For Sun and Stars Archive – Page 1

We go scuba diving across Grand Cayman during our stay at Sunset House Dive Resort. We also do the mastic trail and explore others parts of the island.

Come along with us as we start our crazy adventure on our 1994 Caliber 40 s/v Turtle. In this episode, we take a tour of our boat.

A big day for us as we splash Turtle and figure out docking for the first time! Join us as we prep for a day that I don't think we'd ever be really ready for.

We take our first real steps into cruising completely on our own by motoring around the waters of Annapolis to stretch Turtle's horsepowered legs.

This week we tackle boat projects day and night while trying to get used to cooking with limited supplies and space.

We're taught a valuable lesson as we try to speed through our projects and almost get ourselves in trouble.

The day our sea trial was over and we decided to buy Turtle was the day the mast got taken down for needed repairs and all new standing rigging that requested.

Fired up after our mast went up, we quickly got to work putting our sails up and exploring the nooks and crannies of Annapolis.

We lost all control of our boat and nearly crashed into the other boats in the marina. It all ended without any injuries but it did mean another haul out.

With our propshaft removed, we started our waiting game on the hard. Unfortunately, a day after our propshaft was removed, our batteries decided to die on us.

We got our propshaft installed and were scheduled to splash and we could not be more excited. We watched Turtle be picked up and moved into the water...

After our "half splash" last week, it felt that we'd never get into the water. But instead of getting down about it, we got into more boat projects.

As per usual, things broke. But we didn't let that get us down. We still had no working AC and our anchor acted up when we were pulling up at the Magothy river.

When we learned to sail on Husdon River in NYC during COVID, we missed out on all the ramp up most people do before buying their own 40 foot boat.

It felt like forever ago that we left to go get our own sailboat, thinking we'd be bringing her back in a month, two tops.

After walking around the city for two days and enjoying the sites and smells of our old neighborhoods, we set out to re-visit New York, by boat.

As the big 37 was coming around, we started the birthday week with an incredible sail to Northport with a good friend.

After having an incredible birthday with friends and family and our brand NEW cushions in place, we set out for Montauk.

As our sailing days go by, we hope to have developed a small sailor's instinct. Not quite fine tuned as our saltier comrades, but still, a small, budding knot..

As we settle into cruiser life, the way we explore towns and new places has changed a bit.

Hurricane Henri headed straight for Rhode island. We spent the day before prepping for the storm and hung on the wild ride that was Henri.

As Hurricane Henri winds down, we quickly unanchored and headed out to enjoy the rest of Rhode Island.

Just as we get back to Newport to settle into a week of boat projects, we get a rude awakening in the middle of the night by a hurricane!

As hurricane Ida finally lets up, we look around to see the wreckage the surprise storm caused all around Newport.

As more and more storms seem to roll through the New England area, we make a decision to start our journey south.

Just as we get to our destination and try to moor, our engine dies and leaves us next to two anchored sailboats and shore to fend for ourselves.

We sit down to share our story, from our own beginnings and backgrounds to our full boat buying experience, from finding out about liveaboards to buying Turtle.

While on the hook in Annapolis, on a cloudy day, we decided that we were up for the task of building our own solar arch and mounting solar panels on it.

We find delamination under our windlass and a quick check turns into a week long marathon of deck repair.

We make our scariest, longest crossing yet. After waiting what felt like forever at Hampton VA, we finally get a weather window to cross Cape Hatteras.

Getting past Hatteras was all we could think about for the week preceding it and once past it, we anchored up in Beaufort exhausted and feeling beat up.

After sailing the boat into the wind for hours and starting to feel a bad de ja vu, we made a hard decision. We cut our sail short and jumped off the ocean..

We enjoy a wonderful few days at Cumberland island in Georgia, right at the border before Florida. We take one of the best hikes we've ever taken.

Lake worth also signifies the final chapter in our first sailing season. It is the place where we start to prepare for our first international trip as sailors.

This is it. Our big jump. We cross the gulf stream on the last possible day of the weather window and are welcomed by beauty, warmth, sunshine and BUGS!

We visit Allen Pensacola cay where Turtle leaves her mark for the first time and Munjack Cay where we husk coconuts for the first time!