Daily routines

Squeezing through a very narrow cut.

As the days get shorter and colder, we're moving the boat less and getting more settled into daily routines.  The idea of being full-time water-based nomads imparts the idea of freedom and an open-ended lifestyle that can be changed at will, depending on weather and mood. For us though, the kids play a large role in how we plan our days and our cruising routes. Our kids, and I think this translates to most kids, love routines and rhythms. When they know what to expect when they wake up in the morning, they feel secure and in control, which in turn gives them some freedom in their days to be creative and learn and grow. If it were just me and Hans, we'd island hop till the water freezes over and make decisions each morning based on the weather. Cruising with kids changes that and we've definitely slowed down. So instead of continuing to cruise around the west coast, we've found a harbor that will be our winter harbor (we think) for at least the next few months. We're tied up to a dock that is literally across the street from the grocery store (a cruiser's dream!), the laundry and bath house is still open, and it is protected from winds in all directions. The town is small but not tiny, so it has a library, many parks, an old fashioned and well-stocked hardware store, and a bakery and coffee shop. All of this is within a stone's throw of the boat. If we leave the boat and walk away from town, we are just 200 meters from a small nature reserve where you can scramble over the rocks and leave all development behind. It's a great place to be, at least for now.  

After we left the perfect little anchorage south of Marstrand, we sailed up to Lysekil, a big town out here. We stopped at the tiny village of Mollösund, one of the oldest fishing villages on the west coast but now mainly a tourist town. As we pulled into the harbor, we passed a dock where fishermen were unloading their catch. As soon as we got the boat tied off, Hans and I jumped off in search of lobster. We found them and feasted on four cold-water lobster. Luxury!

The town is built right on top of the granite rocks, as evidenced by some of the "roads."

Not sure how old these fishing shacks are, but they are still active.
Lots of nets, traps, and buoys in each shed.

"Think of Death!"

Our daily routines go something like this:

breakfast

schoolwork (kids' goal: learn. adults' goal: don't drink too much coffee)

lunch

outdoor activity (like a walk or soccer in the park)

back home for maybe some reading, legos, or drawing, or boat work for adults.

5:30PM: SACRED. Tablet time. The kids won't miss it for anything.

6:30 ish, dinner

After dinner we've been getting creative...coloring pages for everyone, dance party, read-aloud, Uno or Guess Who, etc.

Current sunrise is at 8.09, sunset is 15.51 (3:51PM)

Nothing thrilling, nothing even very exciting, but the type of routine and staid lifestyle that our kids have been wanting basically since March when their school shut down.

Current books we're reading: Freja, just finished a Diary of a Wimpy Kid, a Famous Five, and all of the Magic Misfits. Matilda: the 130 Storey treehouse, the BFG. Kristen: Under a Gilded Sun (or something like that??). Together: Little House on the Prairie, and Gilgamesh

A few final images from our last anchorage.