May=Friends on the Boat.. Part 1

Misty Blue Crew, 

We were blessed to have our friends, Mike and Elaine, join us on part of our leg up the Bahamas.

We picked them up at Staniel Cay airport and took them on one of our favorite roundaboats... Staniel Cay to Shroud Cay to (Skipped Normans due to choppy waters) went over to Fowl Cay (Rachels Bubble Bath) to Compass Cay,(swam with the sharks) and back to Staniel Cay, (thunderball grotto and swimming with the pigs)   Ending our night with a 4 course meal at the Staniel Cay Yacht Club Restaurant, (we may have been spoiled a bit there (thanks guys)

We have had visitors with us in the past (Madison and also Rebecca 2 years ago)... I think when it is your kiddos you do not feel as much guilt that you have to treat your guests like children   

• oh sorry, you can't do that, we are running low on power.   
• No A/C tonite folks - it was a cloudy day.   
• Did you want a daiquiri?  Sorry, we have used all the ice. and oh, hey, we are outta snacks"
• Water is down to 20% and we do not have power today - so splash and go.. 

This is a frustrating piece of the boat owner situation for me.  Here we are on a yacht that costs more than a house and we have to conserve and sorta struggle all of the time.  

     Yes, we can add more solar.  We can also add a generator.  Yet, we are only on here for a few months of a season..  Do we just keep adding extras or do we just know our limitations in the sitch we have???  I think only next season will tell!

On that note, This is DEFINITELY not on Mike and Elaine - these two never complain and are the visitors anyone wants on their boat.  For us, there are a couple of learning lessons here.... 

1. Stop trying to put too much on the itinerary (Go with the FLOW, literally)
2. Do not trust when your husband says that your friends do not eat this or they do not eat that - Go to the source:  WIFE'S rule
3. Make sure everyone gets to have their "want" for the week - Some want to snorkel, others want to lay on the trampoline and watch the world go by.. Wherever you are , just be there.
4. Doublecheck the menu.  I had limited provisions on the boat and had aligned a simplistic menu only to find out that half of my menu contained ingredients that were not liked by all. 
5. The above counts for everything and not just food.  It was a true vacation foul and won't happen again :)

That was just a bit of analysis on the other side of the sexy life of being on the sea.  It is absolutely something most will never get to experience and many might think they do but once on board, may not

Seasickness

Claustrophobia

Limited resources

Middle of the journey provisions cost a fortune 

BUGs (oh and more bugs)

Do I smell today?  Nah?  Then skip the shower - oh hey just pull that hair up.

It is too hot to cook inside today.  Guess we will eat a cheese sandwich

when will it be sunny again?  I need to wash clothes!

A/c in your cabin?  An absolute luxury - probably the main reason I cannot wait to get home when I am in the mode to get home - sleeping under my cozy duvet with cold air chilling...

But today, I am not in that mode... so I'll sweat it out, put up those sails, and watch the pod of about 20 dolphins just go by... smiling without an island in sight.. and feeling a calm that only the ocean can bring..

Continued