....and suddenly we are home!
20 September 2008 | Norton's Marina, East Greenwich, RI

And so here we are - right back where we started. What a journey it has been. We have meandered slowly back to our home port of East Greenwich, RI over the last few days. We don't really consider it "home" because Osprey is our true home. Rather this is the place we left from and where we will lay up Osprey for the winter months whilst we head north to Maine to work for the next 6 months. As we have made our way back, we have spent a lot of time reflecting on our travels. We really cannot think of anything we would have done differently - we enjoyed every aspect of our trip more than we ever could have imagined. We have been truly blessed with a sturdy, dependable boat, wonderful weather, supportive family and amazing friends. Best of all, we have enjoyed each others company every step of the way and feel that our friendship is stronger than ever. We are very proud of ourselves for all that we have accomplished.
Here are some statistics of our adventure:
Days since we left: 363
Days underway: 132
Total miles traveled: 4,237 nautical miles ( 4,872.6 statute)
Number of States of this great Union we have visited: 12
Number of Islands visited: 27 (11 in the Abacos)
I have really enjoyed keeping this blog and will miss composing my almost daily message. I am grateful to all our family and friends who have posted comments along the way - it has meant a lot to us both to know people care about where we are and what we are doing. We are also grateful to those of you we were able to stay with. In chronological order they were: Chuck and Mary (Annapolis, MD)- I know we were the guests who wouldn't go away. Jim and Bonnie (Jupiter, FL) - we had a lovely tropical Christmas in Florida. Mum and Dad (Hope Town, Bahamas) - for letting us stay with you in your island paradise for 2 weeks and thanks for coming all that way to see us. Mike and Nancy (Windsor, CT) - a nostalgic visit, especially for Tom. Curt and Natalie (Martha's Vineyard, MA) - a great end to our voyage. Also, a special mention to Tim - the only soul brave enough to actually stay with us on Osprey - you were the perfect boat guest and are welcome back any time, sorry we are such hopeless fishermen!
Although this is the end of this particular episode it by no means is the end of our travels. We are already planning the next chapter of our cruising ventures and we aim to jump back aboard next spring and head north to Maine and Nova Scotia for the summer. We cannot wait.
Although it is a bit of a cliché amongst the sailing fraternity, I believe Mark Twain said it best:
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."