zoos, kitesurfing, sailing, dinners and meets with friends.

A hop and a skip & we were back in the UK and on to my hometown of Burnham-on-crouch, Essex. A muddy tidal creek that is dear to my heart & the only place that I ll ever think of as home.

My parents have been off cruising in the med for 10 years, only moving back into their house last year in prep for my Dad having a complicated jaw replacement for a necrotic jaw. It was great to see him 8 weeks post surgery & on a bumpy recovery road he’s still mildly cantankerous but being very British about the whole affair! NHS heroes have sorted him out once again. See he now looks 30 odd years younger with a stylish moustache and shorts…

The kids were mildly enthralled by all the pageantry of the royal wedding Lily decided we couldn’t go as Harry didn’t have a suit & she didn’t have a pretty enough dress with her. Nevertheless it was great to be in the country soon along up the positive atmosphere of this great British event, especially whilst the sun was out.

As I wandered down Burnham sea wall and passed the salt marshes, I realised that one day I really would like my kids to lay down some roots, but not before they’ve crossed a few oceans and realised that there is a whole diverse world out there for them to explore.

As we are now back to a place where life is a lot slower and it’s trickier to get things on demand. I’m appreciating the return to the simple life. Ok I did fit in a spirilizer, so maybe my cooking utensils just doubled…

On my last eve in Burnham I managed to meet up with some old friends. The night was too short & in a gorgeous cocoon of a familiar place and people there simply was not enough time! One friend asked what the crap bits of boat life were, so I need to reply. In truth there are very few. There are things that take more time & are a little more convuluted, but in a world full of convenience I love the fact that a hot bath can feel like you just picked up willy Wonkers golden ticket.

Very quickly the novelty of a hot bath and a stacked fridge can wear off, but hopefully when we do pitch some roots down we’ll all still appreciate those things… But after nearly a year of no school run I no longer have that balled up knot inside of perpetual lateness for the school run or work, or both, or that feeling of having overcommitted mine or my families time day after day. I also don’t miss the feeling that I’m letting people down due to lack of time or organisation. If we meet up I want to have time to actually listen to you!

For now here is a quick off the top of my head list of mildly irritating boat life realities. We endure these whilst living in stunning locations on the hook:

⁃ Water is treasured commodity, no long showers or frivolous washing up. But shouldn’t we be mindful of this anyway?

⁃ Hot showers are possible if the engine has been on or if the generator has been on & we’ve made enough water. Marginal personal hygiene (even of 8year old boy) is mitigated by jumping in the sea/ocean.

⁃ Charging of phones/laptops needs some planning. If you haven’t done it while you have good solar power input then you may be sans battery life unless the generator is actually needed. But tv for kids is only at the weekends anyhow. Just read a book.

⁃ Laundry. Don’t wait to find a laundrette until you have too many loads otherwise it may take all day to get done. Just wear less clothes or hand wash/bucket wash some nick nacks.

⁃ Confined space. Our boat is admittedly a catamaran which helps, but I don’t feel like it’s a ridiculously small space. Effectively we live outside which gives us a whole world of space.

⁃ Self care- it’s not the 70s & organising the odd bush trim can be tricky in some places. Yes I may wish I’d got lasered some years back…Likewise my not really blonde hair. Roots are hideous but I don’t know anyone out here!

⁃ Kid free time. I miss it less than I thought I would! If I can somehow get out of bed and get a jog or body weight circuit for 30 mins then my mental health is good & I can cope with the kiddos. If this doesn’t happen then the amber alert sounds after 3 days….you’ve been warned.

⁃ Getting stuff sent. It’s either super expensive or a pain in the arse & means waiting somewhere for twice aslong as you think or moving somewhere you don’t want to be. Save money, don’t buy it unless you really really cannot survive without it. Most of the time you don’t need it. *NB This does not apply to my long awaited handheld dyson 110v that I still haven’t got hold of. I may well die without this lustful item of British engineering finery*

– I do end up dealing with a lot of other people’s poo! Boat heads take a bit of trickery clearly!

⁃ Loneliness- ok so we’re back on the boat as a 3 for a month. Not ideal but we ll struggle on through in the Caribbean! The nature of the husband I chose means periods alone. If that means we’re alone in exotic locations instead of grinding out the 9-5 life in my home country that works for me! Even when he is onboard yes life can still be lonely. We all know girlfriends make the world go around and there is nothing more cleansing than a random vent of what’s on your mind with a non-judgemental girlfriend. On the upside the new friends we meet are often in a similar life space. Having taken themselves on a similar adventure & are often a hell a lot of fun. There are those gobi desert periods when you don’t meet anyone but hey you’re on a boat with your nearest & dearest & that’s pretty special.

⁃ The boat work. There’s a lot of it-Suck it up. If you re lucky enough to be a engineer you re winning. If you really want to do the trip you’ll learn or find some ace cruisers who may be willing to help solve a problem. Stuff is always more expensive than you think & breaks at in-opportune moments but that’s where the adventure is. It often gets hard and you re in the grit, but it makes you appreciate a working boat all the more!!

⁃ Cutting the lines won’t take you where you thought and you won’t like everywhere. There will be a lot of change! Directions, time, friends, plans but it will be 100% worth it. Cut the lines & go….