Alison retired end-June 20016.
Then it all started…we have been living on Catan for over 3 months now. We have been on our “loop” adventure for over 1 month. It has been a challenging learning curve. Weather situational awareness is key. Truth is, we have had only about 3 hours of boating that were of concern… all of which we have learned lessons from.
Catan measures 42’ long, 15’ wide and 17’ above water line … she is a big boat. There were times early on when I thought that Catan was too big. Too big in terms of handling, high winds and fuel costs. That said, she does have very comfortable and spacious living quarters and that was important if we were to choose to live aboard indefinitely. What you do not readily see in any Catan pics is the deep keel, hard chines on a full displacement hull and twin diesel engines below. In my final analysis, when you are out on the big water (Georgian Bay, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan), and a bad weather scenario drops in on you, Catan’s size has proven to be very comforting. She is very stable, robust and seaworthy.
We too are much more experienced and wiser. Perhaps hard to believe (even for me), this experience is making us an even stronger couple. We are making joint decisions on an hourly basis, relying on one another to perform key tasks and ensuring clear communication always, while out on the water. At this point, I am reasonably confident that we have completed our learning curve and in top form when it comes to teamwork.
We got thinking about if we were retired at home, sitting around, doing relatively nothing compared to this…and how this experience will affect us when this is all done.
In the end, despite all the preparatory reading, and courses, neither of us knew what an absolute, genuine, raw adventure this would be. Stay tuned…
