Renaming Ceremony ⛵

On July 1st 2016,  a year shy of purchase,  we completed our renaming ceremony for SUMMER REIGN.  There's a sailors legend and so we wanted to ensure we followed through.  Captn Paul led us in a successful Ceremony and I his 1st mate assisted while our friends and family members cheered us on.  The old name was removed from the Ledger of the deep and Poseidon's memory.  We read the verses,  offered champagne to Poseidon, tossed the coin with the old name on it into the sea and unveiled the new name.  Such a beautiful feeling to finally have the name we agreed upon on the boat. Now we're not superstitious, however  we don't want bad luck,  and it was fun to do.  My brother,  who's a pastor,  will be by soon to say a prayer of blessing over Summer Reign.  We wouldn't be where we are without God's grace and we're grateful that our dreams are coming true.  God is good! ♡

A glimpse into our story

The Boat Life

As I sit at my 'kitchen' table this morning on my boat, aka home sweet home, it is truly a surreal feeling. We moved onto the boat at the end of July & are finally settled in. Rain welcomed us, continuing for some time, even weeks later. Soon the sun showed up to say hello & finding our groove wasn't too difficult. It was comforting to meet so many others who live aboard as well. I have to say, organization is a must with minimal space and trust me, I have utilized most of it. All the necessities &most of the comforts of home can be found aboard Summer Reign. Since we both are still working the morning routine can be a bit difficult due to space. You learn to make adjustments & it somehow works. Things that are different include being hooked up to shore power, filling a tank for water usage, using a gas stove, downsizing to a  coffee press, a small fridge & a tiny sink, no closet space, having a composting toilet, the bathroom being your shower area & lets not forget remembering to duck your head in certain places. I'm learning to be a morning person and the sunrise view from my window is enticing. When I step off my 'porch', walk down a dock with rows of sailboats on either side  I am usually thinking, how cool is this?  The sunsets that glow, then find themselves lost in the city skyline are simply amazing. At night we sit outside on the bow to take in the evening's intriguing presence. The water ripples as the moon smiles down and I know this is where we were meant to be. Home sweet home.                                                             Be sure to follow for more stories about the boat life with Captn Paul, First Mate April, sweet T the swab/2nd mate & Rocky the pirate dog! Our future plan is to reture early, not have a home base marina & just sail away, visit new places, and stay where we want for however long we want. I'll be sure to share our adventures with you!                                                photos by April K Corbett

Summer Reign

We'll be there soon Summer Reign! It's a miracle hubby & I haven't strangled one another through out this boat purchasing process. I believe God has been testing and teaching us patience. I've learned I'm not as patient as I thought. Monday we close! 7/13/15 will be our closing date and you know what? It's perfect! To some the #13 is unlucky but quite the opposite for me. Lucky 13! A favorite of mine. Luck and superstitions are not my thing, so even though we had to wait a few extra days there's a reason for that. First we expected it to be last week, then the 10th and sadly we were told the 14th.. the 13th won. With the sellers in Canada, the broker in Maryland and the boat in Florida it hasn't been smooth sailing as of yet. A name change is imminent. Don't you just love Summer Reign?

This weekend we pack up so Monday we can head out to meet her, make her ours and sail her home! Our journey continues on into a new adventure as we experience a different lifestyle altogether. Living on a sailboat is new to us and I'm sure there will be some adjustments to be made; especially with a teenager visiting and a puppy dog on board. Even so, the positives outweighs any of the worries we might have. After all Cesar Milan is only an email away and I'm not afraid to use him. Ha! Moments are to be cherished so that's what we intend to do. Simply breathe in breathe out while letting go, in turn cherishing every moment. As a child I do recall being fearful of the water,(not sure why) ironically only pools, of which I did get over; but the ocean was a different story. The beach always beckoned as the sound of the waves put me at ease. I cannot wait to morph into the mermaid I was born to be, telling stories of Summer Reign along the way.  April k Corbett photo by AKC

Travelling Voyage- the offer was...

ACCEPTED! Even though there was a counteroffer the sellers response offered us a huge sigh of relief.  Next,  we scheduled the survey and once we verify the results of the boat are legit it should be smooth sailing from there. Ah, I must keep a sense of humor through out this process. Our journey has only begun. Most of the people we've dealt with have been nothing but helpful and kind. I won't mention right now who the difficult ones have been but I will say its disappointing to say the least. They have one chance to redeem themselves and then I will share their name & the company they're employed with. But enough about their rudeness, I refuse to allow one individual with a personality flaw to steal my joy. Let's just say as a writer they could be added into my next novel only to find themselves removed rather quickly. ha! Next week the survey will be complete and paperwork will be shuffled around. Before you know it we'll be sitting on our boat, in our new home making a toast as she sails us into the sunset. It is finally happening! Hubby still won't celebrate until all is finalized. Here I sit, sipping my vino doing the happy dance inside my head as all those feelings are voicing their opinions, concerns and excitement - sort of like the new movie Inside Out. I remind myself this is not a movie, this is reality; our reality. We didn't only follow our dreams, we chased them, and little by little those dreams are being captured. One of these days when I'm writing my next book, the next New York Times best seller, I will reach out and yell GOTCHA!