A Season of Preparation
Remedy hauled out in March in Oriental, NC.
The first four months of 2026 have been relatively quiet sailing-wise. Remedy was tied to a dock in Annapolis from November 2025 through the end of February 2026. That is the longest we had been attached to land since we departed Brunswick, Georgia, on December 27, 2023. But the time was both necessary and intentional. Our next adventure will have us out of the country for quite some time, so we had lots of projects to tick off, and we wanted to maximize time with family and friends before departing.
There were many benefits to wintering in Annapolis. First, it is a sailing mecca with plentiful resources. Second, we have very dear friends in that area—both in the sailing community and with our church there. We wanted to enjoy some extended quality time with all of them. And, as if those two reasons are not enough, we just love the area. I told Ken all the time that it felt like downtown Greenville, SC, but on the water. It is lovely.
The last six months (from November to now) have been very busy. Ken is transitioning out of his job as a corporate benefits advisor, helping corporations navigate healthcare law, employee benefits, and cost management. Plus, we traveled back and forth between Greenville and Annapolis every two weeks to maximize time with family and friends in both places.
While in Annapolis, we steadily ticked off the projects:
Installed a diesel heater – giving us the ability to stay detached from docks and stay warm in cooler climates longer.
Installed European power capabilities.
Revarnished our interior floors as 40 years of exposure to sun, salt, and water had taken a major toll on them.
Repaired a bulkhead.
Among a myriad of other odd jobs.
It wasn’t all work, though; we had a ton of fun. Our friends, Belinda and Randy, hosted a Mardi Gras party and threw a party for my 53rd birthday. Our friends Zack and Sheri (who we met in 2024 in the Bahamas) came and visited us, and we showed them around Washington, DC, and Annapolis. And we spent tons of time with Ed and Mary, LJ and Mia, Dan and Sarah, and Steve and Lauren. So many people we love in a place we love.
In March, we said goodbye to our friends and family in Annapolis and moved the boat to Oriental, NC, where we had her hauled out of the water for more work. There, we:
Rebed two leaking windows and a few other areas where water was intruding into the boat.
Repaired a gouge in the keel from where we grounded in West Palm.
Had a rigging inspection and a boat survey done to identify and address issues.
Our visits to Greenville were just as busy. Ken worked during the day. On nights and weekends, we moved out of our furnished basement rental and put what few belongings we had left into storage at Ken’s cousin’s house (mostly bins and bins of my books, which is no shocker to anyone who knows me). We became grandparents to an adorable little girl named Lillie! So we soaked up all the Lolly and Pop time we could get. And we spent as much time as we could with family and friends! Ken’s company had a send-off party for him. We had a bon voyage party with friends and family (which I failed to get any pictures of… except for one of Ken getting his haircut in the park during the party). Soccer games, volleyball games, the zoo, and dance parties with my precious nieces. Biltmore with my friend Leah, dinners with my soul sisters. Coffee dates with new friends and old. SO much goodness.
Now, as I write this, we sit on anchor in Beaufort, NC, awaiting a weather window for us to embark on the first leg of our next big adventure—crossing the Atlantic to Europe. The trip will be done in three legs. The first leg is from Beaufort to Bermuda. That should take about 5 days (trip time is always determined by the weather). We will spend a week or so exploring there. A friend will meet us in Bermuda and join us as crew for the next leg to the Azores. That passage will take 14 days (again, weather dependent). We plan to spend a few weeks exploring the Azores before departing for our final leg, Ireland. We will take a third person along for that passage as well. Having a third person aboard sharing night watches enables us to get longer stretches of sleep (six hours at a time instead of three).
Our plan is to arrive in Ireland no later than July. As with anything to do with sailing and life, our plans are subject to change on a dime. If sailing has taught us anything, it is how little control we have. We can plan and prepare, but all plans must be held loosely. We have to be flexible and willing to adjust course.
Our last posts have been a rush to bring everything up to date, but now that we are, here are our blog plans going forward:
Daily updates (during passages only):
Each day, we will send out short updates with our GPS coordinates, distance traveled, and anything of note from the day’s passage. You will also be able to track our journey on The Whereabouts page. This will give you more real-time information about our location, wind speeds, and boat speed.
Monthly updates:
Posts similar to what we have done so far, including stories, highlights, and lots of pictures.
When we left Greenville last week, my sister said, “I am happy for your adventure and heartbroken for your absence.” Her words resonated and have stayed with me. I know there is much adventure ahead of us, and I am very excited for that. There are so many parts of this life that I love. And yet, it is terribly hard to be so far away from people I love so very deeply. I hold both joy and sorrow in one hand. It is hard to believe that the human heart can contain all of that at once. And yet, it does.
After months of projects, planning, and preparation, we are finally ready for what comes next. And yet, as excited as we are, we don't leave lightly. We carry with us everyone we love—their faces, their hugs, their send-offs. Joy and grief in one hand.
The next post you receive from us will be when we are underway to Bermuda—whenever the weather allows.