Finding Our Isla

As I hinted earlier, Kasey and Ashton swooped in to deal with Serse. However, due to the closing process intricacies and the handover dance with Serse, they didn’t officially claim her until mid-November. Troopers that they are, they embraced their French island stint, eagerly awaiting their moment of boarding. The catch? Our newfound buddy Luis had a tight schedule to assist them with crucial fixes before the rest of us joined the nautical fiesta.

Kasey and Ashton on a daily pilgrimage to a local coffee shop for a cup of tea-sized coffee and French pastries, followed by a stroll to the dock where Serse was chilling. Technically, we didn’t own Serse yet, and the dock crew wasn’t thrilled about these two strangers wandering around. Kasey, still juggling work, made the most of his dock-side stay because Luis was set to captain the boat in a week. You see, we bought a boat, but our sailing expertise was nothing to call home about. No worries, though – there was work to be done.

Cue Luis’ grand entrance, and a collective sigh of relief echoed. Kasey and Ashton were about to embark on their crash course in Captainhood and boat ownership. The time had come to prep for the maiden voyage – bidding farewell to Martinique and sailing off to Grenada. The first sail!

Miraculously, they reached Grenada sans sea sickness or unexpected nautical dramas. A shoutout to Ashton, who absorbed Luis’ teachings like a sponge mastering knot-tying as his second language. Kasey couldn’t have been more thankful to have him on board, literally and figuratively.

In Grenada, they anchored to a mooring ball (not to be confused with a “morning ball,” but let’s mess with Kasey a bit and call it that). Docking in the open water made provisioning a challenge without a dinghy. First things first – get a dinghy. Also, no solar power, thanks to delayed battery orders stuck in a shipping container in Grenada’s shipping yard. The saga continued with window repairs, electrical tinkering, and more cleaning. Living off dried cereal and eggs, our fearless sailors were on the brink of a famine-induced revolt.

As December approached, our official arrival date was set for December 4th. Kasey, foreseeing our family’s questionable survival on a mooring ball without a dinghy and proper provisions, made a reservation at the dock at Le Phare Blue Marina. Here’s where the tale takes a tasty turn with Tuesday Pizza and Wing Wednesday, elevating their comfort level to yacht-worthy status. Getting to Le Phare Blue Marina was its own adventure – Kasey and Ashton’s first time steering the boat without a captain. Luis left, leaving Ashton and Kasey to conquer the seas solo. Unhooked from the ball, engines revved, and, with success, they motored around the corner of the island. Parking a 45-foot boat in a marina? Terrifyingly uncharted territory for Kasey. Enter Captain Brandon from Everyday Saturday, who hooked them up with another captain, Fletcher, a seas veteran for over 40 years. Payment for his services? A bucket of beer – what a legend! Now docked at a marina with a restaurant, bar, and pool, the boys were living the high life and racking up new friends like cruise ship loyalty points.

Meanwhile, back on the home front, I was tackling the loose ends to close our Idaho chapter. Amazon orders from Kasey, homeschool organization, packing, moving out of his parents’ house, more packing, and navigating the emotional rollercoaster of the kids and myself leaving friends and family behind. Amidst the chaos, my grandma, battling lung cancer, was gravely ill. We spent precious moments with Gigi, doing her hair and makeup for her card days. Her health had its ups and downs, and in December, as we were planning to stay by her side, she found peace. Gigi’s passing reinforced the importance of time and the preciousness of life, adding more weight to our decision to embark on this adventure.

One last “see you soon” to family and friends, we jetted off to the airport with nine massive 50 lb bags in tow, destination: Grenada. The Gardner maritime saga continues!