Today was my last day of work before we head out cruising. It's been a long time coming, a three year plan that remained three years away for many years. But as of today, we've moved from dreaming about cruising someday to getting ready to head out.

Back-to-school isn’t really a part of our lives anymore since school never really starts or ends, though our routines do shift with the seasons. We transition from travel and spontaneity to cozy home time and routine. Right now, we are solidly in our fall routine of sword fighting, art classes, and co-op.

What does boatschool look like these days?

“There are so many colors and rainbows everywhere. All the houses and stores are really pretty, there were lots of gardens and even a fish pond in one yard.” -Kinsley

Provincetown, Massachusetts: five stars

Provincetown is a fantastic place for families to visit. We only stayed two days but could have explored for a lot more than that.

“There’s a lot of options to make kids happy within easy walking distance of the town dock. Lots of restaurants, three different ice cream stores, beaches, a library, and a lighthouse.” -Kinsley

Situate, Massachusetts: four and a half stars

Update: Goblin has been sold. Our best wishes go with her and to her new owner, where we hope she'll be a cozy home and a partner in exciting travels.

Goblin, our beloved 1983 Whitby 42 center cockpit ketch, is for sale.

It took Peter and Wendy a while to get used to the idea of Abeona. As Owen frequently laments, it would be so much easier if they could just understand us when we talk to them.

As summer began winding down, our visits to Abeona became a combination of sailing and preparation for heading to Boston. We ticked off a couple of projects and started detailed planning for a couple more (holding tank, I'm looking at you). Once September arrived, Alex and I settled ourselves into a routine of obsessive weather watching.

Our first job with Abeona was to move her to her summer home. With Goblin there was month after month of project to be completed before we could sail her. Abeona? Turn the key and head out.

We really didn’t set out to find a new boat.

As fall approached, new activities and schedules all seemed to start at once. Suddenly we had places to be at specific times and I began to stress. We’ve made a conscious effort to avoid adding significant schedule commitments to our routine. Now, it felt like every day I needed to be at a different place at a different time. Once I took the time to write down our off boat commitments and our on boat interests, our week took on a rhythm while still leaving us plenty of flexibility. I know this schedule will change as we move into colder weather but for now, our routine is working.