Cruising One Year Exactly!

[MarkJ]

Today is our official First Year Anniversary of buying our boat and cruising!

Exactly 1 year ago we took possession of Sea Life in St Martin in the Caribbean (It may have been a few days earlier but we don’t know! LOL).
After a few days buying junk at the chandlers and goodies at the supermarket we hauled anchor and have sailed it 13,136NM's via Panama to Australia.

This year we are doing about 5,000 miles through Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

I don't know what's been the best bits, or the worst bits. Its all been an adventure both personally and sailing wise.

There’s 2 photos below, one on our first day aboard and we look excited and happy, and the other is a week ago. I think we look happy and relaxed. And we still are excited!

The things we have learned:
The difference between and ordeal and an adventure is attitude.
Don't listen to negative talk from cruisers. (or family and friends)
Stop whinging. The alternative is the 8.05 bus every morning.
Its your turn to do the dishes.

Thanks for everyone’s advice on this forum for the last year. We enjoy CF very much. It solves many problems, is thought provoking, and gives me something to do while Nicolle is asleep.


Mark

[Sandero]

Mark,

Super... and go for more, Be careful mate out there.

Fair winds and following seas!

jef
sv Shiva

[maxingout]

Congratulations. But remember, it's never too late to escape from the savage seas and return to land where you can be safe and live like everyone else.

[slomotion]

I'm not cruising at the moment ..... so I was gonna say something about hating you ..... but, nah.

Fair Winds

[markpj23]

Congratulations Mark & Nicolle! May we cross paths some day..

[cdennyb]

It would appear from those pics that you aren't drinking enough.. LoL certainly not like you did before you got the boat. Short on the drinkin fund huh?
LoL

[Tempest245]

Mark and Nicole.....Happy Anniversary!! Have another Corona on me!

[Therapy]

Congradulations and thanks for you input.

[Arch Stanton]

Mark - As an aspiring cruiser with lots of romantic ideas in my head about cruising, I think it'd be good to sober me up a little by hearing about some of the things that have been bad. What have been your setbacks, challenges, low points, etc, once you got on the boat and sailed away?

[SouthernComfort]

Congratulations.

I am one month shy of my first year living aboard. I am a nine-to-fiver, so my year hasen't been as adventurous as yours. I am envious.

[Pblais]

Today is our official First Year Anniversary of buying our boat and cruising!

What if you didn't screw up and the magic worked? Looks like a trend to me. So tell us just how much smarter are you a year later? I'm betting a whole lot and glad for it.

You've done well and should feel a whole lot better for it!

Tip: when taking momentous photos - don't stick you tongue out! You have reached a point where you are supposed to look too happy to contain yourself.

The difference between and ordeal and an adventure is attitude.

It's easier to sell that afterwords than at the moment. We have all had a few. You still hope for the best and pray you survive the worst. Humility is still a virtue.

Congrats on your first year from all of us at CF!

[Alexei]

Hey congrats! Great job!

Hope to get out there someday, too. T minus 8 years and counting until I can retire from the Navy and get paid to breathe!

[TexSail]

We will raise a glass to you in Texas. Salud. Congratulations.

[Inkwell]

Mark and Nicolle, the very best of good wishes to you two. Your website is great. How was the home made red bottle beer?

David

[Soft Air]

Toast for you two here in the BVI.

Mark you look fatter and Nicole looks prettier

Stop eating and do boat jobs Mark...

Congrats