I must admit, sitting on the beach at the ocean’s edge might just be my favorite place to unwind. Toes getting kissed by the waves, boys taking turns jumping in the waves and playing frisbee with Jason, and we have absolutely no place to be. No deadlines, no appointments, no obligations. Just the tropical blue waters and memories being made. I am sure that if Jason and I allowed it, the boys would never leave the beach. They would set up camp right on the sand and never think twice about being anywhere else.
We are in the heart of adrenaline rides, amusement parks, and water parks that all promote “once in a lifetime” experiences. But as Jason reminded me when I asked if we would be hitting any of the ‘Top 10 Places to See in Florida’, our boys like it simple. Give them a pool or ocean, and they are all set. A few years ago, we took our three boys to California to visit family. We surprised our Lego-obsessed and animal fanatic sons with trips to LegoLand AND SeaWorld. I asked the boys on our way home what their favorite part of the trip was. They all said they loved swimming in their grandparents’ neighborhood pool and playing football in their uncle’s tiny backyard. Even after I reminded them of the parks we went to, they stuck to their choices. Family time. That’s where their hearts are. Jason and I have corrected ourselves several times since that trip – the boys don’t need the flashy or expensive, they want family and water to swim in.
This week’s trip was to Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, with the key reason for coming is to get our boys on some sail boats. Of course, this trip is a total of ten days, and only one of the days was committed to boat walk-throughs with our broker. The rest of the days has been filled with very little, and it’s been perfect.
We are staying in a perfect two-bedroom villa that is sandwiched between the Intercoastal Waterway (ICW) and the Atlantic Ocean in Hillsboro Beach, Florida. The quaint little house has quickly become our home away from RV. Our daily schedule is the same: get up mid-morning, eat breakfast, knock out the boys’ schoolwork, head to the ocean for swimming and massive shell collecting, return home for a late lunch, then relax as the daily thunderstorms roll through. Relaxation for boys includes Kindle games, snacks, and catching one of the hundreds of lizards that are scampering around everywhere.
Relaxation for Jason and I involves the U.S. Open streaming non-stop, researching boats or future trips, snacks, and sitting in the calmness along the ICW. We are all living our best life.
Jason booked this trip less than a week before we were on it. It is a wild concept I haven’t grasped yet. Our life is completely mobile. We can come, go, stay, fly, boat at any time we see fit. Jason thinks of a fun trip, I agree, he books it, and I start readying the family! No waiting for the weekend. No putting in a request for time off. No waiting for the right “season”. We just decide, and go. It’s incredible! Our family put in a lot of preparation and sacrifices to get to live this lifestyle, and we sure are reaping the benefits now.
This last week has been rejuvenating, relaxing, and a glimpse of what our future daily routine may be. To get to that future goal, we need a boat. A sailing catamaran that will accommodate our family of five, plus any family or friends that are willing to come visit - which we are really hoping they will. Jason and I knew we needed to put our feet to the pavement and get on some boats. We are searching for our next place to call home, which isn't easy when you are looking for a large yacht and you live in Eastern Oregon. So Jason contacted our Broker, Terry, to setup some walk-throughs, and we went wheels up.
We spent four hours with Terry walking on four different catamarans. The first was clearly too small for us. I hit my head twice walking through the interior of the boat. That was enough for me. If the doorways require that I duck anytime I want to go to my bedroom or bathroom, then that means Jason is DEFINITELY ducking. I'm only speaking for myself here, but I don't want to buy a boat where I feel like the Jolly Green Giant walking through Barbie's Dream House. Terry also thought the boat would be too small, but he wanted to get us on as many boats as he could, and I appreciate him for that.
The second boat, a Lagoon 440, is a real front runner for what we are looking for. There are four cabins (bedrooms) each with their own head (bathroom). The galley (kitchen) is twice what I have in the RV and there's a true dining table that would fit 6-8 people fairly easily. Not to mention all the exterior space. There's an outdoor area towards the stern (rear) of the boat that is almost as large as the interior, plus another seating area in the bow (front) of the boat. What seals the deal for Jason with this style of boat is the fly bridge helm. It is set up on top of the boat, easily seating all five of us, and gives a 360-degree view of our surroundings. The boys were quick to find the flybridge and start calling out orders to their brothers about pirates and avoiding other boats on the imaginary sea ahead.
Next boat was MY favorite. Terry let us know that the boat was already under contract, and also out of our price range, but he wanted us to get on the boat to see if the layout would work for us. Jason warned me not to fall in love with it. Unfortunately, my heart wants what it wants, and it wanted that 2016 Leopard 44. It was a thing of beauty. Much of the layout was the same as the Lagoon we just saw, but BETTER. There was an additional door in the galley that opened to the bow of the boat's seating area. Having that door means our boys wouldn't have to walk along the outer edges of the boat to get to the bow seating. They would only need to walk through the door from the safety of the interior galley, to the safety of the inlaid bow bench seating. And the forward seating had a hardtop sun cover!
That setup alone makes me want to go all in on a Leopard 44. Not to mention this particular boat was practically brand new with gorgeous pale wood grain and not a pin out of place. Jason warned me, but I still fell. Luckily for Jason, the boat was already under contract, so he didn't have to attempt to ward off the coaxing of my batting eyes and pretty, pretty pleases.
The final boat was an Admiral, and not for us. It was older and showed its age. There were cracks that made Jason nervous, and the cabins were too small for us. There were some great things about it - the galley was huge, the heads with the showers were laid out well, and the exterior living space was quite desirable. But this is going to be our home, and I want to be able to feel settled and comfortable - not like we're temporary visitors on a boat that we don't quit fit in and its old scars and scratches makes us uneasy.
We thanked Terry for his time and knowledge, and have continued with our breakfast-beach-breathe schedule since last Thursday. Our broker now has a clearer idea of what we're wanting in our boat, and our boys have a buzz in their voices when we talk catamarans. A successful trip, if you ask me. Now it is a matter of us having patience. Patience in waiting for the right boat to show up on our endless inquiries and worldwide web searches.
It's now our final full day here in Florida. We fly out first thing in the morning, and Jason knows me so well. Jason knows that I would rather not have anyone go swimming today because then we would have wet clothes - and I do not want to pack wet clothes that I would have to deal with when we get back home. Yuck. So to wrap up our trip to Florida, Jason has found a promising excursion that we'll be spending some time at: an alligator farm with boat tour! The boys are going to love it.
So here's to our boys' renewed excitement, lazy beach days, and patience in waiting.
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