We have just navigated a most challenging and tedious week in our boat life. Storms of all sorts and frustrations featured highly.
Stormy time on the Gold Coast
These aerials show where we have been anchored since leaving The Boat Works: at Paradise Point, but nothing is paradisiacal about being there!
We have been battling storms this week and not just nature’s thunder and lightning every night.
The big storm we are struggling with is the one created by Chris’ ill health. Osteoarthritis in the spine and neck and T1 Diabetes have spun out of control and been giving her grief. So we are investigating to get a treatment plan and make life less arduous.
And then you add to the mix the disarray caused by scumbags who stole her identity and it all gets a bit too much! It has taken days to clean up that mess.
Stress, pain and worry combine to exacerbate chronic medical conditions. These are times when living afloat is extremely hard and the fun is stripped out of the lifestyle. None of this would be easy to handle if we had a conventional land-based life, but boat life makes it even tougher.
Turning things around slowly
Luckily, we are resilient, have good support and a dogged attitude. The thunderstorms have spared us, Anui is shipshape, the fraud nightmare is getting sorted, the medicos are putting a plan of attack together, and we are determined to leave for our next adventure. It is just taking longer than hoped.
In the midst of this mayhem, we have been doing a lot of soul searching. The positive about this week is getting some clarity about the changes we need to introduce into our lifestyle. Nothing immediate, but we have to be realistic, full time life afloat won’t be forever. Down the track we would like to mix it up a bit: spend some time cruising on Anui, and some time on land, possibly not where we used to reside.
So while waiting impatiently for all our storms to dissipate, we are taking the opportunity to visit coastal locations in Northern NSW and southern QLD where we might like to move to in the future. Thank you to our friends Linda and Peter for the lend of their gorgeous car, the red rocket. It has made life easier.
As we gather information and form a rough plan, it helps bring back a sense of control and the peace of mind we have been lacking for a while. Nothing is going to happen straight away, but we have a clearer idea of what the next couple of years might look like and how to transition.
We are still on the Gold Coast for further medical investigations as we post this. We were hoping to be on our way south over the weekend but it won’t happen. Sigh 😮💨
Sv-Anui 
Feeling for you. And completely understand the potential lifestyle change. xxx T
Hi Trish, at this stage we are focusing on pain management so we can leave, changes in lifestyle will come later but are inevitable.
Argghh! Identity theft must have felt like the final straw. What a nightmare. Hopefully it’s unwound swiftly and you haven’t been impacted financially.
I hope the medics can find some relief for you with your arthritis. Constant pain on a boat definitely takes the joy out of this crazy lifestyle…
Sending many hugs north to you both as you explore the beautiful north coast of NSW. Lots of lovely communities that might just be your next landing spot ❤️
Hiya Helene, yes a real pain but fortunately they only stole money from the government not me personally, via a falsified tax return in my name. But I had to change passwords, driver’s licence, passport, Medicare….
More tests next week for my back and the Doc wants us to leave only once he can see there is a relief. Sailing to TAS in this state would not be fun.
More to explore in northern NSW, but it is looking good.
Enjoy the shows in Sydney!
Wow, they ripped off the ATO? Gotta almost admire that sort of nerve… sorry you were caught up in it… Redoing all those official documents would have been costly and time consuming.
Hope the test bring some answers for you.
xxx
You made me laugh! Yap they took on the big one… a pain in the backside dealing with the aftermath, especially with my ‘radio’ brain that is still a bit on the vague side but not as bad as it could have been!
Fingers crossed we get a pain management plan next week and be on our way!
I hope that the doctors can figure a good way to ease the pain, Chris. I have type 2 diabetes which is well managed, it’s not easy though. Life changes are inevitable, we all go through them. Be well, guys! 🙏🏻😊
Hi John, yes the joys of getting older, but we are not giving up and if pain can be managed we will be on our way again!
That’s the spirit! Keep on keepin’ on, guys! I love that. 👍🏻😎💪🏻
More of a truism than a cliché: “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.” Sounds like you are making positive moves to accommodate what life is throwing at you. Hope you find a land base that will give you the life balance you are looking for. Also, hope that you can escape the Gold Coast soon.Chris & Suzanne DII
Hi guys, yes there is always something! We hope we can get patched up enough to leave for our Tasmanian trip and enjoy it.
Hi Chris & Wade
here’s hoping the medicos can help with the pain Chris. Phil & I have decided if we move again we will find a future land base with flat walks, easy swims & mooring close by. We have found mixing living both on the boat & at home to be working well since my back surgery & Phils accident. We find we sleep so well on the boat, & enjoy our short sailing stints but can keep up with physio, swimming & fitness programs more easily when we are land based. Good luck to you both re future good health & happy adventures & Tassie sailing
Lindy & Phil
Thanks Lindy and Phil… you are describing exactly what we need to achieve. We’ll get there, it is just a tedious process we have to go through ATM so we can both enjoy Tassie next!
Hope you get a workable plan in place to allow you to enjoy the sailing again. Yes some things are doubly difficult to sort while afloat, but worth it overall.
We’re eager to find a way, Graham… certainly not keen to spend yet another summer on the Gold Coast!
Yes, summer storms here are no fun. I am off to redo the hawksberry river and pittwater in a weeks time so will keep a lookout for you
The Hawksberry is nice! Have fun.
So sorry to hear about your procession of health and other issues. Looking on from the outside it might feel like being sucked into a neverending negative spin! I’m sure your combined wisdom and strength will see you safely on the ground soon! Enough with the Pg metaphor, our thoughts and prayers are with you. Take care guys 😊
Hi Elgar, sorry for the rant about ailments and hassles. They are dominating our life ATM and stopping us from getting on with what we want to do. As you say definitely feels like a negative spin on a paraglider… and we all know how to stop that before we hit the ground: full stall then release and recover!
Ha, ha, your imagery was a good laugh (as well as bad memories)!
No need to apologise about your health issues, most of us codgers have stuff, some of us worse than others …..
yap – I never thought I’d be ranting about it like my grandparents used to, though! So bloody depressing!
You reminded me of my granny, she’d have a little moan about her ailments, then she’d come out with, ‘I hope God takes me soon!’ Yet for all her suffering, including the Russians invading in 44, shooting of her son, she managed to endure with an aura of grace and wisdom. For all her human flaws, when I look back and ponder life’s big questions, she was a good influence on me. Sorry Chris, inappropriate rant on your sailing blog….
Not sure I am wrapped about reminding you of your granny, really, but I get the drift!
Sorry to hear that your ID was stolen Chris. Far out! I hope that your doctor can really help you out. Best wishes with the transition of your lifestyle.
Thank you Jan. Far out indeed! It was the last straw.
Hope they can sort a plan for you soon so you can continue south. Our health is number one priority.
Great choice looking in the area you mentioned good luck searching.
Cheers Mick & Lyn
Hi Mick & Lyn, yes it’s funny how you wander around different places and get a feel… some left us cold, but others felt right. Too early to seriously look, but at least now we have a target area.
Going through all the investigations for my back… will know more in a day or two.
Sometimes when challenging issues happen, why does it seem to happen all at once?! I’m glad the fraud issue is getting sorted out and medical treatment plans are in place.
I too deal with chronic illness for my 11 year old daughter who has a congenital heart condition. It’s like getting thrown into the water when a medical emergency stirs up.
Wishing you both peace and recovery! Happy to have discovered your blog and your boat life sounds intriguing and exciting. ~Esther
Hi Esther, thank you for subscribing. I guess health challenges have a way of bringing individuals together. I hope you enjoy our posts as we return to a more ‘normal’ rhythm.
Yes it is hard work when multiple calamities hit at once and when you are not in the best frame of mind or physical state to deal with them! But everything is slowly improving. Thanks for you good wishes.
You’re welcome! Looking forward to reading more about your adventures and a swift and full recovery for you.
“Normal” rhythm is good! We all need that after those storms.