Ending
5,638 nautical miles This year has been like no other. Our relationships have strengthened immensely; I've grown closer to my family than I would've anywhere else. Being able to spend so much time together through the highs and the lows of this trip has been a real gift. Especially at my age where I...
Last Day of the Garrett Family Sabbatical :(
60 nautical miles We got an early start and made it easily through the lock as well as the bridges. Once in the Chesapeake, we were able to raise the main and spinnaker. Being able to turn off the engine and have an awesome sail was great for our last day! WE made it to Deltaville without any rain....
Dad's Birthday
85 nautical miles We left pretty late today. The wind was coming out the north (of course!) so we had to beat straight into it. Dad ate the sandwich I made him out of a plastic bag so it didn't get wet! The conditions got much better once we were near a lee shore. We made it under the first bridge w...
Lil' Bit of Bridge Trouble
70 nautical miles When I woke up we were a few hours into the ICW, getting ready to stop in Oriental NC. The town dock lets you stay for free for 2 nights, but we were only pulling in for a hour. First we went to the coffee shop. We met lots of people who were admiring Running Tide. Mom and I went t...
Log meets Prop
200 nautical miles We left around 4 am this morning. The seas were steep 6-9 ft waves from the south. The wind was building to 15-20 kn. Poor Clarke threw up. We made it to Southport around 3 pm. Our original plan was to keep going across Frying Pan Shoals to Beaufort, instead of going inside and ho...
Late Night to Georgetown Inlet
50 nautical miles We woke up late today and had to rush to get ready for our aquarium reservations at 9 am. We met the O'Connors in the grass outside the aquarium. They just got two new baby otters! Sadly, they weren't out at that time. We could see the Charleston Race Week regattas going on outside...
Day in Charleston
My dad went to the grocery store this morning. We stayed back to do school. When he got back we put the groceries away before going to Holy City Brewing for lunch with the O'Connors. The food was DELICOUS and we all left very happy. Then we went to the boat and took the O'Connors for a sail. It wasn...
Arrive in Charleston
400 nautical miles When I woke up we were about 4 hours from Charleston. We had the spinnaker up, but had to take it down after a little while because the wind got too light. Dad had a hard time getting a slip because it's Charleston Race Week. We finally found a slip on the outside of the Mega Dock...
Gulf Stream
When I woke up we were averaging 10 knots in the Gulf Stream. There was about 3-4 knots of current under us! We also had a nice amount of wind, just it was farther forward than we wanted. Luckily we were able to hold the main and jib. The wind died and clocked south throughout the day. We had averag...
Leave for Charleston
We got the dinghy out of the water and got ready for the transit. We were pulling anchor along with Lark around 9 am. The ocean was pretty calm today, with no wind. Not ideal but better than too much wind! We hopped into a current that pulled us towards the Gulf Stream. Because of the speeds that th...
Last Day in the Bahamas
35 nautical miles We pulled anchor pretty early this morning. The waves had calmed down so we could go through Whale Cay cut. It was a pleasant sail and we stopped in Manjack to go for our last snorkel of the trip. The water was pretty cold but we got used to it after a little while. We thought ther...
Easter
10 nautical miles We got up at 5:40 am this morning to make it to the sunrise service they were holding on Man-O-War. They served breakfast afterward. Once we landed we walked to the graveyard on the eastern side of the island. The service was short, but it was nice to go to church again. I'm really...
Hope Town Goodbyes
10 nautical miles Dad went for a run and stopped at the grocery store this morning. He also reimbursed the coffee shop and bought two little treats. My favorite was the cherry tart. Today was overcast, cold, and windy -- not a fun combination! Aunt Caroline and Uncle Ian are leaving for their flight...
Exploring Man-O-War
We went into Man-O-War this morning to get some breakfast at the local shop. They bake everything in the little kitchen off the store and all the profit goes to the museum as a fundraiser. We forgot cash on the boat, so they let us get breakfast and pay them back tomorrow. So nice! Agnes had told th...
Seeing the Albas
10 nautical miles This morning we picked up a gas motor that someone was lending us. Their boat was Lark and Aunt Caroline and Uncle Ian had met them on their 2-day journey. They're really nice! Then we pulled anchor and went to Abaco Beach resort to get fuel and water. We also got gas and oil for t...
Grounding and Goodbyes
15 nautical miles We got all packed up and ready to go back to the boat this morning. Uncle Ian came to pick us up in the dinghy around 9 am. It was crowded so we had to make two trips. Then we got underway for Hope Town so Uncle Ian and Aunt Caroline could get their 5-day covid tests by 3 pm. They...
Long Kayak Adventure
I did school all morning. Around 2 pm we got ready for our kayak adventure. Our plan was to go around Robinson bight and find the blue hole to snorkel. Clarke and I were in a two-person kayak as well as mom and Cyrus, and dad was in a one-person. So we set off. Getting around the bight was hard. Wav...
First Day off the Boat
We went kayaking this morning. We explored the harbor and found a possible snorkeling spot. Then we tied up at the dock and went to do school. After lunch, the boys went to play in the water. Dad came back around 2 pm saying that I should come too. I did. We found a huge sea star and there were conc...
Pete's Pub
45 nautical miles We went to explore Green Turtle around 10 am. We explored an adorable little beach resort and saw the octagon houses where dad and Aunt Caroline stayed one time in high school. The resort had only finished the repairs and opened a week ago! We walked all around the little town. The...
Spin sail to Green Turtle
25 nautical miles We had our delicious banana pancakes for breakfast. Aunt Caroline, Cyrus, and I played Uno. I got three rules put on me. I had to talk in a British accent, put my cards down with my left hand, and make fart noises every time I played. Guess who made the last rule! The water was hav...
AC and UI arrive
15 nautical miles When I woke up we had just anchored off Sandy Cay. We were going snorkeling at a reef just around the rocks. I quickly got ready and we hopped in the dinghy. Once we got there we moored and jumped in. It was beautiful! The coral was vibrant and plentiful and there was an abundance...
Day in Lynyard Cay
Aunt Caroline and Uncle Ian were supposed to arrive today, but they had an unfortunate mishap. Their covid tests didn't come in before their morning flight to Miami, so the airline wouldn't let them fly cause they got the flights nationally and internationally through the same airline. I still don't...
In the Abacos
75 nautical miles We went to see the Glass Window around 8 am. The cliff is really cool. It's crazy to think that that strip of rock is all that connects the island. We looked around for a bit before heading back. Along the way, we saw a blowhole. Of course, we see one when we don't go looking for i...
Parting from the Pattisons
40 nautical miles I woke up and did some schoolwork. Soon we left to go for a walk. Eleuthera Island seems to be a nice mix of populated and remote. The walk was pretty and the wind helped cool the temp down. We got back to the boat around noon. Then we hopped over to the fuel dock. The Pattisons ca...
Sail to Cape Eleuthera
65 nautical miles When I woke up we were on our way to Eleuthera Island. Arthur was sailing with. What little wind there was, was at the nose so we couldn't hold the jib. The sail was uneventful and we arrived in Cape Eleuthera around 4 pm. We docked in the Marina and filled water tanks, washed down...
Road Trip
I woke up and did school work. Around 10 am dad and Douglas went to shore to get a rental car. We followed a little bit later. When they came back they didn't have a rental car! Apparently, everyone was in church -- they could hear the singing carrying out of the building. We decided to eat lunch at...
The Sailfish and the Shark
40 nautical miles When I woke up we were on our way to Cat Island. Cyrus was sailing on Alisara. The wind was on our tail so we put the spinnaker up. It was awesome. We averaged 10 knots with no engine! Alisara asked us to take some photos with their spin up, so we swung by. We found out they had a...
Day in Conception Island
I woke up and tried to get as much work as possible done before 10 am when we were going exploring with the Pattisons. We left for the mangroves together but we took it easy on our battery. We had a dolphin play right in front of the bow! When we got to the entrance we found it was going to be trick...
Sail to Conception Island
20 nautical miles We did school all morning. Around lunchtime, Cyrus went to Alisara. We pulled anchor and set out for Conception Island. The trip was awesome -- we averaged 8 knots with no engine! When we got to Conception we all marveled at how beautiful it was. The water was incredible. I could s...
Day in Calabash Bay
I made pancakes this morning. We had them as a mid-morning snack. Then I started my work. I stopped once to go for a swim and paddleboard ride. Mom went snorkeling with Hermione and Alice while Clarke fished and the Troublesome Two/Partners in Crime (otherwise known as Cyrus and Arthur) ran around....
Crazy Sail to meet the Pattisons
70 nautical miles When I woke up we were just leaving Dotham Cut. The Knights were right behind us, headed for Georgetown. We were underway towards Calabash Bay. We had our jib up for a little while but soon dropped it because neither tacks had a good bearing to waypoint and we were set to make it t...
Black Point Suprise
33 nautical miles We swung by Knigthlife to say a final goodbye. We told them to come by Deltaville and give us a call when they were in the area. Then we headed to Black Point. We had banana pancakes for lunch. As we were pulling into the anchorage we decided to anchor by sail. It was easier than I...
Day in Big Major Cay
We woke up later than usual. We didn't know the time changed until we looked at the ship's clock and realized the phone was an hour ahead. Then we went to pig beach. The pigs were so cute! They were all different sizes. Some would lie down in the sand and snuggle together. When dad went to pet one i...
Day in Staniel Cay
3 nautical miles Dad, Clarke, and Cyrus went to get groceries while mom did laundry and I watched over the boat. After finishing we wandered around, went swimming, biked, etc. By noon we were leaving the yacht club and getting fuel before anchoring by Thunderball Grotto. Thunderball Grotto is a famo...
Staniel Cay
20 nautical miles We went to land and went on a hike while dad did some more work. Then we went snorkeling. It was beautiful. We saw a humungous lobster. We think it was around 2 ft. Massive! Cyrus started to get cold so we headed back to the boat. We dropped the mooring and headed for Staniel Cay....
Sail to Warderick Wells
15 nautical miles When I woke up we were getting ready to drop the mooring. We were going to go to Warderick Wells as long as we had service. If not we would go to Staniel Cay. Knightlife left for Staniel Cay as we did. The sail was pretty and we got to Warderick Wells around 1 pm. My dad paddled to...
Exploring the Mangroves
We made banana pancakes this morning. The boys brought a stack over to the Knights. They hailed us later saying the pancakes were consumed at an alarming rate! We were finished with school work by lunch. Then we got in our dinghy and went with the Knights to explore the mangroves. It was a long upwi...
Day in Shroud Cay
We did schoolwork all morning. The wind was as relentless as ever, as it will stay for the next week or so. Around 10 am Knightlife called saying they were headed to us. We were able to finish our work by lunch. They picked up a mooring right next to us and my dad paddled over to say hello. After ta...
Morning with the Knights
15 nautical miles I woke up and did school work. Around 10 am the Knights (the family we met in Atlantis) came on their dinghy. We talked for a little bit before getting bikes and riding around. We stopped to go on the beach. It was beautiful; there were coral beds along the shore and the colors wer...
Crazy Anchorage
15 nautical miles When I woke up Clarke and dad were off exploring the island. I started my school work. When the boys came back we all went to see the iguanas. They were really cute and not at all shy! We explored for about an hour before heading back to the boat to finish school. As the day went o...
Sail to the Exumas
40 nautical miles When I woke up my dad was getting groceries, my mom was doing laundry, and the boys were out playing. I did some schoolwork until my dad came with the groceries. We helped put the food away before getting ready to go to the water park once my mom came with laundry. We hurried over...
Day in Atlantis Waterpark
1 nautical mile We were woken up early by a tug blaring its horn and asking us to move. It was annoying because we weren't even in the channel and we were anchored. But we pulled anyways and let the tug by. My dad surprised us by docking at Atlantis on Paradise Island! We did schoolwork until 8:45 w...
Late Sail to Nassau
115 nautical miles I woke up just as we were pulling anchor. We were headed to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands to anchor for the night. We motored with our jib out for a little while before putting out the spinnaker. With that sail up we could turn off the engine and still average above 8 kno...
Crazy Sail to Lucaya
30 nautical miles We were planning on going to the Berry Islands when we left West End. There were about 25 knots of wind from a good direction, so we figured it was the perfect day to go a longer distance. But when we left the inlet the waves were huge! There were 8ft rollers from the west. We had...
Day in Old Bahama Bay
I did school work all morning. My dad got us through customs and it helped that there were 2 nice ladies there so the process wasn't as frustrating. Clarke and Cyrus had fun exploring, playing, fishing... really anything but schoolwork! Mid-morning my dad came by with a freshly cut coconut! We drank...
Leaving America
60 nautical miles Mom's Covid test finally came at 8 am this morning. My dad did some work and by 11 am we were underway. The inlet was really rough because of all the waves bouncing between the jetis. Once we were out of the channel the waves became a steady 5ft and we put the sails up. We averaged...
Hectic Day to Palm Beach
45 nautical miles We got off the mooring around 9 am. My dad had to do some work so I navigated us south. The first bridge we came to was a fixed bridge. I wasn't sure if we could get under it, but we did... with one inch to spare! All the fishing boats around us stopped to watch. As we continued so...
Day with Mr Kolodner
We transferred to a mooring near the bridge to be closer to the community dock. Mr. Kolodner offered to help us get groceries, so we met him in the parking lot off the dock and drove to Publix. By the end of it, we had 2 carts full of groceries! This was a huge grocery run because we were stocking u...
Crazy Covid Tests
85 nautical miles We were underway in the ocean when I woke up, headed for Point Lucie. It was a nice, warm day without much wind and steady swells from the southeast. Around lunchtime, we spotted a turtle! He picked up his head and looked at us before diving down again. A little while later we chan...
Exploring Kennedy Space Center
160 nautical miles When I woke up we were in the ocean, passing the Kennedy Space Center. Dad was still asleep. The wind had picked up and clocked 180 degrees overnight so that it was a steady following breeze from the North. We rolled out the jib to help stabilize the boat in the 3.5 ft waves. On o...
Overnight Sail to Cape Canaveral
still sailing We did laundry, got groceries, and picked up a boat part this morning. Once the final load of laundry was done, my mom and I explored the town of Amelia Island. We met up with the boys once they were done with their errands. Clarke and Cyrus got me 3 Pura Vida bracelets for a late birt...
Long Hike to Dinner with the Fuschs
30 nautical miles We pulled anchor and started for Cumberland Island around 7:30 am. There was a nice breeze from the northwest. During the sail, we passed by the Kings Bay submarine base. My dad said they keep about 4 submarines there. You could tell that the channel leading from the base to the oc...
Bike on Jekyll Island
10 nautical miles My dad got us underway around 7 am. The sail to Jekyll Island took 2 hours and we were docked at the island marina by 9 am. We sprayed off the boat, fueled up, and filled the water tanks. Then we picked out bikes to borrow from the marina. There are paved biking/walking paths runni...
Run on Saint Simons Island
50 nautical miles We pulled anchor around 9 am. The day was cold and windy, just like yesterday. At least today was sunny! We planned on sailing to Jekyll Island today. Jekyll Island is near a resort we will possibly go to for my grandma's birthday. When we were near Sapelo Island we passed by an ad...
Sail to St Catherines Island
40 nautical miles We all took showers this morning. By 10 am we were off the dock and taking the ICW towards St Catherines Island, an island owned by St Catherines Island Preserve. About 45 minutes into the sail we came to a small town called Isle of Hope. My grandparents used to stop here almost ev...
Last Day in Savannah
The boys and I did schoolwork all morning while Dad installed a new battery charger. It was a cold, rainy, and windy day. After lunch, my mom, Cyrus, and I ran some errands. We got groceries, unloaded them onto the boat, and dropped off the rental car. Along the way to dropping off the car, we saw a...
Dinner with the Conants
Clarke and Cyrus saved me 2 crepes for breakfast. After eating, I started my schoolwork. Around 10 am, Clarke came below deck with a bloody hand! I helped him clean it. Apparently, he was looking for fish along the water and fell in, landing on some rocks. Typical Clarke behavior! The temperature wa...
Finish the Drive to Savannah
Yesterday: We aimed to leave at noon, but ended up leaving at 6:30 pm! We drove as far as Dunn, NC, before getting tired and retiring to a roadside Hampton Inn for the night. Today: I got up around 6:45 am and got breakfast. They had packaged Eggo pancakes instead of fresh waffles:(. After everyone...
Day with the Phunds
Grand Targhee Mrs. Phund made a delicious egg casserole for breakfast. My dad had a few work calls to do, so we stayed back while the Phunds went up to the mountain early. We followed a little while later. When we pulled onto the main road we saw a stream of cars driving away from the mountain. We c...
Drive to Grand Targhee
Powder Mountain/Grand Targhee We packed the car, checked out of the apartment, and were at the mountain by 10 am. There were more cars in the parking lot than normal because it was snowing. It was exceptionally cold and windy, and the falling snow certainly didn't help the temperatures! We stayed mo...
Half Day Skiing
Powder Mountain We did school all morning because Dad needed to make some work calls. We headed to the mountain after lunch. It snowed a little bit last night and this morning, so the slopes were even nicer to ski on than yesterday. Mom's demo skis were more playful and better for powder than her ol...
First Day at Powder
Powder Mountain We hit the slopes at 9 am. Powder Mountain has tons of terrain, so we got to ski on a much of different trails. Our favorite run started with riding the Hidden Lake lift, then went to riding the Poma lift to get us some more elevation (plus it was just fun!), and ended with skiing th...
Drive to Powder Mountain
Eagle Point/Powder Mountain We packed quickly and stuffed all of our belongings in the car. Then we checked out of the condo that we had rented for so long. After turning in our keys, we rode up to the Monarch lift to say goodbye to all the friends we had made during our time at Eagle Point. Jessie...
Last Full Day at Eagle Point
Eagle Point This morning, we rode the shuttle to the Monarch lift. We wanted to ski all the way from the very top to the very bottom of the entire mountain, since today is our last day at Eagle Point:(. We ended up doing a few runs on Monarch before skiing to the bottom. We then rode the chairlift u...
Powder Day
Eagle Point We got up early and did school until 9 am. Then we skied to the runs that opened today, because of the new snowfall. There were more people than usual waiting to ski on this side. The worker let us all go down at once, almost as if we were racing. It looked like a stampede! The powder wa...
Snowy Day
Eagle Point When we woke up, it was snowing! It snowed all morning as we did work. After lunch Clarke, Cyrus, my mom, and I went to the mountain. We did a few runs before heading back. The snow was falling hard and the wind picked up a lot, making us really cold. When we got off the shuttle at our h...
Back to Eagle Point
Powderhorn Mountain/Eagle Point We packed the car and checked out before hitting the slopes. We only skied YooHoo. On our last run, I jumped off a steep drop and tumbled about 10ft. Luckily I didn't get hurt because I landed in soft powder! Then we hopped in the car and drove to Eagle Point. Along t...
YooHoo
Powderhorn Mountain I woke up and did school until lunch. Then we went skiing. We found a fun trail running through the woods called YooHoo. It had lots of soft powder and some snow-covered mountain biking trails crossing between the trees. One bike trail even led to a wooden bridge you could ski ov...
First Day at Powderhorn
Powderhorn Mountain I woke up and got breakfast. Best Western had lots of choices, but we still prefer Hampton Inn's breakfast. Once we ate and Dad got back from the grocery store, we packed the car and drove to Powderhorn. The drive was pretty and we saw some adorable, fuzzy lamas along the way! Wh...
Drive to Grand Junction
Eagle Point/Grand Junction We skied all morning before heading back to the condo at 1 pm. By 2:10, the car was packed and we were on our way to Grand Junction, CO, near Powderhorn Mountain. It was a beautiful 5-hour drive. We stopped for dinner at Costa Vida before heading to Best Western, where wer...
Cold Day
Eagle Point We did schoolwork until 9 am. Then we went to the mountain. On the shuttle ride up to the slopes, we learned that the Monarch lift (the one that broke down yesterday), blew a fuse and wasn't running. We did a few runs on the learning slope before it got crowded. Then took the shuttle bac...
Lift Shut Down
Eagle Point I woke up to 8 inches of fresh snow! We did school until 9:30 am, then headed to the slopes to get in some fresh skiing. The shuttle was PACKED. The powder was amazing! It was fluffy, soft, and perfect for skiing. I felt like I was skiing on a cloud! On our first lift ride, the chair had...
Short Day of Skiing
Eagle Point I had a lot of work today; I started at 9 am and still wasn't finished by 2 pm. That was without taking any breaks! We decided to hit the slopes despite not finishing our schoolwork. Dad jammed his finger enough that it hurt to grip his poles, so he dropped them off at the lodge. We did...
Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon Nation Park/ Eagle Point The drive out of Zion was incredible, as was the rest of the trip. When we got to Bryce, we stopped at the welcome center to get trail recommendations and shoe spikes. After acquiring both, we headed to the park. I couldn't believe my eyes when we pulled into th...
Dry Suit Hike
Zion National Park When I woke up at 7:22 am, it was dark. By 7:25 am, the canyon was lit up nicely. It was crazy to watch how bright it got in only 3 minutes! The steep cliffs surrounding us blocked the sunrise until the sun was at a high enough angle. After I got ready, I got pancakes and orange j...
First Day at Zion
Zion National Park I woke up to find that it snowed a few inches! Hopefully the snow stays and can be a base layer for the big snow storm coming next week. The rest of the morning we spent packing. By 10 am we were on the road. Along the way, my dad surprised us with a pit stop at The Creamery, a cr...
Looking for the Boys
Eagle Point After lunch, the boys went to the mountain (without our home phone), while my parents and I stayed back to do work. Around 2:30 pm my mom and I headed up to the main lodge to meet up with the boys and go skiing. We looked and looked but didn't find them. Eventually, my mom pulled out her...
Snow-angels at the Hot Tub
Eagle Point Today, we got through school without any fighting! My dad went skiing while we did our work. He said there were fewer people in the morning than in the afternoon. Maybe we'll have to ski in the morning and work in the afternoon! After lunch, we met up with my dad on the slopes. The terra...
First Day at Eagle Point
Eagle Point When I woke up the boys were in a heated argument over checkers. I was already halfway done with my schoolwork by the time the quarrel settled! Of course, 5 minutes later, they got into another fight, this time over pencils. By the time the Great Pencil War was over, it was lunchtime. On...
Cherry Peak
Cherry Peak Mountain When we finished packing the car it looked like a stuffed sausage! Cherry Peak was closer to Logan than Beaver Mountain, which was nice because we were already driving 4 and a half hours to Eagle Point later that night. When we got to Cherry Peak we had a quick snack of Ben and...
Last Day in Logan
Beaver Mountain We got a later start to the day, hitting the slopes around 11 am. The slopes were icy today so we stuck mostly to groomed slopes. Even though the snow wasn't great, the day was gorgeous. The sky was the most brilliant blue with not a cloud in sight! We found 3 favorite runs that we l...
First Day Skiing
Beaver Mountain We got an early start for Beaver Mountain to get as much skiing in as possible. By 9:45 am we were on the slopes. The day was cloudy with high winds and sleet, making it feel freezing. It doesn't sound like nice conditions, but we had fun anyway! We mostly skied in the woods. I love...
Work Day
When I woke up the boys were putting on their snow gear to play outside. Once outside, they would come in every 5 minutes asking if I was ready to go outside with them. Eventually, I was, and I found a giant snowball and shovelful of snow waiting for me. I should have guessed; the boys were too eage...
Flight to Utah
My mom franticly rushed into my room at 8:15 am; I had slept in! It was a cold, cloudy day and we rushed around getting ready to catch our 11 am flight. We finished packing just in time for Nealy to pick us up at 8:45 am. We all loaded into the car, even Marley! When we got to the airport we said a...
Last Sail and Drive Home
35 nautical miles We had an early start today! My mom drove the rental car to Savannah while we sailed there. We were already underway when my dad woke us up. It was only 6 am, but he didn't want us to get seasick. When I came topside, Clarke and Cyrus were wrapped up in their blankets to escape the...
Last Day on Hilton Head
I woke up at 8 am to a frigid day. There was a strong, cold wind blowing that didn't help either. I finished my schoolwork by 11 am and proceeded to fill water tanks and wash off the deck. My hands and toes were numb and I was soaking wet by the time I finished! Around 12:15 pm Mrs. Leslie visited t...
Dinner with the Richardsons
35 nautical miles I woke up around 7:30 am and started my schoolwork. We pulled anchor around 10 am. Luckily, I was able to finish my work before we went into the ocean. We put both sails up and were able to turn the engine off while still averaging 8 knots. We saw some dolphins too! Nonna said that...
Bridge Problems
15 nautical miles When I woke up the boys were already doing schoolwork, so I started my work too. We pulled anchor around 8:30 am, after a "fight" with the anchor when it got stuck in the mud. About an hour later we came to an absolutely crazy bridge (or really set of bridges). A fast current was r...
Daufuskie Island
15 nautical miles I woke up at 8:30 am to the smell of banana pancakes. I read until 9 am when we pulled anchor and headed for Daufuskie Island. As we were crossing the Calibogue Sound, we ate our delicious banana pancakes. We arrived at the town dock (I docked the boat in about 3 knots of current)...
Nonna Arrives
2 nautical miles It's Sunday, so we didn't have to do any schoolwork today. We played pickleball all morning and then headed back to the boat for lunch. After eating, we briefly untied from the dock to calibrate the autopilot. Once we were finished we were tied up to the dock again. I helped my dad...
Day at Wexford
I woke up around 8 am to yet another overcast day. I started my schoolwork and finished by lunchtime. At this point, the clouds had cleared and the temperature was rising. I made lunch and read while I ate. Around 1 pm my dad picked me up to do laundry. Instead of doing laundry, however, we ended up...
Arrive at Hilton Head
15 nautical miles I woke up around 8 am and started my schoolwork. Around 11 am we pulled anchor and started for Hilton Head. We made amazing time despite the rainy weather and arrived 2 hours earlier than expected, around 2 pm. Mr. and Mrs. Adair were waiting for us by the lock into Wexford. They a...
Day with the Albas
2 nautical miles I woke up around 9 am to find that it had rained again. My family was eating oatmeal and doing schoolwork, so I sat down and started my school too. Around 10 am the Albas, the family moored next to us who we ate dinner with last night, swung by on their dinghy to see if we wanted to...
Drizzly Day
35 nautical miles I woke up around 9 am and worked on my schoolwork. Then we explored a tiny creek near the boat. We were back by 11 am and quickly got underway, heading south in the ICW. It rained for most of the sail, but we still managed to time the bridges right! We were moored in Beaufort by 4:...
Leave Charleston
25 nautical miles I woke up at 8 am and got ready to meet the O'Conors in the parking lot. The donut place we were planning on going to was closed, so we went to The Hot Little Biscuit instead. It was delicious! Next my mom, Aunt Liz, and I went shopping at an outlet mall. First, we stopped at Spart...
Aquarium and Oyster Roast
I woke up in my hammock around 6 am to find that it was raining! I rushed below deck and laid down on an empty couch. I got another hour of sleep before everyone else woke up. The dads went for a run while we made egg burritos. Around 10 am we drove to the Charleston Aquarium. It was cool to see all...
Day with the Greenes
15 nautical miles I woke up around 8 am to my mom bribing me out of bed with pancakes. I rolled out of my hammock and went to get some breakfast. Everyone else had eaten and were out fishing. Soon after breakfast, we left the dock to go for a sail. We sailed past Fort Sumter where the the first shot...
Big Seas to Charleston
65 nautical miles My mom woke me up around 7 am so that I didn't get seasick from the rough water we were sailing in. When I came topside, I saw that we we re leaving the Waccamaw River. Two underwater jetis on either side of us were reflecting waves every which way, making the channel a pit of turm...
Remote Resting Day
I woke up around 8 am to find that we were anchored in a remote spot right by the Georgetown lighthouse, in Georgia. We did schoolwork all morning before eating lunch and motoring to a remote beach. Clarke cast-netted for the whole 4 hours that we were on land (no surprise there!). We also saw a dol...
Overnight Sail
165 nautical miles When I woke up, we were already an hour into our journey to Savannah. My parents decided that we were going to sail through the night to make up for the extra time we spent in Beaufort fixing the scratches from our mark grazing. I quickly got started on my schoolwork, only stoppin...
Day with Nonna
I woke up around 9 am at my grandma's house in Topsail Beach. When I came upstairs, the boys were sitting at her bar table playing on her phone and iPad. I got some cereal and started my schoolwork. I was finished by 12 pm and read a book before eating lunch. Then Nonna voted and got groceries. I we...
Mom's Birthday
When I woke up, the Moores were getting ready to leave. I quickly got dressed and layered up because it felt like 40 degrees outside. We said goodbye, and their family was on the road by 8 am. I'm going to miss them! After they left, we did schoolwork for about 3 hours before my grandma (mom's mom,...
Windy Day
40 nautical miles I was woken up at 7 am, but it felt like 8 am because of daylight savings. We had a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, and fruit. We pulled anchor around 9 am and got the sail up right away. The wind was blowing strong so the boat heeled over a lot! Everyone became "rail meat" (s...
Halloween
40 nautical miles I woke up to the smell of banana pancakes. I jumped out of bed to get ready before breakfast was served. It was nice to eat warm pancakes since the wind was so cold. We were underway by 9 am, headed into the ICW. Everyone was bundled up in lots of layers because of the cold, strong...
Break Day in Beaufort
0 nautical miles I got to sleep in this morning, which was a relief! Last night I couldn't sleep because there were 50 knots of wind whistling through the boats and masts. It was like never-ending, amplified whistling! By the morning it had finally died down to around 30 knots. When I came topside,...
Rough Day
80 nautical miles We were 2 hours into our sail when I woke up. My dad told me to get my schoolwork done quickly because there were big breezes coming later that day, and it's no fun to do work in rough weather. I got my work done just in time! We furled the jib and reefed the main as we entered the...
Mark Grazing
80 nautical miles When I woke up, we were already underway, just entering the Albemarle Sound. It was a nice, sunny day with no clouds in sight. We had autopilot on and were cruising along with our jib up. Suddenly, there was a scraping sound and the boat lost its speed- it felt like we hit somethin...
Intracoastal Waterway
57 nautical miles When I woke up, we were still in Hampton. It was cold, overcast, and foggy, just like yesterday. My dad was hoisted up the mast to take our instrumentation off so that we could get under the fixed bridges in the ICW. All fixed bridges in the ICW are required to be at least 65 ft ta...
First Day of leg 2!!
45 nautical miles When I woke up, the house was alive with activity. Cyrus and my mom went to the grocery store to get provisions while Clarke, my dad, and I packed up the house. My grandma recommended lots of places for us to go; her memory is amazing and she spent a lot of time cruising all over t...
Back Home
30 nautical miles When I woke up we were already 2 hours into the sail home. It was an overcast day with wind from the bow and forecasted rain. Somehow, we made it to FBYC 2 hours ahead of schedule, even despite unfavorable winds! My grandma picked us up from the yacht club and drove us back to Tide...
Day with the Abbotts
10 nautical miles We made breakfast burritos this morning. Once finished, we went in to land. We ended up exploring all the way around the point! When we got back to the boat, we pulled anchor and headed to the Abbott's house on the St. Mary's River. The sail was super short, and we were anchored of...
Point Lookout State Park
50 nautical miles The next morning we untied and said a final goodbye to the Pattisons. The day was gray and had a strong wind from a favorable direction. We docked at the Naval Air Base Marina around 2 pm to pick up Sarah Abbott (my dad's friend from sailing at Navy) and her daughter, Ada. We had a...
Lazy day in Annapolis
Around 8 am, the Pattisons came for breakfast. I helped cook eggs, bacon, toast, and pancakes. The food was really good and we hardly had any leftovers! After breakfast, Cyrus went with the Pattisons, Clarke fished, my mom and I got presents in downtown Annapolis, and my dad went to West Marine. Aft...
Annapolis
When I woke up, we were just getting underway. The sail was nice, even though we hit a small rainstorm. By the time we pulled into AYC to pick up the Languths (my dad's friends from the Navy) for an afternoon sail, it had stopped raining. They brought a delicious lunch onboard- so nice of them! We t...
Back in the Chesapeake Bay
100 nautical miles When I got up, my family was getting ready for our sail. We had to prepare the boat a little bit because the wind and waves were still high. The paddle boards were moved to my room, the dinghy was tied to the deck, my dad filled the gas tank, and my mom filled the water tanks. The...
Cyrus's Birthday
110 nautical miles My dad woke got us underway at 4 am so that we could finish our long sail before dark. When I woke up, we were 4 hours into the 16-hour-long sail. The seas were crazy. It was blowing over 25 knots with close, steep 6 ft+ waves. We were sailing by the lee (with the wind almost stra...
Finishing our 24hrs in NYC
15 nautical miles By 10 am we were en route to the 9/11 memorial. Workers were preparing for the 9/11 celebration/remembrance, as September 11th is tomorrow. It was cool and sad to see the monuments. Then we walked to get New York bagels from Pick-a-Bagel. My dad got us some delicious bagel sandwich...
NYC
35 nautical miles My dad got up early today to do provisioning and laundry. The rest of us had a lazy morning. Clarke went fishing while I went on the paddleboard and Cyrus played on the computer. When my dad dropped off the groceries, my mom and I put them away while he went back on land to finish...
Dinner with the Kolodners
50 nautical miles I woke up to Clarke yelling with excitement that he saw 2 sharks while hunting some bait fish. He was so excited that he practically told the whole story in one breath! After breakfast, we started making our way to Cold Spring Harbor to meet Mr. and Mrs. Kolodner. They're the paren...
Meet with the Lammers
35 nautical miles We headed over to Greenport around 8 am to meet Ann, Aaron, and Lucy Lammer, our cousins. They chatted with my parents for about an hour before we took them on a quick dinghy ride and said goodbye. I'm sad the visit was so short! By the time they left, it was already 11 am, so we g...
Clarke's Birthday
When I came out of my room the Prestons were just boarding our boat. Oops, I may have slept a little too late! We untied quickly and steered through the channel, fighting 2 knots of current. Once out of the channel we started to raise the sail, but got delayed when a track broke and had to be switch...
Sail with the O'Connels
35 nautical miles We woke up early today because the Johnsons were coming to see the boat to have breakfast. They arrived by launch and stayed for about an hour before saying a sad goodbye and heading back to shore. Then another family, the O'Connels, came for a day sail. They brought donuts, which...
Dinner with the Johnsons
70 nautical miles When I came topside we were past Boston. The swells had FINALLY calmed down to 3-4 ft. We were an hour ahead of schedule and making good time despite the lack of wind. We did schoolwork during the sail and arrived at the Cape Cod Canal in no time. The currents were strong in the Ca...
Cute Town
65 nautical miles We ended up leaving later than we were planning because my dad decided we should all take showers. Once everyone was clean we untied and got underway. The sail was fun, even though there wasn't a ton of wind. There were still big swells, but we stayed topside and no one got seasick...
Last Day in Maine
50 nautical miles My family kindly let me sleep in till 10:30 am. When I finally came topside we were only 2 hours away from Portland. There were big swells (5-6ft). I guess this is going to be the new normal while we sail in the ocean. The day was very cloudy and had forecasted rain for the afterno...
Toggle Trouble
45 nautical miles I didn't wake up to the sound of the engine running, an unusual happenstance recently! When I came out of my room the boys were making breakfast burritos again. Seems to be Cyrus's new obsession along with patriot colors and pom-pom hats- so cute! Once breakfast was finished we exp...
Saltwater Rapids
40 nautical miles, 2 miles hiking I woke up early today so that we could get underway. We had already left Frenchboro by the time I was topside. My dad very kindly made us breakfast burritos. It was the first time I've ever had them and they were really good! Once moored in Ilse au Haut, we rode int...
Crazy Seastate
15 nautical miles, 2 miles hiking I woke up to the boat rocking and rolling in 6ft swells from the remnants of hurricane Laura. We were already underway. When I came topside my family was putting the sail up. An hour later we arrived in Frenchboro Harbor and picked up a mooring. After we were tied o...
Nautical Terms Dictionary
A few people asked for a dictionary of nautical terms, so I thoought this would be helpful! Let me know if I need to shorten or lengthen it! Aft - the stern or rear of a boat Beam Reach - sailing with the wind coming across the boats widest part. Normally the fastest way of sailing. Birth - a bed on...
Rainy Day
1 mile hiking When I woke up Clarke and Cyrus urgently told me to get ready. Last night we sailed to Somes Sound to wait out the rain, and now my dad wanted me to wake up early so we could see the anchorage. Somes Sound is a fjord (a body of water nestled in the valley of 2 mountains). We decided to...
Second Day of Backpacking
5 nautical miles, 13 miles hiking We got up early so that we could get all of our hiking in. Once everyone was packed up we started our hike. Deer Brook Trail was very rocky and we ran the whole way down. Once at Jordan Pond we took another trail to Eagle Lake. The trail had these raised wooden plan...
Backpacking
5 miles hiking I woke up to hasty packing all around the boat. We were leaving to go backpacking for one night! Once had eaten breakfast I helped pack and close up the boat. Finally, around noon, we were ready to start hiking. We rode to the dinghy dock with our packs started our trek. The trail we...
Jordan Pond Hike
6 miles hiking I woke up to a very windy day. It was blowing about 25 knots from the north. When we put clothes out to dry, they were done within 30 min! I just wish i had my opti… After breakfast we dinghied to land and started our hike. The trail was right off the dock, conveniently. We did a 3 mi...
Arrive at Acadia
25 nautical miles Today was foggy- again! After breakfast I paddled around and then helped set up the rope swing. While the boys were swinging my dad dove under the boat to check the prop. We were having troubles with the engine this morning, so we wanted to make sure there was nothing caught in the...
Spinnaker Pole Rope Swing
0 nautical miles We woke up to yet another foggy morning. After breakfast we paddled around and rode in the dinghy. We even found a way to tow the paddle boards behind the dinghy and do a slow version of wakeboarding- waddleboarding! When my dad came up he pushed everyone into the water so we took a...
Eggemogin Reach
56 nautical miles We departed from Rockport around 6:30 am so that we would have time to stop in Castine and look around the town. The morning had thick fog and no wind. Luckily the fog lifted around 10 am and we were able to see again, however the breeze remained dead. It was neat to see the walls...
Hike to Ice Cream
25 nautical miles After eating breakfast, we did our schoolwork on the Rogers’ glass porch. Around noon, we left to go to our next destination, Castine at the time. The breeze was chilly, even though there was only 6 knots of wind. Luckily it was a sunny day, otherwise I would’ve been a human popsic...
Goodbyes
We packed all morning before saying a sad goodbye to our family around 10 am. I’m going to miss them! When we got to the boat we cleaned and unpacked. So far the day has been sunny and hot. After two hours of maintenance, the boat was in better shape (obviously there’s always something to be fixed...
Last day in Bremen
We watched Groundhog Day this morning. It's hilarious! After lunch we played tennis. I improved after a lot of practice, however I'm still not very good! I did some more schoolwork before dinner. I don't want to have to say goodbye to my family tomorrow, but I can't wait to start sailing again!
Sail & Hike Mohegan
15 nautical miles We started sailing for Monhegan around 9 am. Monhegan is an island off the coast known for beautiful hiking. The sail was pleasant, although there were huge swells compared to the wind. We were moored by noon and had lunch on the boat before rowing into the island. We did a 4.5 mil...
Out to Eat
0 nautical miles We watched part of the original karate kid this morning. Then we got dressed up and headed off to Rockland for a late lunch at Archers. After lunch, we got gelato at a place called Lulu's. We were planning on walking around town, but it started raining so we had to jump in the car a...
Sail to Maple Juice Cove
30 nautical miles It was freezing last night! I left my window open for fresh air, so the wind blew around my room and the air got cold while I was sleeping. That made it extra hard to get out of bed. We watched yet another movie and did some more schoolwork this morning. Then we went for a sail to...
Tennis Match
0 nautical miles The weather was a lot like yesterday (overcast yet bright), except a bit colder. Nothing as interesting as yesterday happened- thank goodness! We watched a movie this morning. After eating lunch we played tennis for the rest of the afternoon. I was tired and hot after 4 straight hou...
Crazy Dinner
12 nautical miles Today is a cloudy, yet bright day. We played foosball and made place cards this morning. It got a little messy with everyone painting, coloring, and drawing. I'm also the undefeated foosball champion! Lunch consisted of my grandma's famous lobster rolls. They really are amazing, an...
Everyone Arrives
0 nautical miles Sleeping in a real bed felt weird, but nice! After I slept in, I explored the house a bit. It’s huge- it even has an art room and game room! I used the art supplies while Clarke and Cyrus watched a movie. While we were eating lunch, my aunt, uncle, and cousin arrived. We played MASH...
Sail to Bremen
30 nautical miles. Last night was nice and calm. We saw a seal while eating breakfast! Later that morning, a boat from a small, non-profit business called the Quahog Bay Conservancy emptied our waste tank for free! Their goal is to keep Snow Harbor as clean as they possibly can. The business first s...
Warm(ish) Water
35 nautical miles. Last night was really windy! I'm glad our anchor didn't drag. We finished our schoolwork quickly this morning so we set out to explore an adorable little island near our anchorage. The cool thing about this island is that, because of the huge tides, it's connected to the mainland...
First Spin Sail
65 nautical miles. We departed from Gloucester early (at least for me!!), around 7 am. The morning was foggy and windless, but the sun soon burned up the clouds and a nice breeze filled in, enabling us to put up the spinnaker. Waves started building later in the afternoon, and soon we were riding 4f...
A Night in Gloucester
16 nautical miles. This morning we did some laundry and resupplied our food. Clarke and dad went to West Marine with hopes of getting rope for a new spinnaker halyard. Around 2 pm we were done with our errands and departed from Marblehead. The day was nice, but there wasn't much wind. Luckily Glouce...
First Day of the Garrett Family Sabbatical
25 nautical miles. We departed from Wessaugassett Yacht Club around noon with the Shaw family. The day was beautiful, with lots of wind and huge swells. We even got to fly the spinnaker! The sail ended in Marblehead around 3pm. The mooring field here is incredible! There's about 1,200 boats split be...