Like many people who consider retiring to their boats and cruising around there is a narrow window of opportunity.
You have to wait until your kids are old enough to be out on their own and self-sufficient. You want to do your best to help them out through college, etc., right But, you can’t want to wait too long because our bones and joints and general health start to deteriorate and sailing can be a physically demanding activity at times. Also at some point your kids figure out how to have their own kids and that means you will probably experience a grandparent’s desire to be with them as often as possible. They are so cute and its so fun to watch them grow and develop. Also, many of us have aging parents who begin to develop health issues like Alzheimers dementia that require support. This can be a wonderful time to demonstrate and payback the love that your parents provided to you when you were growing up. You want to be there for that.
So, what to do, what to do? Well, you do your best, that’s what. You try to find a balance. You get out as soon as you can and don’t beat yourself up with too much guilt.
We stopped by Bellingham to visit Derek and Katie and our grandson Jeremiah one last time before we are gone for 3 months. He is changing so fast and smiles so much, he is a joy to be around. It was fun but also a little bittersweet knowing we won’t see him until he’s like 8 months old. He’ll be almost a big boy by then! Take care, little guy. Don’t grow up too fast!
So, yes, a wonderful visit but now its time to move on dot org. Today we left Bellingham behind on a chilly cloudy day and sailed out of Bellingham Bay, turned north up Hale Passage and up to Blaine. We had 10-15 knots of wind behind us from the south helping us along on a broad reach. Karen spent most of her time at the helm while I fiddled around with different arrangements on the preventer, the extra line that helps prevent a troublesome accidental jibe from causing damage to the rigging.
