We are back home now and the verdict is in. This vacation was a resounding success. Its likely that this was our best and favorite family vacation ever. We had some logistical issues, and some moments of frayed nerves, but that is to be expected. What really impresses me is how we all worked together to make sure that everyone could enjoy the trip.

Ruby was a total champ. When Vick and I were busy, she would entertain her sister down below. She devised a multitude of games, and when we finally bought a couple containers of Play-dough she would spend hours with her making pretend food and serving it up.

Olive was also amazingly capable of helping out. She wasn’t so psyched about having to wear her PFD or tether, but she loved driving the dingy and going on deck. Most impressive was how she managed deferring gratification. Often we were would be coming into port when she was most fragile. In spite of the odds she, more often than not, would abide us doing what needed to be done before having her own desires addressed.

Victoria and I came back with a list of concerns that will need to be addressed. Thankfully many of them will be addressed simply by waiting for the kids to get a little older. Time we have. I am so grateful that we had this opportunity to learn more about our families needs. I am confident that we are well equipped for the next stage of planning.

To round off the trip we spend most of yesterday looking at boats. The one we expected to love (Cheoy Lee Offshore 40) was beautiful, but was obviously going to require way too much maintenance. We decided to take a trip to the other end of the spectrum to see a Morgan North American 40. This boat has next to no external wood. It was built for speed and has a surprisingly open cabin. The boat we saw was very raw inside, and would need months of cosmetic work, but for some reason both Victoria and I were okay with that. We are waiting to get Bob Perry’s opinion on the Morgan before we pursue it further, but our excitement marks a shift in our priorities (away from aesthetic and towards performance and flexibility).

Stay tuned for boat hunting posts!