I hope everyone enjoyed their Memorial Day weekend. Melody and I would like to extend our gratitude and thanks to all the servicemen and women around the globe. Thank you for your service.
We celebrated a small milestone, as this past Memorial Day weekend marked our four year boat anniversary. Yep, four years ago we hauled what was left of our belongings onto our new boat, and on Memorial Day, 2012 we sailed out of Panama City and into our new life. It was scary, exhilarating, and a bit nerve-wracking.
What was going to be a one year experiment has turned into four years, and six trips up and down the east coast of America, with some additional destinations we never imagined. And, we’re nowhere close to finished.
I talked a little about that time period in my first book, You Gotta Go To Know. What it was like to quit the job and jump into the unknown. We’ve made mistakes along the way, that’s for sure. But, we’ve also had many triumphs. We’ve collected some great photos, and notes on what to do and what not to do.
The cool thing about taking good notes along the way, is that it usually finds its way into a blog, where you guys can reap the benefits, and that makes us happy.
This time, those note made it in to an entire book. My new book, What’s Up Ditch! The Ins and Outs of Cruising the Atlantic ICW: America’s Secret Highway, came out quietly on April 1, and from the looks of the reviews on Amazon, readers are getting from it exactly what I’d hoped.
I know many of you guys are bluewater or (future bluewater) sailors, and may have no desire to cruise the ICW. We, too, love the open ocean. But… sometimes, you just end up having to wait out weather, or alter the plan due to schedules. For us, that meant doing the ICW several times.
And, since I am of the opinion that if you have the information, you should share it, I wrote a book detailing what we learned.
I will say this; while Ditch may be about the ICW, there is a ton of information about navigation, radio etiquette, rules of the road, and some funny stuff about boat toilets. Useful information for any boater.
We’ve actually put together a whole page called the Anchor Locker for just this purpose. The Anchor Locker contains several free resources in a printable format, that you can print, laminate, and keep on board for quick reference.
There’s an opt-in form at the bottom of each blog post, and once you enter your email, you’ll get a password that lets you into the Anchor Locker, where you can print ’til your little heart desires.
We compiled lists and blocks of information that we wish we had when we first did our trips up and down the coast. I think you’ll find it useful whether on the ICW or on the high seas.
Peace.
Just read your “What’s Up Ditch” on my Kindle. I thoroughly enjoyed it and this coming from a fellow without a boat. Heckuva not huh??
Doggone ICW has always had a fascination for me ever since I was a little fellow vacationing with my parents in the Myrtle/North Myrtle Beach area. I lived to come across the ICW at Little River hoping to see something passing by and getting to see the bridge opened. Hated to see those new bridges, but thoroughly understand why they did.
Fast forward to the present, I’m now in my late 60’s and still have a fascination with the “Ditch” and what it must be like to do what you guys have done going up and down. So who knows what the future may bring so I’m reading what I can, hence your book, and trying to learn a bit about what it takes so if the chance to do even a small portion of it, I’ll have a little bit of knowledge. Be better than “notta.”
So, keep on doing what it is you do and know there will be an old white bearded old man out there with you, in spirit anyway.
Looking forward to reading more of your adventures!!
Hello there! Thanks so much for reading “What’s Up Ditch!” and for commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed the read. I tried to make it fun, informative, and I sincerely hope you get to do your dream trip. You’re in the perfect spot to enjoy much of what the ICW is in its truest sense. You can do it! a small, inexpensive boat, a few charts… well, you read the book… you know exactly what it takes. Really, you already have what it takes, the will and the desire. Cheers to you sir. Go get em’
I wanted to thank you for inspiring story. I read “You Gotta Go To Know” and the end of the book sent me here. I’ve been researching green tech to incorporate into a budget retirement home with a ridiculously low monthly cost. But after reading your book and blog I’m now looking at a wind/solar powered blue water sail boat. I’m very content with my life now, but we settled to raise the kids and that has had its strains on us. We traveled a good bit before the kids and hope to again when we kick the kids out (about 12 years). That gives me time to learn, because I know almost nothing about sailing even though I spent a few years at sea.
Hi Jacob~ Sorry for the lag in response. Thank you for the kind words, and I’m so glad you got inspiration from the book. I too am fascinated with the renewable energy technology and would love to incorporate it into a small space for us someday. Right now, the boat is our “tiny home” that has everything we could possibly want. Children do place a different twist on the matter but we have good friends who live aboard their boat in Tortola, with three young kids. They have their challenges, of course, but they are doing really well and giving those kids a very unique life.
As for you guys… do the research. If the boat seems to be the way to go for you, get something that won’t cause you to have to do a lot of work as you learn. Unsolicited advice I know. It’s a unique way to live indeed, but we love the freedom and the simplicity. Good luck to you Jacob. Keep us posted on your journey and thanks again.
Congrats on the anniversary! We just celebrated our fourth two. Love the blog and will have to check out your ICW book.
I’ve read your book “What’s Up Ditch” and thoroughly enjoyed it! I am also a subscriber to your great blog!
I can’t seem to get access to the ICW data because it is password protected.. How can I get a password to access this data?
Hi Robert, Thanks for supporting the blog and for purchasing the book! Greatly appreciated. Send me an
email to crew@mondovacilando.com.