Written by Peter Swanson and reprinted with permission.
Goodbye, Massachusetts. Hello, Paradise
Every TrawlerFest features a seminar that is aspirational. The presenters are a couple that caught the cruising bug, bought a boat and sailed away. At this year’s TrawlerFest Baltimore event we feature Christopher and Alexandra Bruce with Cambridge, Mass. To Cambridge Cay (the latter a reference to an idyllic anchorage in the Bahamas).
The Bruces will tell the story of how they abandoned full-time careers in the New Hampshire/Boston area to become liveaboard cruisers along with Mr. Anderson the cat. Lessons were learned and adventures were had. The message: You can do it too, and here’s how.
Their search led them to buy a Kadey Krogen 44AE, henceforth Sweet Ride, which they are taking it to the show. Once the boat was delivered the learning began. Here’s what they say about their evolution from careerists to cruisers:
Learning maintenance, docking, anchoring, marine weather forecasts, navigation, and living aboard a home that moves all the time, was challenging but so rewarding. Some of the lessons were learned the hard way and those you don’t forget so easily, such as entering an inlet with current opposed to the wind. Others you gently stumble upon like the quiet secluded coves in Maine. We are having the time of our life and see no end in sight, only new horizons to explore.
Topics covered include: finding a boat, managing work and cruising, heading south, weather, New York City, overnight runs, the Intracoastal Waterway, inlets, hauling out, provisioning, cruising the Bahamas and cruising Maine.
WHEN
SEMINARS:
Tuesday, September 25 – Saturday, September 29
IN-WATER BOAT SHOW:
Thursday, September 27, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, September 28, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, September 29, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
WHERE
Seminars: Courtyard by Marriott and The Hilton Garden Inn Baltimore, MD 21202
In-Water Show: Harbor East Marina
