Joined the Cruising Community--let me introduce myself

[shirley]

My husband and I sold our house 6 months ago and moved on board our 54' custom built cutter Cannibal. Our boat is an experienced circumnavigator and is teaching us what she knows.

We are a family of 5, three of which are kids ages 16, 14, and 11. We're homeschooling and plan to cruise for at least a year.

My husband has his CG master's license (unlimited chief mate, captain of 1500 tons or less). He recently renewed his license. He has sailed on ships all around the world (30 different countries), but his crew has never left the US or entered blue water. We have all done small boat sailing around the coast of Tx and lakes, but nothing like blue water--and nothing like living aboard!

We crossed the Gulf of Mexico in January. We left Palacios, Tx and sailed to Dry Tortugas. What an initiation!!!!

I've been reading the forums for several months and decided to interact a little.

[Pblais]

I've been reading the forums for several months and decided to interact a little.

Great!. Lots here for you and yours. Given you are new you should be able to find all sorts of things to interest you in many ways.

[Charlie]

congrats onyour first trip. At first I was going to suggest that 54' was a large boat but then when I saw that you have two teenagers and preteen I realized that you would need that much boat just to cary the right amount of food for a week long trip. LOL. Let us know how it goes.

[SkiprJohn]

Aloha Shirley et al,
Welcome aboard! You'll be able to answer lots of our questions I'm certain. Hope we can answer some of yours too. Hope you enjoy the forum.
Kind Regards,
JohnL

[hugosalt]

Welcome Shirley, Just had to comment...what a wonderful time for you and your family, enjoy your time together. Keep us up to date.

[mickmul]

Welcome Shirley, I hope this adventure will be everything you dream of! Jealous already!! Keep us up to date, and fair winds!!

[shirley]

The teenagers are both boys--hungry boys! Every nook and cranny is filled with food.

Even though it's 54', the interior is not as big as you would think. The beam is only 13.5' and there is a sail locker (huge sail locker) in the bow that would otherwise be used for interior living space. Cannibal used to race in southern California, so they needed room to store all the different sails.

It suits our needs, though. It has two full berths (one for my husband and I and one for "the princess") and two crew bunks, where the boys sleep (they're more like coffins, but they're the best places to sleep underway!

Thanks for the welcomes! I would love to talk to anyone who has cruised extensively with teenagers--just want to find out if I'm ruining their lives!! Ha ha

[clausont]

Welcome Shirley!

Congrats!
We are looking forward to the day when we can join the cruising community also.
Right now we are almost finished with the refit of our little Cal 29 that we will use as our family weekender here in Oregon. We are not an experienced cruising family (hope I didn't disappoint you there) but are trying to learn all that we can for the time that we make the jump also.
We have learned a lot on this forum - I think you have come to the right place.
BTW - we have five kids, ages 11 years to almost 2 years old.

[Charlie]

Of course you're ruining their lives. That's a parents job. It says it in article 4 paragraph 4 subsection b of the Parent's Manual, "If you are doing a good job raising your kids outside the influence of gangs, video games and media your children will respond by saying that you are ruining their lives. That means you are doing a good job. It isn't till they are somewhere between 20 and 25 that they will/may come to the realization that what you are doing is right. Be patient."

[anglooff]

Welcome aboard....I am sure that the next few years will be interesting and exciting for you all...

Alan

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Charlie

Of course you're ruining their lives. That's a parents job. It says it in article 4 paragraph 4 subsection b of the Parent's Manual, "If you are doing a good job raising your kids outside the influence of gangs, video games and media your children will respond by saying that you are ruining their lives. That means you are doing a good job. It isn't till they are somewhere between 20 and 25 that they will/may come to the realization that what you are doing is right. Be patient."

Charlie got it right!

1. You're a parent of teens.
2. You're a know-nothing jerk, 'till their about 20 - 30 (depending).

Been there, done that, wore out the T-shirt.
Now I'm a grandparent (12 y/o), and soon expect to once again be a know-nothing jerk.
As much as everything changes, it (more or less) remains the same ...