Well, we've definitely tested things out 'in anger' as they say in England! We've spent two months putting the boat through its paces in almost every type of situation we would expect to (or want to) encounter. We started the trip by crashing into a fuel dock (okay, that's exaggerating, we bumped it really, really hard. We've run aground (a lot, might be 9 times by now), had the anchor drag, and torn a sail. We've fixed the boat while underway and while at anchor. We've anchored out in many different places, sailed overnight, tied up to mooring balls, been to marinas and been to fuel docks (without crashing into them!). Our 'car' / dingy works as it should. The boat systems (plumbing, electrical, navigation, engine - we don't have heat) have been tested out for 2 full months. Provisioning works well. We understand the weather far, far better than we did when we started.
High points for me - having many of the things that we researched work!, finding that I really like the lifestyle and that I haven't been bored, getting more flexible and strong, being able to do things that I wouldn't have thought I could (maneuvering this 42 foot sailboat around some of the places we've been in for one!). The starry sky on our overnight sail was a high point. Bahia Honda was another (thanks for that one, Jess - our resident tour guide!) - so beautiful. The three weeks with Jess and the two with Jess and Matt. The way we handled the anchor dragging incident. The salon in Key West. Catching my fish! Toasting the sunset and meals on deck. Finding out what a fantastic man I married. Thinking it over, there are actually too many high points to list and that says it all for me.
A shakedown cruise is not just for the boat, it's also for the people on the boat (although we didn't realise it when we started). We've been 'shaken' and sometimes scared silly (we gave up life in London, chauffeur driven cars, and posh restaurants for this?!). We've also been moved by the beauty that we're seeing and awed by the elements. We're enjoying no longer being defined by our work, but by our capabilities and interests. We've tested the strength of our relationship repeatedly and found it to be sound.
That means the cruise continues! We've enjoyed this part enough to keep going so after a short sojourn to England for things like UK citizenship and hot baths, (all going well, touch wood, knock on wood, where is that lucky rabbit's foot?) we will embark on the next stage of our adventures - crossing to the Bahamas!
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