Month: January 2024

I mean. Look at Charlie’s hair. Looks like we have let go and loosened up! We have passed the six month mark of living aboard Tideye and are finally starting to embrace our silliness as the daily responsibilities become a little more routine.

After we picked up a mooring ball at Man-O-Way Cay, Buddy came over to settle up with us. I told him we planned to stay a week and he about choked on his words, “A week?!” Man-O Way is a quiet island – only one food take-a-away stand and a coffee shop that’s open five mornings a week. Most boats probably cover the entire place in a day and move on to the next slice of paradise… we took seven. We found a well stocked grocery store, empty beaches and some of the most beautiful gardens/landscaping ever seen – like magic garden level.

On calm days we like to anchor off of Tahiti Beach, but we’ve spent most of our time tethered here in Hopetown. Bingo on Monday nights at Captain Jacks is a huge hit and we have a few friends scattered throughout the harbor. But the best part has to be the beach. I like beaches, a lot. This beach though, man. I just can’t imagine a better one. It’s half a mile of white/pink sand, almost no seaweed or rocks, and perfect crashing waves in water just deep enough for all the kids swim solo and experience the wonderful power of the ocean. Added bonus is that since it’s low season here, most days we have the entire place to ourselves.

We are getting excited about friends and family coming to visit over the next month, so maybe we should try to tame our wild sides a smidge. Nah. But maybe we will all shower and run a comb through our hair for the occasion.

I remember the first time I was surprised by a rainstorm after we moved back onshore after living on Stella Blue. What?! How had I missed this?! When did I stop obsessing over the weather?! It made me laugh – no hatches to close, no anchor to watch, no lightening to think about. I didn’t have a clue what direction the winds were coming from. Heck, I didn’t even know if there was supposed to be any wind! A little breeze doesn’t matter at all when you are snuggled into a house on land. I rolled over and quickly went back to sleep without a care in the world.

Our life here on Tideye is controlled by the weather. Everyday we make sure we are anchored in a spot that gives us protection from the wind. Less wind and waves make for a much more comfortable floating home. Most islands have protection from one direction, but leave you exposed from others. So when the wind spins around with each passing cold front, we move with it! Luckily the Abacos have several harbors with protection from all sides, so we have found some good spots to tuck in while the winds do their swirly thing, then head out exploring when we get a calm day.

Living on a boat can be hard for me. It’s not something that comes naturally at all. It actually creates a fairly high level of stress and anxiety. I like to exude a relaxed, go with the flow attitude about life in general, but the reality is that I find comfort in planning, organization and knowing what to expect from the days ahead. Living a life so dependent on the weather conditions can make that tough. The good news is that I also have a strong desire push myself to do things that are hard for me. It feels like…growth. I have already felt myself change a good amount in the last month – so maybe there’s hope for me yet! Let those winds swirl.