day was a Saturday, so the court house was closed. Tommy and a new friend from the farm joined in the celebrations, and I was now to call Mark my husband. Being married allowed me to apply for a green card and that was truly the only way we could pull off our cruising plans. No rings, no old friends, no family. Our honeymoon was spent working 10 hour days in the hot, humid, and buggy boatyard. When mid-October arrived, it was time for Mark, Kali, Darwin, and me to leave Annapolis, which we had come to love. She had given us wonderful friends, a peaceful environment, lifelong memories in the form of festivals and events, and a marriage still going strong. Fast forward to October 2016. After cruising for eight years in the Bahamas,
Caribbean, and South Pacific, and a real wedding party in St. Martin in 2011, we sold Irie in Tahiti to take a break from the challenging boat life and to focus on our business. We returned to Annapolis to attend the U.S. Sailboat Show, as vendors this time. Strolling through the historic streets and attractive waterfront brings back glorious memories. We met Tommy and other friends, had a great time, and felt at peace with the here and now. We couldn’t help but think that this could be the one place we might settle one day. We felt a
About the Author: Freelance writer and blogger, Liesbet Collaert, her husband Mark, and two dogs left Annapolis in 2007 for an eight-year sailing adventure on their 35foot catamaran Irie in the Caribbean and South Pacific. itsirie.com, roamingabout.com
deep connection with Annapolis that is hard to shake off. After a decade on the road and the water, keeping a lookout for the perfect home, and after a full year of house- and pet-sitting throughout the United States, could this be the place? Our place? A drinking town with a sailing problem might suit us just right. We have a marriage certificate, a strong liver, and thousands of ocean miles to prove it! â–
##Back in Annapolis, this time as vendors at the U.S. Sailboat Show.
Spring ClearanCe Sale and open houSe
See uS at the ShowS in annapoliS! Sailboat Show // October 5-9 Powerboat Show // October 12-15
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