“You’re off to Great Places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So… get on your way!” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

This is one of my favorite Dr. Seuss quotes – and to this I would add “and you will meet interesting people each and every day!”

Despite the COVID restrictions, we have still met some interesting people on our cruising adventure. Keep in mind that the people we are meeting have chosen to live their lives on the water, with all of the joys (sunrises and sunsets) and trials and tribulations (boat maintenance, mildew growing everywhere) that come with that choice.

Meet Tiger Shark, (his name is actually Jensen, but he changed it when they moved onto the boat a couple of years ago) a very smart, very inquisitive 6 year old who lives on a boat with his parents. His Dad is a trained engineer, but does boat mechanic projects to make money. His Mother does sewing for cruisers, and in her spare time, is a fire dancer. They have chosen this lifestyle so that can enjoy quality time with their son, while exploring the world. On Sundays, they gather a group from the Harbor to go to shore to pick up trash.

Nick and Alex live on their 40 foot catamaran with their 4 1/2 year old son, Hugo. They are French. Nick is a computer analyst and Alex teaches yoga. They bought their boat in the US, and are exploring our country as well as the Bahamas. Hugo is schooled on board, and enjoys playing in the park with other children. When they are somewhere for an extended period of time, he attends preschool, so that he can socialize with other kids. We often see him running around the boat, jumping on the trampoline on the bow to burn off energy.

And then there’s the author of a well known cookbook (The Boat Galley Cookbook) for cruisers, Carolyn Shearlock, who lives on her boat with her husband, Dave. Carolyn also has a website that offers courses for cruisers, and has advice on almost anything related to cruising. Her knowledge was incredibly helpful to us in terms of preparing for this journey. Her husband recently had a hip replacement, so they moved onto land for a few months while he was doing physical therapy, and now they are back on the water.

Last night at sunset, a man was passing by in his dingy, with a beer in one hand and a cigar in the other (and yes, somehow, he was driving too!). He is a retired fire fighter and a relatively new sailor. He and his girlfriend are cruising around Florida, and he was busy picking Eric’s brain about where to go, how to get there, etc.

Delana and Jeff are soaking up every minute on their sailboat. She is a nurse and he is a roofer. They are here in the Harbor, and will have to head home soon, but they are trying to figure out how they can spend more time away from land and on their boat.

And then there’s the man on the boat next to us; he is alone. He keeps to himself; the only time we see him leave his boat is to go take a shower. We’ve never seen him bring groceries on board – what does he do all day, and what does he eat? And lastly, the lady behind us; she has a dog. Too bad she and our neighbor can’t get together – at least for a drink! I wonder if we weren’t in a pandemic, if that would happen – or if some people just prefer to be by themselves.

When I look out onto Boot Key Harbor, there is a sea of masts, and I think that for every mast, there is a story.

Tiger Shark, with his Mom and Luna, a pit bull.

Every mast has a story

And my story…a wonderful visit with my sister and brother in law, who spent a long weekend on Free Spirit in Boot Key Harbor