A cruising wrap up and goodbye to Borealis

We arrived back to our home port of Annapolis, Maryland on June 28, 2020 after nearly two years of sailing the Caribbean islands. What a feeling it was to sail into once familiar sailing grounds, but with so many more miles and stories under Borealis' keel! It started as a far-off dream in the fall of 2017, we sailed off far sooner than expected in late 2018, and here we were in 2020, feeling incredibly lucky to have had adventures for a lifetime and a treasure trove of new friends and memories. 

We were elated to be back "home" with Borealis, as we'd been sailing nearly nonstop since leaving the U.S. Virgin Islands in mid-May to escape the hurricane zone (after more than 6 weeks stuck in quarantine in St. Martin at the start of the Coronavirus pandemic). In the previous 40 days, we'd covered some 2,000 nautical miles and spent 16 overnights out at sea — and we were mentally and physically tired! 

Our 6,500 mile trek from Maryland through the Eastern Caribbean to Grenada and back

A hop, skip, and jump up the U.S. East Coast

After 2 weeks and more than 1,000 miles, Borealis and crew arrived stateside for the first time in nearly two years on May 23. We'd arrived to West Palm Beach, Florida from the US Virgin Islands shortly after 2 a.m. in the morning, and so we spent the following day catching up on sleep and touching base with family and friends after being at sea and without internet for 14 days. 

Our two week trek from the US Virgin Islands to Florida

Traveling Florida’s Lower East Coast

We stayed in Vero Beach, Florida from December 1-5 and really enjoyed all it has to offer! Vero is a lovely, cruiser-friendly town, nicknamed "Velcro Beach," since many cruisers stop for a visit on their way south and then decide to stay long term.

Sailing Florida’s Northeast Coast

We arrived in historic St Augustine, Florida, one of America's oldest cities, on December 1 after an offshore sail from Cumberland Island National Seashore on the Florida-Georgia border.

Making Ground: Borealis sails South Carolina and Georgia

We absolutely loved our time spent in Beaufort, S.C. We stayed on a mooring at the Downtown Marina of Beaufort, which is steps away from the seaside town's waterfront park and little strip of local shops and restaurants. The historic area has large, old plantation-style homes with beautiful gardens and 100-plus year old live oaks covered by Spanish moss.

The Virginia and North Carolina coasts felt familiar to us, and this was the first time on our journey that we felt like we were visiting a new and different place. The locals were so friendly, and we'd definitely recommend it as a destination for a low-key vacation.