Bye 2023 - Hello 2024 :) (Patreon)

Happy New Year, guys!

It's time for the annual year-in-review video :) 2023 was an exciting year aboard Athena. The big ticket item was, of course, the Atlantic crossing. It was also our first encounter with the Caribean. I'm glad we got to spend some time in the Caribbean, but I'm also excited to return to colder places. Overall, 2023 was a fantastic year aboard Athena, despite getting stranded waiting for spare parts in Mindelo and a US visa in Barbados. 

We have a vague idea of our plans for 2024, but as always, making plans that involve sailing leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The idea is to return to the US before Hurricane season and then intensify the search for a new project boat. There is nothing wrong with Athena - it would just be nice with more room. We look at it this way. We have no intention of moving back ashore. We both love the mobility and affordability of living aboard a sailboat. I expect us to continue living abroad for another 20-30 years. Given that expectation, it makes sense to spend 4-5 years on another somewhat extensive refit to maximize our comfort and give us the option to have friends come to visit. 

Tomorrow, we fly back to Trinidad. It's been a lovely visit here in Michigan. We have even gotten a spring of snow in the last couple of days - I love it! Unfortunately, I have caught what we hope is just a cold. I tested negative on a COVID test yesterday. The plan is to splash Athena on the 10th. We have a relatively short checklist before we're ready to start heading north. Mainly, we just need to test the genset (fingers extremely crossed) and provision with all the long shelf life stuff we need for six months. 

Happy New Year, guys! I hope you've all had a fantastic start to 2024. Thank you so much for your support :)