She's ours!

Virginia Dare, Rockland (Maine) public landing

Well, technically, she's not ours yet.  But, we made an offer-counteroffer-offer and a deal was sealed with a handshake (for the men) and a hug (for the women) and a subsequent sending of earnest money.  Virginia Dare is her name and she's a gorgeous Hallberg Rassy 39 that's been meticulously cared for and loved.

Last weekend, we trekked to Rockland, Maine, to see Virginia Dare and meet her owners, Bob and Christine.  They couldn't have been more lovely -- and we four instantly hit it off.  Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, we pored over the boat and talked endlessly about every topic we could think of.  They provided a wealth of information for all of our questions and offered advice for future voyages, whether they be coastal excursions or overnight passages.  Heck, they even offered to crew for us when we transit the Panama Canal!

We later meandered south along the coast, back to the Portland airport, with smiles on our faces as the realization that our dream will soon be reality.  The thought of living 100% on board couldn't please us more!  The world will be ours to explore.  Wow.  Just wow.  I can't wait to take pictures of our journey.

Camden harbor

Giant nest on someone's chimney!

Rockport harbor lobster boat

Now, we have to kick "it" into high gear and sell our home before we take possession in October.  ZOIKS!

Dream big.

Every time I walk into our room, I see it.  Dream big.  Right there.  On the whale.  With anchors.  A reminder that our dream is slowly becoming a reality.  We're making plans to see a Hallberg-Rassy 39 in New England later this month.  It's so exciting to think about and wonder, where will we be next year at this very moment?

For now, we're dreaming.  And it's good.  It's all good.

Dream big.

Don't count your chickens before they're hatched!

Well, that's easier said that done!  For me, it has been torture to keep this secret.

We haven't told a soul that we have an offer on the cottage.  After all, the buyers could still back out and leave us with $5,000 earnest money.  However, last night we quietly celebrated the fact that the cottage sailed through its inspection on Wednesday afternoon.  We really weren't worried, but you never know what an inspector might flag.  Thank heavens Leelanau Township doesn't have Shaker Heights' insane inspection hoops to jump through!

So, cheers to another step in the right direction!

Happy Birthday, David!

What better birthday present than the sale of our cottage?!  It's true, we accepted an offer yesterday and finalized the paperwork today.  Our dream of sailing the world has been simmering for a couple of years, but now we can move forward with plans.....looking for a "floating" cottage -- a blue-water sailboat that will take us around the world.

Instead of watching sailboats float by, we'll finally be on the water.  We loved that cottage and made many great memories, especially our wedding, that we'll hold dear forever.  


But it's time for a new chapter.  Stay tuned as our adventure unfolds!  (Patience as I figure out the blogging world.....)