The VI Fleet wrapped up 2023 with a lively panel discussion featuring returning cruisers who shared insights on their bluewater experiences. Fleet members posed wide ranging questions from what our panel of Doners wished they had known before setting off and their must-have items to how they successfully managed relationships aboard to keeping kids engaged during the voyage.
Panelists included Bill Norrie, Rob and Debbie Warren, Daragh Nagle, Jennifer Handley, and Gary Peacock and Karina McQueen.
There were many great takeaways from the session. One topic where everyone had an opinion was the importance of not letting unanswered questions and to-do lists keep you from setting off. Panelists all gave a thumbs up to the fleet members who shared that they have put a pin in their departure date, logged it in a phone app where a clock counts them down by the second to their goal of setting sail.
Quote of the evening came from Bill Norrie, who with his wife and co-skipper, Cathy, have watched many glorious sunsets over the western horizon. Bill reminded everyone who may have forgotten that the destination is being at sea with beloved family and friends, not the bay where you anchor after the journey.
The Show and Tell part of the evening included:
- A baragraph app that takes data from your phone’s altimeter function
- An app that calculate your GPS location to your IP address
- A demo of fuel-saving and affordable thermal cookers, with the Thermal Chef brand getting strong reviews after use
The Weather Group was on a holiday hiatus in December.
The next Fleet meeting is January 17 2024 and features, among other topics, a presentation by Dolphin Insurance on all-you-need-to-know-but-were-afraid-to-ask about boat insurance.
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