Prequel - Fall Adventure 2019

Heading to dry land!

By Kathy

Hello Everyone! Sorry for the blog silence since July.  The cruising season ended for us in mid-August and we had a jam packed last month on the boat. We had a visit from the McKees, boat projects, carnival, final exams, school portfolios, fishing, and just lots of fun with friends before we hauled SandStar.

Our last night in Grenada - fun with friends at the brewery dancing on tables

Sam taking a spin on the dance floor! 

For our blog writing we are going to take a small break from the tour through the islands and write a little bit about what we have been doing since we left Grenada in August. Don't worry, we will not forget to share with you our time in the rainforest of Dominica, Camp SandStar with the Penny family in Guadeloupe, amazing Antigua, killer bees in St. Kitts, volcanoes in Montserrat and then our slow u-turn back south to Grenada. 

We hauled SandStar in mid-August and put her safely on the ground in Grenada to rest until November. It was a whirlwind few days getting her packed and cleaned but we did it!

The messy side of cruising

The dinghy is getting the motor checked and then deflated until we return

Everything needs to be washed and cleaned before we leave so we do not find moldy clothes when we return

EVERYTHING gets washed - We definitely do not want moldy stuffies

We are still trying to cook meals while we are in the boat yard and clean at the same time

Now where is her crew going???

We are packing our bags and heading south to explore South America! Once we started looking into South America we realized how big it is and how long it takes to travel from one place to another so we had to narrow down the places we would see. We are going to check out Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.

What about school?

The SandStar kids do not take the typical summer break like their friends on land. Since we tend to travel away from home in the fall they do school all summer and take their final exams in August before closing the books for fall break. This year the carnival in Grenada marked the end of our school year. There was lots of celebrating that week.

Let's Celebrate!! The school year is done!!! Good-bye 8th, 5th, and 2nd grade!

Packing our bags –

I mentioned that earlier but that is a little harder than it sounds. We own some pretty run down t-shirts, bathing suits, shorts and flip flops.  We pretty much live in one climate for the year and it does not involve anything under 80 degrees Fahrenheit. We are heading south of the equator where the seasons are reversed, and they are just finishing their winter and beginning their spring…. it is going to be COLD!!! To prepare for our trip we spent a week in South Florida visiting Dan’s parents, working on logistics, fixing boat hair, and gathering supplies. Some pretty basic supplies such as socks, closed toed shoes, and hiking pants. It was a bit overwhelming being back in the states and shopping. So many things on the shelves to choose from – we just are not use to that anymore.

Good-bye Grenada - See you in November!

First order of business - Fix this boat hair!

Mission Accomplished!

A box of socks - Only 4-5 pairs each but that adds up for 5 people

Time to head south –

After a week of fantastic food and warm showers (and baths!) we have our bags packed and we are ready to go. We are packing light for the next 10 weeks and everyone has their own backpack. That is it! Our packs can usually travel carry-on on the flights which is great for mobility and usually surprises the check-in counter when we tell them we are a family of five without checked luggage.

Good-bye Miami!!

We are ready for Lima!

Next stop: LIMA, PERU