Adventures of a Tribe

Home!!!

Posted on October 26, 2015

Home. Where mangroves arch their roots like a tired old mans back, and a tangled mess of branches reach up praising the blueness of the sky. Where dolphins play lazily without any agenda and green parrots squawk overhead in no particular formation. Where Indian children row their dugout canoes in search of fish to catch and brightly painted buildings are tall and proud on stilts. Where water laps against the hulls of our home and our mast stands ready to carry the sail that takes us on the next grand adventure. This is home. Our home, where love and laughter flow freely just like the ocean below us. It feels so good to be back.

This morning came and went early and quickly and then the day moved in slow motion for many hours. Our flight to Bocas was delightful as we watched over thousands of acres of rain forest wake to the new day, and the water taxi ride from Bocas to Red Frog Marina was refreshing as it always is. I closed my eyes and breathed it all in, feeling gratitude and peace.

As we turned passed the last mangrove stand and saw the masts reaching toward heaven in the marina, I felt butterflies from my toes to my nose. Mycah clapped her hands then held them tight in excitement.

Then there she was…our faithful home still waiting in anticipation for her family to return.

We called her name and hurried toward her, oh how we missed our Tanda Malaika (‘Guardian of the sea’ in Swahili). As we made our way inside, we instantly knew that 2 1/2 months away from a boat leaves you with the opportunity for a good scrub down to all her surfaces. We learned a good lesson we’ll never forget – leave a dehumidifier running while you’re gone. Everyone cheerfully got to work with bottles of simple green spay and rags, and after working till we dripped with sweat we finally have her looking so much better.

Mycah and Skyler fell asleep on the job and Emma found a most interesting place to hide and sleep. Under the table in the stern salon!

Our sweet mother, who never sweats, couldn’t keep her glasses on because they kept sliding down the sweat on her nose, so she kept them up with toilet paper!

Danny and Jude installed a new fuel tank sensor on the port side.

After well earned showers and family prayer, we are all snuggled down in our berths, ready to dream of endless horizons, fair winds and following seas.