It’s Thanksgiving Week! What a strange, strange year it’s been, and while things didn’t go at all according to plan, there’s still plenty that I am thankful for. And many of those things come from cruising.
First might be the flexibility that cruising has given me. The ability to change plans on a moment’s notice, and to always have numerous back-up plans. Believe me, that skill has been handy in 2020 and 2021!
Cruising also helped me be comfortable having family and friends at a distance and interacting mostly with Dave. We’re also lucky to be in a warm climate where it’s easy to socialize outdoors, at a distance.
Then there is the experience in provisioning and cooking at home. We can limit our trips to stores and cut down our exposure to COVID.
I’m happy for having a boat, where we could still travel and do something “different.” And the community here at Boot Key Harbor has been fantastic for simply being a community – checking on each other, helping each other stay safe, and finding ways to provide entertainment (we’ve had many evening VHF seminars and trivia contests).
But I’m also very thankful for the community that has arisen out of The Boat Galley. TBG is a labor of love, but it’s also how I have a bit of income. In a time when many small businesses have failed, you’ve continued to support me and the rest of The Boat Galley team, both by buying our courses and products and by the emails, Facebook comments and waving as you dinghy by. The number of “speedy recovery” notes to Dave for his hip replacement was truly astounding.
I often close my notes with “I’m glad you’re part of The Boat Galley.” That’s not just being polite. I truly am glad you’re part of my world.
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Carolyn Shearlock has lived aboard full-time for 17 years, splitting her time between a Tayana 37 monohull and a Gemini 105 catamaran. She’s cruised over 14,000 miles, from Pacific Mexico and Central America to Florida and the Bahamas, gaining firsthand experience with the joys and challenges of life on the water.
Through The Boat Galley, Carolyn has helped thousands of people explore, prepare for, and enjoy life afloat. She shares her expertise as an instructor at Cruisers University, in leading boating publications, and through her bestselling book, The Boat Galley Cookbook. She is passionate about helping others embark on their liveaboard journey—making life on the water simpler, safer, and more enjoyable.
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