FAQ

UPDATED Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How big is your boat?
A: 36 feet long. (But it's bigger on the inside.)

Q: What type of boat is it?
A: A Marine Trader 36
Q: What?
A: A big trawler.
Q: What's a trawler?
A: It's a powerboat that goes very slowly. 

Q: How fast can your boat go?
A: 7 knots, or 7 miles per hour. 
Q: What? Why? What's wrong with it?
A: It's a displacement boat. It pushes through the water, unlike most motor boats that skip on top of the water. 

Q: Where are you going?
A: This summer we're headed East through the Erie Canal, down the Hudson River, past New York City, and possibly North to Boston.

Q: How long is your trip going to take?
A: We'll be back in September.

Q: What year was your boat made?
A: 1979

Q: How many bathrooms does your boat have?
A: Okay, nobody asks that. I just like to brag that we have two heads. 


Frequently Asked Questions (Original)

Q: How big is your boat?
A: 38 feet long. (Unless someone's charging by the foot. Then it gets mysteriously shorter.)

Q: What type of boat is it?
A: It's a Morgan 382.
Q: A what?
A: A big sailboat.

Q: Where are you going on your trip?
A: South! We'd love to make it to the Bahamas, but if we get distracted and wind up someplace else, that's okay!

Q: Aren't you worried about hurricanes?
A: This is one of our most popular questions. Yes, we are aware that hurricanes happen, but we're taking measures to avoid them. First, it's going to take us a while to get far enough south where hurricanes usually cause problems. Second, we will use all of the technology at our disposal to avoid bad weather. Third, if we do find ourselves in an unavoidable weather situation, we will pull into a safe marina and wait for it to pass. Most of our sailing is going to be very close to land, so we probably won't be far from a marina at any given point. If we are, we will set our sails and ride it out. And fourth, during hurricane Irma, a Morgan 382 (not ours) was caught in the middle of it, and everybody aboard made it home safely. Wet, but safe.

Q: Is there a bathroom on the boat?
A: Yup! The toilet flushes, and there's a shower! (I wouldn't be on this boat if it didn't.)

Q: How fast can your boat go?
A: Slow. Our max speed is about 8mph.
Q: Aha! But what about when you have the motor running??
A: Still 8mph.

Q: What are you going to do with your cats when you're gone?
A: All three are coming with us! They're part of our crew!

Q: You must be very experienced sailors since you're attempting this trip, right?
A: Does one and a half summers count as "very experienced?"

Q: How long are you going to be gone?
A: Probably from September to May, unless we give up, ditch the boat and go home.

Q: What are you doing with your house?
A: Our friends Kat and Brandon will be living there while we're gone.

Q: Will you have internet on your trip?
A: We should! Most of the coast has internet and we'll be using our phones as Wifi hotspots. So stay tuned for regular blog posts!


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