RECORDED: March 2020 - April 2020 - As the world shutdown

We arrive back to Florida in the midst of a global economic shutdown in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. We left 7 days prior and life was “normal” and returned to a whole different world than we had left. We now have to navigate boat buying in a world with border closures, economic shutdowns, and collapsing employment throughout the world.

We view 2 Leopard 48 Catamarans damaged by Hurricane Irma in 2018.

Follow along with the adventure and see what we are up to next!

Here is the link to the Knot on Call Moorings Phase Out Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcUA4qd23ZY

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Concerned about our health and safety protocols? Throughout 2020 to present day, we have not been sick and remained healthy. We attribute this to our safety protocols, using HOCL and Propolis sprays any time we were in public. We encourage everyone to be safe and take all the precautions your situation merits. This video shared what works well for us and if you are interested, please see the resource links below. These are not affiliate links, just products we use and know can help.

Before criticizing our health routine and safety protocols, understand that our videos highlight our lives and experience. What you are seeing is a snapshot of what life looked like for us. As you can see, and will continue to see, we traveled everywhere, 7 countries, countless states, etc, airports, taxis, ubers, etc… we are out in the wild the entire time… our methods work for us and can work for you.

HOCL Hypochlorous Acid: Briotech USA
Propolis Article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/p....mc/articles/PMC55494

Propolis Spray: https://www.allstarhealth.com/....de_p_ref/9372/bing93

Propolis Drops: https://www.allstarhealth.com/....de_p_ref/9372/bing93

Propolis Capsules: https://biopureus.com/product/brazilian-green-propolis/?utm_source=BioPure&utm_campaign=59bbedc69e-Weekly_Update_Week_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_2dfdc8f587-59bbedc69e-365835961&mc_cid=59bbedc69e

RECORDED: March 8th, 2020 - March 11th 2020 | Before the Pandemic Existed

Marylee was damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2018 and put back into charter after quick repairs. She started her phase out process in the Tortola Yacht Services boat yard owned by Moorings & Sunsail. Moorings is making a deal with us and showed us Marylee before she was listed for sail. They are also honoring the previous contract price for a 1 year newer catamaran.

We travel from Panama to Florida, then to Puerto Rico and finally arrive in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands, BVIs.

Follow along with the adventure and see what we are up to next!

Here’s a link to the Tortola Yacht Services: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff6zHRRPYeo&feature=emb_imp_woyt

We are in Panama and discuss Season Pass, a Leopard 44 Sailing Catamaran, and its condition. We spend the day with the guys from the marina and they take us out on a day long adventure, exploring Panama and the Linton Bay area. We enjoy a Couples Day with great people out on the water.
We leave the Panamarina and view the boat from the exterior for the 1st time. We look at the cabin windows from the exterior as well, as they were replaced. We found out it was cheaper for the owners to fly to South Africa and pick up the windows and fly back with them to Panama as checked luggage, than it was for paying for shipping from South Africa. They imported a surfboard according to Panama Customs.

We take the tender out through mangroves and into a lazy river, known as Canales Cristalinos, and we anchor and take a short swim in a real jungle river… amazing. We wish we had our Gopros. Everything was filmed with our cell phones; we were not prepared for this level of adventure. We thought that we were just going to look at a boat… you never know what adventures are waiting to be had. This trip we packed lightly, but maybe a little too lightly.

We then made our way to a small beach that was protected from the full force of the ocean by a shallow reef. There was part of a tree trunk just off the beach. Our photos make this look deceptively small. It is about the size of a small car and we have no clue how it got here. We also go to Linton Bay Marina and to get fuel and head to Isla Grande. We walk along the beachfront and stop for a light lunch. Between the little Spanish Mike knows and the doing his best to try new things, he somehow ordered a dish with octopus… that’s not something he will eat. We make the most of everything and had a great time and take a few photos of the beautiful coastline and us!

On our way back to the Panamarina, we saw monkeys in the treetops of Isla Linton. Brittany gets the courage to feed a wild monkey a few pistachios and we watch a local share oranges with other monkeys as well. We could not have asked for a better experience, and seeing those monkeys was completely random.

After returning from our day out on the water we enjoy the underwater lights under the boat and seeing the sea life it attracts. It is a very cool feature to have on any boat! We have our final meal at the marina and start packing for our next adventure. In the next 24 hours we will travel through 4 countries, to make our way to Tortola in the British Virgin Islands.

These are our Sequence of Events!

⁣RECORDED: March 5th, 2020 - March 8th 2020 | Before the Pandemic Existed

We take the next 4 days to prepare for the next adventure. The journey takes us to 4 different countries in following 5 days. There is a lot to coordinate and prepare for as we leave the country for Panama.

In the midst of travel, the onset of the Corona virus pandemic hits and we have to figure out how best to navigate this quickly changing world. We arrange 8 different flights, to 4 different countries, and 5 different airports, hotels, drivers, etc… there is a lot to keep track of.

Moorings have been amazing, and they are doing their best to help us out and work with us. There is a hurricane damaged catamaran in Tortola, British Virgin Islands, that is coming out of charter and starting the phase out repairs. We will keep the purchase price of $330,00 for a 2015 model, 1 year newer than the previous boat we had under contract, and they will cover the cost of the survey and include the follow up inspection after the additional repairs are completed.

This week we travel to Panama and meet our driver to take us across Panama from the Pacific side of the country to the Gulf/Atlantic side. We arrive at 2:00 a.m. and after a long and adventurous ride in the middle of the night, we arrived at the Panamarina marina at 5:00 a.m.

We meet great owners of Seasons Pass, a 2013 Leopard 44 Catamaran. This catamaran was damaged in Hurricane Irma in 2018 prior to them purchasing it. They show us the repairs they’ve completed and we survey the condition of the boat. This boat has a lot of the features we want and are excited about the possibility of owning her. It’s not perfect, but it has a lot of potential.

Follow along and join the adventure… it is just getting started!

⁣After many Sequence of Events we make the difficult decision to cancel our deal and continue our search of buying a catamaran.

Check out the story and join us on this ever changing adventure.

⁣We take a break and take a tour of the island with our friend John. He shows us the local specialties and all the food that grows native to the island. The first stop was a view point of Soufriere Bay and the beautiful Pitons.

Next we stopped in Marigot Harbour and enjoy how much food is growing everywhere. Nearly every tree produces food. We find Coffee and cocoa plants off to the side of the road.

Toraille Waterfall is our fist tourist site where we find a lush environment and a beautiful waterfall. Sine would call the water cold, we call it refreshing! We had a quick visit at the falls and then headed a natural sulfur spring.

The Soufrier Springs is a remnant of a volcano and it’s best feature is the ability to take baths in it. We relaxed and rejuvenated in the hot pools. We met some great people while we where there and had a great time. It is definitely worth the visit!

We stopped at Banana plantation where they made ketchup and BBQ sauce from bananas… Brittany is allergic to tomatoes, so this was a very special and tasty stop.
We then get a message from our friend Terry that the boat was hauled out and the saloon sole was nearly finished.

We go to the boat yard and check out the boat while it is out of the water. We finally get to see below the waterline and survey the keels, look for the rudders, and see how much more repairs are needed before the boat will be ready for us to take delivery.

The Salon Sole is finished and Terry did a fantastic job on the work and created extra space with new custom floor hatches!

Thanks for watching!

⁣We head to the boat and check on the salon sole install/replacement progress

We walk to the boat and check out what has been done. Every day little things are happening and the sole is getting close to being finished. We have new and used parts getting installed on the boat and we debate if trash is being installed or removed. Mike was right, it’s on film.

It's been over 4 months since we started our health treatments and Brittany gives an update on both our progress with our health, weight loss, and urine color, you don’t want to miss this!

After checking out the boat and seeing what a great job Terry is doing on the salon cabin sole, and Small Change is doing on the rest of the boat, we took some time to discuss where the repairs were currently at, and what else it needed, in order to take ownership. There is still plenty of work to be done on our list, but we are starting to get a feel for what this boat will be like when it’s ours.

Feeling the boat moving on the water is amazing. We had a consistent breeze in the marina that day and you can see how much motion and movement there is on a boat… it is a very cool feeling. We also had time to make adventure plans for the next day… we’ve been staring at it ever time we are at the beach, Pigeon Point Island.

We also find evidence… proof that you can be in two places at one time… That’s how you get things done!

The entry fee to the park was 20 EC, or about $8 U.S. dollars for adults and 8 EC or about $3 U.S. dollars. You may be thinking, did you try to get in at the child price… obviously yes, that’s how we know how much a child’s admission is. Mike asked for 1 adult and 1 adult that acts like a child, then got a fun look and a laugh by the 2 ladies working at the entrance… It’s fun to see people’s reactions when you say really off the wall things and can tell you if people are up for a little fun. These ladies definitely were!

The walk from our house to Pigeon Point is about 2.5 miles and took about 45 minutes. This was the farthest place out of town we walked to and got to see more of Rodney Bay. Walking is a great way to get a feel for any new place and you get to see a ton of local activities you would never see.

St. Lucia created the causeway to Pigeon Point in 1971… 50 years ago. The causeway is an amazing piece of land and example of great foresight by the people of Saint Lucia. When we walked along it, I thought it was a natural part of the island… it is well worth the effort of the 2 and half mile walk.

We explored the island and climbed the peaks to the lookouts. The trails were easy to follow, but steep in some places. The views are amazing! We took in 360 degrees of beauty and were on the lookout for any treasures we could find. There is still an armory building that housed the munitions for the canons and soldiers on one of the peaks. It was a tight fit to get inside but was fun to explore. Just under the stairs, there was a room that was pitch black inside, that housed waaaaaaay more ammunition than the building looks like it holds. If we didn’t explore, this is something that could have been easily missed. Bring a flashlight!

We explore Fort Rodney which was built in 1778 and love the character and craftmanship of the structure. It is amazing to see the remains of a 240+ year old building. It’s seen better days, but definitely a strong structure for sure. We also tested out the hyperlapse feature on our camera… we have no idea how to use it, but figured we’d give it a shot! We were nearly alone throughout the day to adventure through park the entire time, so we had a little fun!

On the way back from Pigeon Point, there were wild horses just outside the park… we are not too afraid of a horse in the wild, we are not anything they want, but it was a little unnerving to see these horses just running around the road and through the brush, kind of like a stray dog… they were there, people knew they were there, and they just were left to do their thing… this island has the feeling of, anything goes, and we love it!

On the walk back from Pigeon Island we decided to make the next day, another beach day. On the walk to the local’s beach, Mike discovered an Island Grasshopper, how do we know it was a grasshopper… that’s what the guys on the island told us. It was big! It was found on the doorway to one of the banks and we thought it was a great security measure, we didn’t go near it!

Although it was a gloomy day at the beach, we tucked under our umbrella and enjoyed the view of the Pigeon Point. The more we see of Rodney Bay, the more we want to explore Saint Lucia.

Thanks for watching!

⁣NIZUQ is the name of the boat we can’t pronounce as we walk down the docks to our boat. Along the walk we are always looking at the boats in the marina to get any ideas we want to incorporate in our boat. Boaters are resourceful people and it is great to see their creative solutions in action.

After walking to the boat, excited to get to work on our boat, we were told that we can no longer work on it; we are in the way.

Although we were a bit bummed, and anxious about our involvement being limited even further, we headed to the beach for another beach day. Little did we know, this was the beginning of a two week delay for the sole replacement and the needed general repairs.

Terry, with his assistant Michael, did an amazing job adding in 2 additional hatches to the cabin sole. They use stencils for the cutouts, and lay new laminate on the floor. ½ of the cabin sole is new…. Fresh & Clean! They also remove the other half of the sole while we wait for plywood to arrive.
At the helm, instruments were replaced and installed, using every possible tool available, even delicate cinder blocks!

We were able to get good measurements to start planning where to place the solar panels on the roof, and layout their size in scale to the boat. We also were able to get an idea of what the solar arch would look like and plan its dimensions.

We ended up on the beach getting good vibes from the lady in the green bikini... she’s a legend!

Thanks for watching!

⁣The second weekend of boat work and repairs!
With a lot of nudging, we were allowed to remove caulk, prep work, and clean areas of the boat. They began caulking and removed half of the salon floor/sole, as it was incredibly rotten.

⁣We managed to talk the repair crew into letting us start a few small repairs on our boat. Finally, we can put some effort into this thing! Replacing the caulking throughout the interior may be easy, but removing the old caulking is going to be quite the task.

*P. S. We were only allowed to scrape, prep, and tape. The staff applied the caulk instead.

We were given a tender for the day and were able to explore Rodney Bay from the water and spend a day off on a new beach!

⁣This week, we explore Castries and acquire better beach chairs and an umbrella, while Brittany tests the boundaries of safety when approaching St. Lucia’s traffic. Enjoying a day at the beach, and a cruise ship with 5 masts, we're excited for the boat work to begin. There's a little good news… we’ll get to help with some of the repairs soon.

⁣It took 6 long years, but we finally are able to pick up our boat. The journey is not over, and this is the next Sequence of Events along the way. Watch as we arrive in St. Lucia, get settled in on the island, and enjoy the beaches of Rodney Bay.

⁣We spend the holidays with our family and gathered the things we needed to go pick up our boat.

We try to fix Xand's car before it gives up, and show up with a surprise for her after work!

Remodeling a friends house is a fun project that was much bigger than expected!

Getting a few things in order is just part of the fun this week... we are ready to pick up our boat from Saint Lucia!

⁣After reviewing the boat, and its damages, we met with the repair staff who showed us other boats they're repairing and confirmed they could fix all the damages. We wrote up a contract with the seller, and added a 91 item addendum of repairs to the contract.

We decided to BUY IT!

With the contract settled, we return to Florida to get ready to come back and pick up the boat.

⁣We see and inspect the boat for the first time. We survey all the repairs that are needed and figure out if this is the right boat for us.

⁣We face a long road trip as we cross country from Moab back to Florida, and visit Xandra. Later, we fly to Saint Lucia, arriving in Rodney Bay… We traveled a total of 3 days and 2 hours, 3,201 miles by road and 1,852 miles by air.

We get to stay in a luxurious island apartment, and enjoy the amazing view! This is the next Sequence of Events as we finally get to the country, where we have a Leopard 44 Catamaran under contract.

⁣Traveling to Idaho for some family time and a three week kitchen renovation, complete with upcycled cabinets for that modern look!

Once that's done, we travel back to Florida for a long road trip and share some boat buying news!

We moved to Florida in 2014, with the intention of buying, renovating, and selling a home. The plan would allow us time for life to happen while we prepared to live on a sailboat. After reaching all our goals, we had life and COVID alter the plans and are on plan A, B, C, …. N or so, of living on a sail boat.

⁣We moved to Florida in 2014, with the intention of buying, renovating, and selling a home. The plan would allow us time for life to happen while we prepared to live on a sailboat. After reaching all our goals, we had life and Covid alter the plans and are on plan A, B, C, …. N or so, of living on a sail boat.

This is the Rundown...Catch up!

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