Maui Hana

 Our boat was positioned next to the land.  We lived with that a couple months, but it was a tight turn-around to get out, and Lord knows I was too green to help Dan maneuver the boat out so early in our ownership.  As illustration, one day we watched as our neighbor attempted to get out of his slip adjacent.  It was a windy day, as all recent days had been, and he got antsy to get out on the water regardless.  That boat's anchor slammed the boat next door - watching was painful. So, when a slip opened up on the opposite side, facing the bay, we made the decision to pay more to keep from bouncing off other boats like our neighbor did.  Best decision we've made so far. (Well, besides our decision for which marina to park our boat in - subject for another blog...) We pulled the boat nose-in on the opposite side and have our fly bridge facing Monroe Bay.   Yes, it's pricier. But we don't have boat  repairs to make due to rookie mistakes with our...

 Our boat was named after Dan’s and my favorite place in the whole world. That place is the village of Hana, on the island of Maui. It is a beautiful little village deep in the woods on one side of the island that you can only get to by a road that winds back-and-forth and sometimes turns into a one-way road. People drive slowly down this beautiful road through lush greenery creeping in from sides and above. When we were last there the road stopped at one point so you would go so far to get to Hana and then you could not keep going to circle the island because the road just stopped. You could see where you wanted to go, but you couldn’t get there. So many people will never see the road; it’s just too far and too much trouble. But not to us.  It is the place we still dream of together. So when it came time to name our boat, Dan combined the village name, Hana, and the island name, Maui, our favorite place, and suggested Maui Hana. I was tasked to create our boat decal and logo....

  Here's the beautiful boat we just bought.  I love the inside especially.  The vertical windows let in lots of light and, in my opinion, make the boat feel more spacious than those that lean in.  Big windows. They have to be big. Like the windows on the home that Dan and I built and spent 25 years in. "You know, it'll be more work and energy to heat and cool with windows this big and numerous" he said.  We did it anyway. Hallelujah!  Same for the front windshield.  Completely vertical, and very little crosspieces to interfere with the view.  Minimal curtains for the same reason. The designer of this boat knows me.   The warm light colored teak and holly thrills me. I won't be putting throw rugs over this gorgeousness. Last weekend, Dan and I boarded the boat, first time after purchase, and it was only 40 degrees and winds were 15-20mph.  Getting on the boat was a real trick - we had to pull the rope until the boat was close enough ...

I'm Gail, and my husband is Dan Ford.  Dan and I have been married 30 years this year. We have 5 children, yours, mine and ours, and 8 grandchildren.  Dan and I are facing retirement in a few years, and Dan came to me one day with the plan to sell our home, purchase a trawler and do the Great Loop.  "I can't just sit and do nothing in my retirement. I need a new project, something to do, to produce."  At first I thought he was kidding or crazy.  Over time, I realized that he had mulled over his dream over time, and it was completely lodged within him.  Given time, I've climbed aboard the Great Loop Plan.  This will be our blog about our Great Loop Adventures. :)