We are still in West Bay off New Providence Island in the Bahamas. We have seen the anchorage become dotted with boats. We have seen it empty. Barnacles cling to our hull. And, we snorkel out to remove them. With so much to see in the Bahamas you might wonder why are we staying in one spot?

Well, we like it here. And, with our recent watermaker drama behind us – which saw Rick fly to Miami to secure a part – we are regrouping. In fact, we had a meeting yesterday to address our most pressing issues.

I don’t know what other boats discuss after six months living aboard. But, here is what was on our meeting agenda: there are chores that need to be done, budgets that need to managed, and a routine of homeschooling that needs to be followed. As well, we need to start planning our route to Trinidad and Tobago, which is where we’ll spend the hurricane season (June 1-November 30).

If you were to observe our kids leaping from our transom to swing on a Tarzan rope you might get the impression that the cruising lifestyle is easy. It’s true, the water is crystal clear, and we are surrounded by jaw-dropping ocean-view properties. But, a cruising lifestyle with four kids is flat-out busy. Despite going to bed early, I have taken to drinking espresso and/or cat napping in the afternoon. Writing this blog is a guilty pleasure.

In the next couple of days, our goal is to have a place for everything, and everything in its place.

We are also changing our approach to homeschooling, favoring a more classical education over the Ontario curriculum.

By “classical education” I mean that we want our kids to have a firm grasp on the building blocks of language – grammar and spelling. We want them to write essays, and to learn to order their thoughts, construct arguments and communicate clearly.

Later, we plan to steer our children to read the classics. And, as their teacher, I will follow suit. Fortunately, Rick is passionate about education. So I am not homeschooling solo. With a background in space physics, he teaches our kids math.

We will spend the next week in West Bay. Next Saturday the winds will be favorable for sailing to the Exumas. While recent neighboring boats might already be anchored outside Thunderball grotto, it’s all business aboard our catamaran, that is, until one of kids swings from a rope and yells, “cannonball!”