Eureka! New House Afloat for our Four Girls

[neurotica]

Salutations !
After years of searching for the right boat for us, I do believe we have found it!
Located in Santa Barbara, California, a Formosa 51' known as "Kindred Spirits". What a character !
We have rented our home in Nova Scotia, Canada and plan on leaving the week of December 14th to head cross-country by our faithful Land Rover, Miss Scarlet, a 300 Tdi. We're heading to Graceland...Graceland, Graceland , Tennessee....sing, sing, sing, hum, hum, hum......
Lots of great places to stop for an in-land trip across the United States; check out Cirque de Soleil in Las Vagas, The Grand Canyon, The Smithsonian, Christmas in Nashville.....we'll leave the coast to explore by port, of course!
Looks like we'll be taking our time preparing the vessel in Ventura, and then Ensenada. Casually making our way down to the Panama Canal, we hope to explore many of the central american region. Things are still a little hazy concerning our course once through the canal; it'll depend on time, unfortunately.
Our four girls are going to cruise with us ( ages 5, 10, 13 and 15 ), although the fifteen year old will only be with us during holidays as she has opted for high-school. ( To her credit, she has expressed a desire to study abroad next year if she can find an IB school suitable...and near a harbour so that we can moor and live together during that duration. Morocco sounds like the most idyllic spot. )...any suggestions about such schools would be greatly appreciated, by the way !
Our thirteen year old is not " on board " about this adventure; however, she is rather apathetic about life in general and that is one of the driving factors of us going off the grid.
Nothing will hold back the other two, though the ten year old would dearly love a pet to travel with. Sounds too complicating to me to have any pet other than a gecko to eat them nasty bugs....
We'll be " following" the curriculum of the schools this year, and hope to fly solo in the years to come. The girls have been home-schooled before, and , if truth be told, it veered more to the realm of un-schooling.
Thanks for all those who have contacted us throughout the last months; my apologies for my absence and ambiguity.
Either way, with a great grain of salt and a healty dose of caution, we plan on growing our wings as we fall....
Any cruising families in the California to Panama area between late December to March, please give us a holler!
Cheers!
Simonne, Luke and crew
ps. the step-kids will make 6 kids when they arrive for a stint; currently ages 3 and 6. Anyone for beach volleyball?

[capcook]

Originally Posted by neurotica

Salutations !
Our thirteen year old is not " on board " about this adventure; however, she is rather apathetic about life in general and that is one of the driving factors of us going off the grid.
Nothing will hold back the other two, though the ten year old would dearly love a pet to travel with.

Wow, I am impressed with the courage to try this with the 3 and sometimes 6 kids. Is the wife "on board" ?

My daughter will be 13 when we set sail and she is already such an home body I am just not sure we will be able to uproot her from her very comfortable land life... but will try...I do worry about the negative influences of middle school so hope to skip those years in favor of seeing some of the world at a more leasurely pace...

best of luck with your plans... sounds like a blast..

Cheers

[Jolnir]

You don't happen to have a Yachtworld link to the Formosa in Santa Barbara, do you? I looked at every Formosa 51 in California this past summer. I'm keen to know which one you got. Sounds like a fun adventure you all have planned.

[LuvToSail]

Luke and Simonne,

Congratulations on your purchase. I have friend who own a Hudson 51, which I think is very similar, if not somehow related. I can see why you chose that boat as I know you considered the Cal 2-46 for the bright airy cabin... the windows are even bigger on the Hudson 51 (and I presume the Formosa 51).

We are a few months behind you but I think we are turning right at PV, not Left at Panama... If things change maybe you can join us and our two boys (who will be 6 and 8) on the 2011 Pacific Puddle Jump.

p.s. I presume you have seen Captn Ron??? Boat look familiar???

Cheers
David