Oh my.  Last Saturday, we celebrated our upcoming departure with a Bon Voyage party at our marina.  If you were there, and many were, you most likely felt the magic in the air.  We certainly felt it.  After a year of planning, there we finally were, with our new home looking shipshape and (almost) ready to go.  And surrounded by those we love, who came to wish us well on our journey.  It was overwhelming.

Our friends and family came for many other reasons as well.  Many are not boaters, so it was interesting to check out our boat and see what it was like.  Some wanted to give themselves and their children a visual picture of where we would be living for the next year, so they could see it in their minds while reading our blog.  Many told us they brought their children so they could show them first hand what it looks like to follow your dreams.  This was an incredible thing to hear and meant so much to us.  We knew we were showing our own children, by example, how to dream big and follow through.  We didn’t expect that this would possibly flow through to others in our world.  How wonderful!

The responses of the children were precious.  One of the biggest questions was where we would get our food.  I thought it was funny that so many children were concerned that we couldn’t just hop in the car and go to Stop N’ Shop!  We had to explain the limited fridge and freezer space, the tiny cabinets, and shopping procedures.  When we need food, we need to get in our dinghy, take it to the shore, walk or take a bus to a grocery store, then bring it back to the boat in the dinghy.  This process will be easier while we are in the United States and more difficult in the Caribbean.  On the other hand, the islands of the Caribbean are known for their outdoor markets with tropical fruits and vegetables picked that morning.  Yum!

Other children asked about who would sleep where, what all the buttons were for at the navigation station, why the oven gimbals (rocks), and where the kids will do their schoolwork.  Several went home and tried to wrangle a boat out of their parents, agreeing to forgo Christmas presents, a new addition on the house, and this summer’s vacation to St. John, in exchange for a liveaboard boat!  The kids all had a lot of fun climbing around on the boat, checking it out, and imagining what it would be like to live on it.  In addition, our kids may have informed them that homeschooling is only 3 hours a day!

The Orbes banner for us

The party itself, while thrown by me- the worst party planner ever, was a lot of fun.  It was a challenge to manage two locations: the party area with all the picnic tables and food, and the boat, where we were giving tours to friends as they arrived.  After working for 8 days straight on the boat, my dad saved the day again, by greeting everyone as they came and manning the grill.  Chris and I tried to swap places throughout the day: one of us giving tours and the other chatting with people at the dockhouse.  But there were a number of times when we must have had over 20 people down at the boat and many more up at the tables.  Neither of us had much to eat until I started melting down and my dad made me a hot dog.  A few Motrin (thanks Keira!) and a Coke later, and I was back in business.

I was surprised by Kathy, who flew up from Florida to come to the party while helping Reenie to move into her new home on Long Island.  I had no idea she was coming up and it was such a great surprise.  My dad and Kathy are lifelong boaters as well and wish they could come with us on this adventure.  Instead, they made us “Flat Stanleys” in with their pictures to bring with us, so look for them in our gallery throughout the year!

In addition, the Blocksoms drove up from Virginia to say goodbye, which was so special, especially since Christina had just taken the long trip up for my birthday a few weeks ago.  Many thanks to all our friends and family from Long Island and New Jersey, who made time to stop by in the midst of baseball playoffs, birthday parties, and other June madness.  We appreciate it more than you know.  We also enjoyed all the cards and gifts that we received and the incredibly generous donations for the Caribbean schools.  We already have several bags of school supplies and $600 to share with those in need along the way!  One VERY generous family donated one dollar for each of the 180 days of homeschooling our kids will be doing.  What a great way to make the connection between their own education and the school systems we will be visiting.

The weather was beautiful and it cooled off with a lovely breeze in the late afternoon.  By the time the sunset lit up the sky with pinks and purples, the last wave of people had arrived and were there to stay and party.  It was great to chat with everyone, answer questions about our boat and the trip, and enjoy each other’s company one last time.  Larry and Cheryl stayed to help clean up and watch the kids.  We were all so pumped up from the party that despite it being 10pm by the time we had everything put away, we decided to go for a moonlight sail to top off a perfect day.

We dropped the docklines, motored out to the Hudson in the moonlight, and sailed in the quiet of the night.  It was almost officially Reese’s 9th birthday, and she was rewarded with fireworks over the river!  We talked about what it would be like to sail for an entire year while Porter fell asleep in Cheryl’s lap and Larry made up erroneous names for all the nautical terms.  (Lest you think it was too perfect, keep in mind that we had trouble getting Bryson to put down Cheryl’s iphone, where he had discovered new games to play.  Ah, the good old days, when sailing and technology were diametric opposites…)

Again, thank you to all those who came to bid us farewell last weekend and all those who wished they could have been there.  We feel awash in a sea of love, support, excitement, and best wishes.  When we throw off the bowlines on July 1st, we know what a treasure we are leaving behind, and will return safely and quickly, so that we may continue to create wonderful memories with each of you.