The 72 hour escape plan

I mentioned to my lovely wife I could have us sailing to mile marker one on the ICW (Intra Coastal Waterway) in 72 hours.

“I’ll pack, she said.”

I figured I only really needed 48 hours, but put in an extra day for unforeseen delays. One day to pack, shut down the house, load up the boat, and a second day to drive down to Virgina to launch the boat. The 72 hour window also had a bit more sleep in the mix.

In the end, we decided to stick to our original plans -for now. We’ll most likely hang around in New Hampshire until after the holidays, then haul the boat down to Florida for some sailing. The ICW will have to wait until fall of 2013.

We have been known to head out on the spur of the moment in the past. We timed it once. For a weekend camping trip, we were out of the house in 20 minutes. All the camping gear was piled together in the same room. My lovely wife packed our clothes while I loaded up the gear and the canoe. With the camper van, there’s even less stuff to pack as the van is ready to go.

Today was only a drill. It did highlight a few deficiencies. I don’t have all the charts I need. We’d either have to pick some up on the way, or make do with guide books -not the best plan. I really should have those ready to go. It’s actually better for me to shop for those from on-line sources. Much easier to compare and contrast.

Our finances aren’t running on autopilot. They take a bit more hands-on than they used to. At one time we could disappear down the road and do our business with the occasional phone call. Lately I’ve gotten too used to using my dad’s Florida home as a base of operations. I knew we’d be there every few weeks or so. The easiest thing in the world was to just forward all the mail there. Things have gotten a bit more complicated than I like. Compared to most people, it’s nothing. However, most people don’t expect to leave suddenly for half the year. That’s the goal.

Today was only a drill, but it did highlight where we could do better.

Nothing prepares a family for bugging out like bugging out.

-Sixbears