Proper Introductions Please...

So... You want to be a cruiser do ya? Join the thousands of people who throw status quo (and sometimes caution) to the wind and set out on the open seas for a world of adventure? So... You haven't sailed in anything bigger than a 12 foot dink? And that was over 15 years ago? So... You want to take along your three small kids? No? I guess it's just us than.

Hi, I'm Rebecca McShane, more commonly known as Becky or scooter, (my dad calls me scooter, you can't, so Becky it is.) I am a military wife, to my sailor Mark who for the 8 years of our marriage has moved us from one end of the country to the other and back again with a few stops in between. He's left us for months at a time to travel the world on a navy ship. And as a proud, Canadian, stay at home mama of three, I stoicly kept the home fires burning in service of our great country but now Mama says, "it's my turn!"

I remember two crazy teenagers, who'd just started dating, sitting across from one another in a booth at the Steak N Stein in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, stars in their eyes, and someone saying, "we should live on a sailboat when we get married." Who'd have thought 10 years later that dream would actually come true? Getting married at 19 to a man who just went off to basic training, we were broke. when our first move took us our west to Victoria, BC. We talked to the bank at that point to get financing for a liveaboard sailboat but I believe we were quickly and unceremoniously shown the door. Not that I blame them, here's a couple of kids who had owned nothing, had gone from living in a basement and had a grocery budget of $30 a week, to making a commissioned officers pay, but we had no credit, no equity so we needed time. And time went by. Two moves later, three kids later, too many dogs to count later, we were back east and bought our first house. A 25 year old baby split that needed a complete overhaul inside, but it was ours. The next five years were spent raising babies, fixing up the house, breeding angora rabbits, learning to spin from angora rabbits and generally living the normal life. But always in the back of our minds, driving all our plans and decisions was someday, sooner rather than later, we,d buy our boat, sell it all (or most of it) and sail. When our oldest child and only daughter Aislinn started school we decided to homeschool right off. Not only because the public school system is so atrocious and scary but because we didn't want to be tied down. Mark took two deployments almost back to back over in the gulf to pay off debts to get our credit up. It's been hard and we,ve worked for it but its time to make everything worth while. We,ve got the money, we,ve got the moxie (with the bank anyway), enough dreaming all ready, it's time to act. So here's where we start. I'm 28 years old, mark my husband is 32, both born and pretty much raised in dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Our great kiddos,

Aislinn (Ash-lyn) a sweet and tender hearted 7 year old, suffers from celiac disease and as a result is very tiny and thus we are all on a gluten free diet to combat this. She's, energetic and persistent, makes friends with whoever she meets and is just generally the sweetest girl ever.

Macallister or Mac a rough and tumble 6 year old, he's a thinker and figure-it-outer. Loved to build and make and draw and observes things and people in ways I never think of. A middle child he,s self sufficient, more reserved about emotional displays but is kind and generous and loves his family and has a laugh like no other, contagious as the chicken pox.

Finnegan or Finn the baby of the family, a 4 year old bundle of mischief, sass and obstinance. He likes to be heard, he likes to get his way and has figured out how to manipulate his older siblings to doing his will. He loves to smile and giggle, plays excellent with everyone (except for babies, he doesn't like babies, but come on, babies are no fun.) he's the cuddler, the wrestler, the joker and keeps us all on our toes.

Penelope a 3 year old shih tzu/Pomeranian. A little, furry bundle of loyalty. Hands down the best dog ever... Here's hoping she doesn't get sea sick.

And Barnicle aka Barney A 2 year old cockatiel and the newest addition to the family. Skittish and a bit noisy, likes to imitate smoke alarms rather than songs, but a good traveler in our RV, hoping that trait translates to a boat... Can you get a gambled bird cage? Hmmm. So that's us, currently we live in an isolated log house

out in the sticks of the minuscule town of Coupeville on tiny whidbey island in the puget sound. Come join us (or don't. up to you) as we search for our boat, learn how to sail it, live on it and eventually cruise on it.