We dropped the hook in West Turks & caicos, rocked and rolled through the night, then ripped off the bandaid and started our eastward push across the Banks. Engines on. Eyes peeled. Windy’s two models didn’t agree on anything, and we found ourselves in a windless pocket—hello, motor fest. Not the worst pace, but far from fast. Cloud cover and small chop made it tough to see that dreamy turquoise water. Once we got over the banks, we caught a few puffs of wind—but nothing consistent. Then SeaBella radioed in: their starboard engine was acting up. They were near Puerto Plata and weighing options—pull into Ocean World (35nm) or push 90nm to Samaná. We’re so glad they chose Ocean World, because the wind didn’t fill in for hours. When it finally did…whoa. Not extreme, but enough to turn the ocean into a slapping machine. Every time our boat lifted and slammed, it felt like a grenade going off. Hull slap is what they call it. The kids? Total champs. A few too many movies, but no seasickness, no tears. I can’t say the same for me—just kidding (mostly). I was white-knuckling and praying for calmer seas. Adam held it down like a rockstar, adjusting sails and riding it out. Honestly, he is the glue that kept my ish together! Things finally settled as we rounded the Cape and caught some sweet following seas. The ocean relaxed. So did I. At 2am, a rain system hugged the land and gave us a much-needed freshwater rinse. Everything was dark, quiet, and we could smell land before we ever saw it. We entered the bay, Adam snagged a 40-min nap while I played radar guard, then we navigated the channel together—finally dropping anchor around 3:50 AM. Waking up, the boat was a little rolly—but the view? Pure magic. Lush green hills, beautiful palms, and the peaceful Bahia Marina in Samaná that we will check into soon. Customs and immigration are right at the dock, and I cannot wait for a long shower, a big coffee (no underway caffeine for me), and a well-earned celebration meal. We’ll hang here for a week or two—and fingers crossed our buddies on s/v SeaBella can rejoin us so we can keep pushing toward Puerto Rico and the BVIs.

We motored from Mayaguana to the West Banks of the Turks and Caicos—decent motorsail overall. The wind was flukey, so not much help there, but now comes the fun part. We’re anchored out on the bank, and there’s a big system heading our way. Fingers crossed it just brings a nice fresh rinse for the boat and nothing more. Storms at sea? Not my favorite. Love them from solid ground. Tomorrow, we’ll push further east across the banks for another long day, getting into position to jump to Samaná—weather permitting. Excited to see and smell mountains and to get this stress of this first big leg of the thorny path outta the way!

We managed to convince our buddy boat SV SeaBella to divert to the Ragged Islands before making the hop to the Dominican Republic via Turks and Caicos. Windy was looking promising—models lining up nicely—but of course, the weather had its own ideas. We made it to Water Cay and wow, what a stunner! Wish we had made the run south sooner, but that’s cruising life. After another look at the forecast, Adam and Rob decided it was time to start easing east while we had a south wind working in our favor. The first 8 hours were dreamy—we were flying along and the vibe was high. Then, off on the horizon, we saw trouble brewing. Our friends on sv Coin Toss, about 20 miles ahead, reported two fully formed waterspouts. We spotted one way off in the distance, but luckily didn’t cross paths. From there, it was a mix: some pleasant motor sailing, a few hours of the womps and swirling currents, followed by a sweet 1.5-knot push from the current—magic. As the wind picked up, we braced for a squall, but were spared with just a few raindrops. Adam crushed it on watch—stood about 97% of them. Meanwhile, I’m still working on adjusting to the motion of the ocean without wanting to toss my cookies. Sailing at night is pretty rad (when it’s flat), but once the seas kicked up, I turned into a bit of a nervous nelly. The kids handled it like champs. Aria snoozed outside under the stars, and Harbor claimed the whole couch like a boss. Near the end of the passage, *SeaBella* picked up a garbled pan-pan call. They worked hard to catch the details and alerted any boats in AIS range to keep an eye out for a power cat in distress. Everyone pulled together and kept ears on the radio. We’ve now dropped the hook in Mayaguana. The water’s crystal clear with massive starfish visible from the bow and vibrant reef surrounding us. We’ll stay the night and push to Turks and Caicos tomorrow—fingers crossed it’s a smooth ride and not a butt-kicker!

We were hoping to get down to the Raggeds to chill for a bit. Had a sweet sail—crossed paths with a buddy heading the opposite way, which was a fun surprise—and ended up dropping anchor at Water Cay. Landed 3 barracudas, a barjack, and had one mystery fish break off the line. Looks like the weather’s turning more southerly, so now we’re thinking of making a beeline for Turks and Caicos, with a few pitstops along the way if needed.

Quick motor over to Hog Cut with some SE winds (15 kts) and flat seas. The kids didn’t even notice we were underway—too busy playing Oregon Trail on the Switch and watching anime. To prep we made a run to the grocery store and stocked up just in case we need to hunker down and wait out a weather window. If all goes well, we’ll use the upcoming weather shift to hop toward the DR via Turks and Caicos. Psyched to be cruising with our buddy boat, SeaBella out of Ontario. Super excited to catch a glimpse of the Raggeds, even if we’re just passing by on our way south. Cheers, B

No one warned me how hard cruising would be—or how incredible. No one told me that we’d meet amazing people from all over, sail together, spear fish, build bonfires, watch spaceX fiascos, and turn morning nets into comedy hours (clothing-optional bonfire, anyone?). We went to Floatchella and it just continued. Had fishing missions, and spontaneous challenges—all thanks to basically swiping right on the SeaPeople app for badass boaters. Now, the squad, we’re not breaking up, just taking a pause as we head our own ways, hoping to meet again one day. From wild spear missions in Shroud to floating lazy rivers, game night, water sports and more, we’ve learned that age, boat type, kids—none of it matters. What matters is the vibe: good people, good times, and adventure. Huge shoutout to SV Lost for creating a space that brings like-minded cruisers together. It’s made this journey way less daunting and way more fun. LOST welcomed us and showed us what this lifestyle is all about. Can’t wait to cross paths with our squad again! Cheers to: Lost Moonshine SnailTrail Chief Sun Gem And all the other rad boats we had the pleasure of connecting with.

After an epic day of fishing off Lost and a morning tackling boat chores and provisioning, it was time to sort out the tangled mess of our screecher and chute. Thankfully, the squad showed up to lend a hand, making quick work of the chaos. Grateful for the good times yesterday and the solid support today!

Damn, it was a windy one—but perfect for a fast downwind run south to Georgetown. Had a rolly night, got up and decided let's jump down while we have some wind. We were surfing down waves, making killer time, and feeling pretty damn good about it. Then the wind lightened up and shifted, and we thought, Hey, let’s fly the Spinnaker! The jib was out, the screecher was standing by, but we wanted to send it with the big chute. Turns out, that was a bold choice. Somewhere in the chaos, we should’ve put the wind further off the starboard side (or something—still learning here), but instead, we managed to tangle the absolute hell out of both the Spinnaker and the screecher. I’m honestly shocked nothing tore. It was a full-on CLUSTER F. The Spinnaker wrapped itself around the screecher, and when we tried to bring them both down, Adam almost went parasailing off the bow. He stayed calm. I did not. But after a lot of frantic yanking, we finally got everything down and secured to the trampolines. Deep breaths. Still, we were cruising. Until the wind shifted again. Unintentional jibe. More tangled lines. Then Adam went to turn on the water maker—aaaand no suction. Because why not? Hell of a Tuesday. But we made it to Georgetown, which, with the sheer number of boats, feels like downtown NYC. Adam is having a well-earned happy hour. I haven’t eaten since yesterday because I was feeling a little too green 🤢. Time to clean up this circus, make some dinner, and watch a well-deserved sunset. Cheers!

Not always fun going into the wind and waves. Harbor was a champ, even though he got sick. Pitstop at the Staniel fuel dock. While Adam and Harbor fueled up, Aria and I ran to the store. Tired, and ready for a quiet afternoon before the winds kick up from the W/NW.

Quick move to Shroud with our buddies on Coddiwompple. We're ready to see some turtles, explore the mangroves and take them to the washing machine. Tuesday, the weather is supposed to get sporty and it will be time to head south.

Time to move again. Westerly is on her way so figured we'd head back to Norman's near the pond. Big wet windy ride. Port engine smelled and felt a little off. Anchored and ready for that next cup of coffee.

Jumping anchorages again to get some sleep. Last night the current was pumping and we were sailing at anchor next to iguana Beach, Allen's Cay. With the Easterly winds blowing it was time to pick up the anchor and seek protection elsewhere. Time to do the boring stuff, chores & school.

We could have stayed one more night or even two. Our first night on anchor in Norman's was great. Kids swam to their heart's delight. We all jumped off the bow. Left a tad early and headed for Allen's after a cheeky look at the Norman's plane wreck. Next time we'll go into Norman's pond. Allen's Cay anchorage by iguana Beach is slightly mis-charted 😅. Didn't run aground but had fun trying.

Waterspout to Wahoo: A Motorsail with too much excitement! We broke away from Floatchella "winter camp" and headed north to meet up with friends. Departing from near Big Majors, we set out for a calm, windless motorsail—nothing but smooth seas, banana foster pancakes, and mini snoozes. Then Adam spotted a waterspout in the distance. While he remained calm, I...did not. Cue mild (ok, not-so-mild) panic. Adam reassured the kids and plotted a course to move away from it. "Which way is it moving?!" I asked, heart rate officially off the charts. We adjusted course, watched the spout dissipate, and finally took a deep breath. Just as I settled into the bean bag chair to recover, we looked back—FISH ON! Harbor, with a little help, pulled in the handline. From a distance, we thought it was a barracuda, but as he hoisted it closer—WAHOO! Spirits soared as we slowed down to fillet the fish, clean the deck (no shark invites, thanks), and make our way to Norman’s. Approaching near the Whale Tail, we were greeted by stunning water—deepest azul to vibrant turquoise. Love that the acrylics I work with actually match the color descriptions we've witnessed in person. Not a bad way to wrap up a day that started with a scare and ended with a fresh catch! Time to swim!

Stayed off of Thomas Cay last night! Super fun day, pulled the kids behind the tube. Kids had a blast. Adam speared with Lost and SnailTrail and we ended with a great night on the beach. Time to resupply and have someone else prepare the meal!

Bells Cay was a great place to hide out from the W/SW blow. We saw 30 sustained. Took advantage of the calm before the storm to dinghy up to the "aquarium" to have a little snorkel. It was fantastic! So much beautiful sea life in one little area! We decided now that we have a few glorious days of sunshine and little wind, we'd go hang out with our sea peeps on Pipe. Nice little motorsail. Time to dive, have a little fire and enjoy some time together before we all head separate directions. Thanks SnailTrail for the bread and Lost for taking Adam for a spear.

Always fun trying to find a new place to find shelter from strong wind. Wind was def stronger than forecasted still blowing out of the East. Dropped hook for now. We may move again in a few hours, we'll see what happens. Sailing is still not my fav but boy does Adam love it!

Rolled for two days at WW and wanted to head south towards Staniel. We were gonna pop into a little Cay and we may or may not have had some excitement when the eddy moved us around and we touched bottom. Now, we're in Big Majors. All is good.

Lessons learned, double check hatches after kids seal them. We took a massive wave to the salon. Soaked cushions, pillows, electronics 😅. Bashing and taking waves, like a bucking bronco. Happy to have dropped the hook. Few days here until we can head to Staniel. Fun times. If you're in WW, let's hang out!

What we thought would be "sad sailing" turned out pretty freaking great. Sure, we motored a bit—but way less than expected. We also landed a Cero Mackerel, and Aria reeled in her first fish—a little snapper! We weaved through bombies, soaked up the sun, and maybe cursed a cloud or two. All in all, a solid day on the water. Now we’re kicking back in Shroud...there's a lot more people here than we have seen in a hot minute. Cheers!

Trying to make Shroud Cay for the float and decided to pull anchor and say goodbye to the beautiful Abacos. A bit lumpy but we avg almost 9 kts the whole way. Anchored out in front of Egg Island and we'll move again tomorrow. The reef line is spectacular, it was like neon blue as we approached.

Motorsailed to Snake, spent the night, had a nice snorkel, smashed some great food and enjoyed a gorgeous night. Tried to head to Sandy Cay but diverted to Pelican instead. Amazing diversion with an incredible beach all to ourselves. Insane blues, pink sand and the water was blissful. Swell was picking up, so we cruised over to Lanyard. Adam brought the boat to this anchorage two years ago. Feels right to be here.

Moved from a rolly anchorage and decided we'd come check out Hometown. If you have recommendations on where to explore or go next, all ears.

Tried to anchor in front of Fowl Cay, but the water was pretty rolly, moved to Man-O-War for the night.

Enjoyed the day at Grabbers, the beach at Nippers, back to Grabbers for dinner. All in all a great day and now we've arrived in Marsh to resupply before heading south for a meet up.

We're looking forward to having a little nip at Nippers and a drink or two at Grabbers. Maybe get the kids to drive us around the Cay by cart. If you're around the area, come say, hello 🤙.

Just spent the last 4 or more days (losing track of time) at Nun Jack. It was so great to slow down and enjoy the water and hide out from the Northerly blow. I had a small dinghy accident. Dinghy 1, my butt 0. After several days of rest and relaxation it was time to hop down a few miles to Treasure Cay. We originally planned to anchor in front of a gorgeous white sandy beach, but once we reached the spot, it turned out to be too rolly for comfort. So, we made the call to head through Whale Cut. The cut was busy with lots of charter cats leaving Marsh Harbour and making their way toward Green Turtle. It was a bit of a bumpy ride, but thankfully, the transit was short, and we made it to the other side of Treasure Cay. Now anchored and tackling projecta - swapping out our seawater pro filters. Time to fill up those tanks! Hoping to cross paths with some YCA/SeaPeople folks or Kids4Sail families while we’re here. Cheers!

We started out with a gorgeous sail and plenty of wind to keep things exciting. Harbor spent time jumping on the trampoline, soaking in the blue waves, while Aria relaxed and colored. Though there was some initial disappointment about skipping iPad TV time, they quickly rebounded and fully embraced a screen-free sail! We began with one reef in the main, but halfway through, the wind picked up to 30 knots sustained. We furled the jib and put in a second reef. It's a pain in the ass the way our boat is set up. One winch, gotta furl the jib first, then adjust the main, cleat it and the out the jib back out. Arriving at the Green Turtle Club and Marina was a bit of a nail-biter. With crazy winds, we almost earned a spot on The Qualified Captain! But thanks to an awesome skipper and a solid shore-side crew, we pulled off a successful (if slightly hairy) tie-up. And yes, we naturally forgot to turn off the tracking...

So many monumental feelings as we officially begin cruising through the Bahamas! Our Gulf Stream crossing was relatively uneventful—3 to 4 ft waves splashing around, but with light winds, we motor-sailed most of the way. Adam handled the majority of the watches while the kids and I (Brandy) were down (still adjusting to the motion). I took over watch just after we crossed onto the Bahama Banks, and the whole day was buzzing with energy and excitement as we set out for this next chapter of our family’s adventure. What caught me off guard was the overwhelming surge of emotions—excitement, fear, joy, and awe. This has been the dream all along, to sail as a family, starting in the Bahamas, and now it’s happening. Excited for the 2025 cruising season.

Another motorsail in the books, and Adam dubbed it "sad Sailing". The wind wasn’t in our favor—what little there was blew stubbornly on the nose. We rounded Port Canaveral with high hopes of catching a rocket launch, Adam worked hard to wake the kids, troop was up but alas, the launch was called off. This trip marked our longest family passage yet, and Adam and I are starting to find our rhythm out here. The kids have been absolute troopers, adapting like pros to the liveaboard life. Aria even managed to log into her online art class as we cruised down the Florida coast! Overall great trip. Now to celebrate with a cold Deschutes brew. Cheers, B

We sailed from Fernandina to St. Augustine with light winds around 7 knots—perfect for putting up the screecher and main. Kaikoa was moving so well, we actually had to work to slow her down to ensure we arrived in daylight. Adam took the first watch, I covered from 10pm-2am, and then he was back at it. The powerboats flying past us? Terrifying. It feels like a game of chicken every time. Adam’s used to it, but I can’t decide if they’re cutting close for fun or if they think it creates less wake. Either way, not a fan. We’ve made it, though, and we’ll be in St. Augustine for the next 5-7 days. Excited to explore, even if it’s freezing. Every mile gets us closer to the Bahamas!

Motorsailed all the from Seabreeze Marina in Charleston to Fernandina. Super calm sea-state. Wind on the nose. Took my first night watch and it was incredible to see the stars before the fog filled in. Because sea-state was so good, no one got sick and everyone is in good spirits.

Super fun and sporty trip around Hatteras. Great window. Surfing down waves. Caught some skipjack (tossed em back because they tasted gross). Adam and Noelle ran 4 hour shifts. B and the kids drove down to Southport and then Charleston. Here for Christmas and then headed for warmer weather!

Last-minute preparations to hit the water! We cleared out our storage unit, loaded the catamaran with more toys, galley essentials, and even some Christmas decorations. Friends stopped by to wish us well, and we’re off to sell a car at CarMax before hosting a farewell party tonight. Chaos is in full swing as we keep an eye on the weather to start sailing south. It’s surreal to think this adventure is finally happening! May be looking for some crew to help take the boat around Hatteras - will be COLD!

On the hard @ Anchor Yacht Basin in Edgewater. Solar arch has been designed/welded on (Victory Customs). Highly recommend Caleb! Sail drives rebuilt by VOSBURY Marine. Dick @ VOSBURY is the man! And the Yard @ Anchor Yacht Basin has been great. The boat is a mess and our sanity is holding on by a thread. Cannot wait to splash 🤙