Coming home

[jonic]

Well its official. We've just paid the shipping company and Seraphim ships back from the USA to Southampton in a few weeks time. It's a strange moment after eight years on and off of cruising away from home.

We thought about the Pacific but with the piracy problem and the demands of two children under five on a small boat, it's time for a rest ..of sorts.. until they are a bit older and we head off again.

We'll be based in Ocean Village and I will concentrate on the yacht brokerage and Nicola on her yachting writing.

We have never really cruised our home waters of the Solent, so ironically it will be new to us, any tips on where to visit will be greatly appreciated.

We'll cruise and spend a lot of time aboard but now we'll be able to go "home" in the evening and weekends and experience the joys of babysitters!

It all started eight years ago with tons of help from this forum, when we began planning a year or two away.

Little did we know that we'd lose a boat in a hurricane, gain two children along the way and stay "out" for eight years.
I'll never forget the forumite who appeared with a bottle of Champagne just before we left in Port Solent to wish us fair winds.

We've met (and drank with!) a number of other forumites along the way. Foxglove pulled in next to us just last night. I've shared a beer with TCM and Horatio HB in da Islands, met Carolwildbird in Palma, received a warm welcome from Bajansailor in Barbados, cruised with Robavery, Peterbrigaloe and Spicemariner in the Med, Caribbean and the USA, and swapped tips with Codstewart, MichaelBryant, and countless others who's forum names I can't remember.

But one of the best meetings was seeing Jonny and Kate of JonnyH fame cruising into the Caribbean aboard the boat I sold them a year or two earlier and then hearing they had made it safely to Australia...pure magic.

Oh and I'm going to Stellargirl's wedding in Chichester in August (There'll be hearts breaking all through the Solent). We were there with her in St lucia when her husband to be stepped off a sleek yacht he'd just raced across the Atlantic straight into her arms.Talk about Romantic.

It's been an amazing trip in every way, we've seen wild Dolphins, Whales and Alligators, fed Sharks, swam in rainforest waterfalls, picked all sorts of exotic fruit from the trees, swam in the clearest waters, seen hundreds of breathtaking sunsets, tasted an infinitely variable range of cultures and met the most interesting and warm people.


Thanks to all those who offered help and support on this great forum.
Look out for us aboard Seraphim in the Solent, give us a wave and I'll give preferential brokerage rates to forum members and we'll share a beer or two.

For those thinking of going cruising, whatever you do, just GO and remember what Cap'n Jack Sparrow said. "What a ship is, what she really is, is freedom."

Gotta go, I think I've got some dust in my eye or something...

 

[Angele]

When are you going to arrive in Ocean Village?

 

[jonic]

Hi Angele

We should be there towards the end of June. I'll show you the child cot leecloth I copied from you!

 

[jonic]

Well it looks like we might be sailing back across the Atlantic after all. Seeing as the kids are both over two years old they have to pay full fare for the flights home.

But I have just discovered that for the same price as four airline tickets for eight hours on a Virgin Atlantic flight, we can have a family cabin for a seven day Atlantic cruise from New York to Southampton aboard the Queen Mary 2. We might even get to see Seraphim out the window

 

[mandlmaunder]

Now that's ending a two year sailing odyssey in style.

Our two year Atlantic cruise is also in it's 8th year, we'll await your return.

Mark

 

[jonic]

Hi Mark

Funnily enough we were just talking about you yesterday with Foxy (Foxglove). They are berthed next to us in Ft Lauderdale and now they have found out the costs may do the same trip.

Where are you heading next?

 

[CodStewart]

I've got some dust in my eye too.
I'm going to miss you guys being relatively nearby.
You've been such a tremendous support to me over the years.
And inspirational role models for many more out there.
Damn dust!

 

[Spicemariner]

Have a wonderful trip, that's the way to cross the Atlantic! We will try and see you next time we are in the UK. We are not quite ready to give up and unlike you, if we did, unlikely we would get a second go, just hope we can make it back to to the Caribbean this November.

 

[jonic]

Got the tickets for the Queen Mary 2 today. Still amazed its the same price as the airfaires. We are turning it into a "Grand Tour" home by taking the Amtrak sleeper car to New York to meet the ship. The kids are beside themselves. (and so are we to be honest ). Foxy from Foxglove have decided to do the same, so its a YBW scuttlebutt Atlantic crossing with a twist. It's been funny to see us forumites who have spent so long living in oil stained ragged shorts suddenly running off to buy a Tuxedo and a pair of normal shoes.

Cod, we won't be any further than an internet connection away, and we'll still check in to see your enormous progress. You are doing so well and should be hugely proud.

Spices, you'll get to the Islands again, it would have been rubbish this year with el nino anyway Tell Trevor he has inspired me to take up running! Fair winds for the trip down and have an Espresso Martini in Antigua for me.

We're not giving up, just starting another adventure...