Waiting, Waxing, and Winding Down
How we are spending our time while waiting for Osprey
Well, Osprey is still in the boatyard. The part we were waiting on—a newly fabricated propeller shaft—has been finished and installed. Now we’re waiting for our upgraded propeller to be fitted. We’re hopeful the final work will be completed this week so we can move aboard and officially launch our adventure in the next few days.
In the meantime, we’ve been balancing work, rest, and play. Here’s a quick update on what we’ve been up to:
Cleaned, polished, and waxed the hull
Sprucing up Osprey’s hull has been on our list since we bought her in 2022. With the boat on land, we took advantage of the easy access to deep clean, polish, and wax her.
Explored beaches and parks in Virginia’s Middle Peninsula
We’ve been paddle boarding, fishing, and hiking—taking time to enjoy the natural beauty around us.
Ordered supplies
Ordering things while traveling can be tricky, so we stocked up while on land. Recent additions include:
New foam for the interior seating area
A “bed scrunchie” to keep our V-berth mattress pad snug
A vacuum sealer for provisioning the freezer more efficiently
10lbs of coffee from our favorite RVA roaster
Met up with sailor friends
Several boats from our home marina are also heading down the ICW and to the Bahamas this season. Last Saturday we gathered with a few of them for a potluck dinner—a reminder of the community that comes with this adventure!
Built some muscle
Over the past few months we’ve both been strength training. It’s fun, it’s healthy, and it will definitely help with the physically demanding lifestyle of boat living. We’ve spent extra time at the gym recently, since weight training will be harder once we’re aboard. We’re also brainstorming how to adapt our workouts to boat life—more on that soon.
Managed life logistics
Renting out our house, leaving our jobs, and moving aboard involves no shortage of administrative to-dos. From new cell phone plans to health insurance, 401(k) rollovers to digital mail services, the list goes on. Slowly but surely, we’re checking things off.
Watched the wind and waves
Two strong low-pressure systems passed through the Middle Peninsula in recent weeks, bringing gusts up to 45 mph. The place we are staying is pretty exposed, so we’ve seen plenty of surf and wind. Honestly, we’re not too disappointed to be on land during that kind of weather.
Practiced boat baking
Like many millennials, I (Jen) got into sourdough baking a few years ago. Normally I bake boules in a Dutch oven, but our boat oven is too small for that. Lately I’ve been testing batards on an open baking sheet. The first loaf was maybe a 5/10, so I still need practice.
Looked for a go-to TV series
We’re searching for a good, easy-watch series for rainy days or tired evenings. We’ve explored a few, but haven’t landed one yet:
Lost: abandoned midway through season two
Vikings: couldn’t get into the characters
Battlestar Galactica: we want to check it out, but not available on streaming
Any recommendations?
Remembered how to rest
These past few weeks have been such a gift. We’re realizing just how fast-paced our lives were while working corporate jobs, and we’re learning to unravel that constant “productivity” mindset. Rest feels new—but necessary. Life will get hectic once we’re at the mercy of the weather, so we’re soaking up this pause while we can.
⛵ Thanks for following along on our pre-launch chapter. Next update—fingers crossed—will come from Osprey’s deck.
👉 Have a favorite series we should try? Or a sourdough hack for tiny ovens? Hit reply or leave a comment—we’d love your ideas.
Thanks for the update. Glad you are making the most of the delay. I’m looking forward to your first post aboard the Osprey!
Suits, White Collar, Outlander, Poldark, Royal Pains are a few of my suggestion for series!! Text anytime you need more!