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Our first solo sail adventure aboard our Kaleo in Galveston Bay. Looking forward to many more!
Intrigued by the shrimp boat & wished they'd share with us.
A little afternoon dancing on deck.
We tossed aside the dock lines this afternoon & set sail for nowhere in particular ... just a relaxing, fun & confidence-boosting adventure.
We fueled up manually over taking Kaleo through the marina station to save some cash in prep for our 1st solo sail around Galveston Bay. To date we've had the company (and security) of friends and family aboard so we're looking forward to our new mini adventure.
No, we're not smuggling hot captains across Galveston Bay. Today I walked up into the cockpit to find Matt down in the port side lazarette changing the zincs in the engine (prevents the sea water from corroding the cooling system). Just when I'm convinced he's contorted himself into every nook & cranny of our boat, he always seems to find new places to explore. I love this face!
A little pre-lunch radio control boat race with the fam.
Family aboard Kaleo. I can't think of a better way to spend my birthday weekend!
Nana, mom and Critter too.
Dad kicked back on the foredeck.
Lunch outside on the patio of Landry's on the Kemah Boardwalk before our sail.
What a way to celebrate a birthday! Mom, Dad, Casey, Nana and Critter too came to visit us aboard Kaleo. We started with a patio lunch at Landry's on the Kemah Boardwalk and then took to the Bay for a leisurely sunset sail.
Our friends Tim & Diann aboard their beautiful Catalina 28, Coquette.
Transgrape Race course board. It's a long one!
Deck hands at the helm.
A day that blessings are made of! We started the day sailing in the annual Transgrape Race on Lake Grapevine with our friends, Tim & Diann, aboard their speedy Coquette. After a great race, Matty took me by Casa Bellamini before ending the evening watching our wedding video that had come in that day and it is uh-mazing! Thank you God for giving me this awesome man.
This weekend we spent time aboard our friends Tim & Diann’s new boat, Coquette. Today marked the 1st race of the Grapevine Sailing Club's fall series & gave us all a great opportunity to learn to fly the spinnaker. While we didn’t take 1st place, we did have a fun day of catching up and learning. We look forward to having them aboard Kaleo soon to get in some good sailing. 
We're standing on a cusp right now, looking forward to the journey of a lifetime.And we desire to start that life a little different than some. Our dream is to take some time to experience the world, to slow down, reset our expectations of things to come and enjoy the world that God created.
Someday soon our plan is to, at least for a while, cast off the lines in search of adventure and sail about the world. The ultimate goal is to change our perspectives forever. This cruising lifestyle, as it's called, is not a permanent vacation, nor an escape from our lives, nor running away. Rather, it is running (or sailing) toward the life we want to define for ourselves, creating the environment that will build our bond for a lifetime together.
We have certainly heard plenty of reasons not to but as one fellow cruiser put it: "The best reason 'not to' is because you will be forced to face the unknown. You will meet challenges that you may not be able to solve with the skills you have already learned." You may only overcome some circumstances with ingenuity, perseverance, and the grace of God.
Through the joys and challenges of sailing about the world in our modest little house we will be forced to solve problems in ways that draw us closer together, see people's lives wholly different than our own, and interact with a world full of people that most never folks never know exist.
Our own desires are not the only driver for this lifestyle, as we would like to help and serve the people we meet and share experiences with along the way. The ultimate calling of this service will be to show and share the life-changing message of Jesus.
Plus lounging on a few pristine white sand beaches will be nice :)
For more details about our plans and follow our progress return here.
"There are two options in a person's life -- reflection and action. One is an opportunity to think about it, the other an opportunity to live it."
Sailors are a social bunch. More than that, they have a sense of camaraderie and duty to look out for and support one another. People often trade boat cards like these to help keep track of others you meet along your voyages. We ordered these online free, plus about $6 in shipping from Vistaprint.
Our good friend, Maurice, joined us today for a great sail and to help Matt with some boat maintenance. We started the day by hoisting our captain up the mast to diagnose navigation light issues, went out for an afternoon sail (Maurice even took the wheel for the majority the time) and then wrapped up with the 1st oil change and relaxed over dinner and chats. 
We spent Friday testing the windlass, which needs some work, & doing general boat work. Afterward, I modified the Revere copper clad bottom pots we ordered from eBay and as wedding gifts. They have a rivet holding the handle to the pot and by drilling the rivet the handle comes off to nest within each other, taking up a lot less space. (A critical feature on a 34' boat.) We got this great idea from our cruising mentors, Kirk & Lisa. Thanks guys!
Saturday came & it was hot (about 100). We worked on the boat and I mounted a solar garden light on our piling so I could more easily find our slip after dark.
Our marina neighbor, Kevin, hoisted me to the top of the mast so I could try and figure out why the mast navigation light doesn't work. I was unsuccessful and ended up cutting my hand open because the bulb shattered as I tried to remove it from the socket. But I did meet our neighbor
and we agreed to trade his winching skills for my mast scaling ability. I plan to help him mount a block for a spinaker halyard next time we're here.
Th family came about 4:00 and we motored out to the bay. There was more vessel traffic than we'd ever seen. And that was just the beginning. We picked a spot & Christie did a fantastic job of piloting while her brother & I dropped the hook. Her dad BBQed chicken while I worried about other boats anchoring too close. We ate a great meal & then watched the fireworks from the best vantage point we've ever experienced! The fireworks were so close & powerful that they shook the boat as they went off.
By the time we pulled the hook after the fireworks, the bay was inundated with boats. We then began the two hour journey back to the slip that typically only takes about 30 mins.
We're heading back in two weeks and can't wait!
