Epiloge

 Monday, May 31, 2021, Memorial Day. Day 148 of the Adventure, and Day 1 of the Return to the Beginning.

I was up at 6:30 am to get ready to leave Penns Landing Marina in Philadelphia after the month's stay. It was cold for May 31 (52°). Roland's sailing buddy, Stephen, came over before 7:30am, to help us off the dock and we each had 1/3 of a cup of coffee. We were using a very small pot.

The galley had only limited equipment and limited food, as we were voyaging for only four days and we needed to take everything back to Philadelphia in Pat's car from Annapolis, where we were to leave the boat.

Magic Moments was scheduled to be hauled out for maintenance at Bert Javins Marina on Friday, June 4, 2021, and we were planning to spend the evening of June 3, at the Browns, our PO's: the place of the Beginning.

It was strange to be on board on Sunday night. Although we had spent a month hosting friends for happy hour, on Magic Moments while in Philadelphia, we hadn’t lived aboard.

Looking back after this one month on land, in my own home, I had many thoughts.

Captain Roland had taken 99% of the responsibility for the boat, our life on board, and this adventure generally. It is true that I did the laundry and the dishes and I made the bed every morning, but is that really a significant contribution?

We had traveled from Galesville, Maryland, south on the AICW, to Stuart, Florida, west across the Okeechobee, north up to Clearwater, Florida, on the GICW and in the Gulf of Mexico. On the way south in the Gulf, we experienced a failed attempt to go to Naples, and then had to go east across the Okeechobee, south to the Upper Keys, back up north to Aventura, Florida (north of Miami), for our emergency hot water tank replacement, then south to return to the Upper Keys, and finally, on March 31, 2021, started our journey back north on the Atlantic ICW to Philadelphia.

I saw many places that were not on my bucket list, met many boaters, marina operators, and other folks along the way; made many new friends, learned a lot about navigation (a lot for me but compared to the body of knowledge and what I should know, actually very little), learned some nautical language, names of many parts of the boat, and learned to live with the Captain in a very small space, 24/7.

I spent an amazing amount of time on my blog. But I don’t think I’m a writer. Maybe, it honed my storytelling talents.

The beauty we experienced on this trip was inspiring. The photographs that especially Captain Roland took, are awesome.

Magic Moments has been a wonderful home for us for six months, but it does require an immense amount of work and upkeep. The hobby is all consuming in terms of time, money and energy.

The Captain loves living on the water. I found it an exciting alternative to cleaning out the garage during Covid isolation, but although I loved the peace and beauty of some amazing anchorages, I lack the love of life on the water that is so important to him.

The future may hold a few more adventures: to Maine in August and September, 2021, and the Bahamas in March, April, and May, 2022, but long-term, no decision has been made.

I have no regrets, it was a great adventure. Am I a better person for it? Am I a better companion? Have I learned to honor my strengths and work on my weaknesses, have I improved my interpersonal communications?

In August, when we commence our trip to Maine, we shall see.