As I mentioned in the last post, when we decided it was time to have our own car on island, we realized we were going to need a garage to store it in when we’re not here, so last year we got to work designing the structure.

Unfortunately, shy of a custom made door, there are not a lot of super pretty 12’ boat garage doors that also have matching standard garage doors, so we went with the best we could find. I know it’s just a garage, but I was worried when all said and done, it was going to look like a massive boring box, so I decided to add a decorative wood header above each door. So far, it’s coming along looking better than I expected!

Let me preface my next thought by saying, I love this island SO MUCH, but island time is a very real thing, and while that’s one of the aspects of island life we appreciate, when it comes to construction projects, it makes us want to rip our hair out. We began construction on the garage in March of 2024 and it’s still not done (Tom and I joke we’ve built houses faster than this garage), but we’re close. Very, very, close. :)

Once the garage was underway, we shipped the Jeep from Indy to the freight forwarder in Miami, who then shipped it onto the island.

Once the car arrived it was time to figure out the boat. If you know Tom, you know he’s been looking for the right boat for a very long time. We’ve owned boats in the past, but they’ve always been for lake use, so deciding what we wanted for ocean cruising took some time. Our hope was to have a boat on island while living here, but by mid December when we hadn’t found anything, we kind of gave up hope. Then, on December 28th Tom told me he was pretty certain he found a good option in Michigan and ended up purchasing it the same day. We were actually in Cleveland at the time, so we drove back to Indy, and on New Year’s Eve he got up at the crack of dawn and drove to Michigan to pick up the boat and haul it back to Indy. The dealership wasn’t even open that day, but something tells me they don’t sell a lot of boats in Michigan at the end of December, so they seemed happy to adjust their hours. :)

The boat leaving Michigan, headed for Indy

Once the boat was in Indy we had to get it loaded with the essentials - seems simple, but the entire thing was wrapped in plastic, so we had to cut a hole in the back and when we were done loading it, we had to patch the hole using a heat gun to melt the new plastic to the original. This wouldn’t have been a huge deal, but not only was it 7PM on the night before we were leaving, it was 20 degrees with 10” of snow on the ground and pitch black. I can’t even imagine what the neighbors were thinking as they drove by.

In addition to getting the boat loaded and re-sealed, we had to figure out how in the world we were going to get the boat to the freight forwarder in Miami by the time we left. There are hauling companies (which is how we shipped the car), but with the bad weather that was hitting the midwest, none of the haulers were going to be able to pick it up in time. We happened to be getting together with our great friends the Brauns while we were trying to figure this out and when Jay asked if there was anything they could do to help us get ready, Tom nonchalantly said, “want to haul a boat to Miami?” I was shocked he would even joke about such a massive favor, but I was even more shocked when Jay agreed to. I mean, if that doesn’t deserve the friend of a lifetime award, I don’t know what does. So on January 7th, at around 4AM when we were leaving for the airport, Jay and his eldest son were picking the boat up from the house to begin their 2 day trek down to Miami and back. Jay and Shannon, if you’re reading this, I don’t know what we would do without you - thank you for not only making such a huge sacrifice, but for being the most amazing friends anyone could hope for!!!

Jay delivering the boat to the freight forwarder

Fast forward to Sunday, January 20th and the boat had safely landed on island. On Monday, Tom cleared it through Customs and trailed it back to the house. We’re still trying to decide on a name, I was thinking Hot Tomali (like tamale, but Tom &…okay, you get the point) - but, if anyone has a great idea for a name, please do share.

On Tuesday, we successfully launched the boat and I managed to haul the trailer back to the house without hitting anything (some of the turns were pretty tight though)! Later that day we took the kids out for a ride and as I was practicing my captain skills, we noticed about 4 dolphins in front of us. As we came to a stop they started circling the boat and putting on what felt like a private Sea World style show. It was truly one of the most spectacular things I’ve witnessed in awhile. Not a day goes by that I do not realize how fortunate we are to have this opportunity; but in moments like that, I literally feel like I need to pinch myself because it truly is a dream come true.

The kids with a dolphin in the background

So far, we’re really loving having the boat here. The kids and I were able to get out on ski’s and Tom and Thomas did some offshore snorkeling. We are able to anchor right behind the house which is super convenient. However, having a boat anchored in the middle of the sea does make you a bit compulsive about tracking the weather and wind.

Tom and kids taking a night paddle out to check on the boat

Tom had been watching the forecast and we knew we would need to get the boat out of the water on Friday (yesterday), but we didn’t realize the winds were going to pick up quite as early in the day as they did. So at 7:30AM, we were racing to the boat ramp (Tom in the boat, me in the car). As I was making my first attempt to back the trailer into the water on my own, I see our neighbor flying down the road. He saw Tom trying to unmoor the boat and knew with as choppy as things were, we would likely need an extra set of hands; and we definitely did.

That’s the thing on this island, everyone here knows how challenging seemingly simple tasks can be, and most people are very willing to help whenever they can. It’s so refreshing and I was extremely touched by his kindness! The waves were so intense, that once Tom arrived we decided to abort mission and travel to a different, more protected ramp, about 10 minutes north. Thankfully, things were much calmer there and we were able to get the boat out of the water before things got too gnarly.

Our wonderful neighbor Rock, helping Tom guide the boat onto the trailer

Our good friends (who are avid boaters) are arriving today for a week visit, so we’re hoping the winds calm a bit and we can get back out on the water soon.

Looking back on what it has taken to get the garage built and a car and boat on island, one thing is apparent; we are incredibly blessed to have the most wonderful people in our lives. From my parents who came in June to help build the garage and again on our first week here to help with the transition, to the Braun’s, our island neighbors and our good friends coming to visit - we are so grateful for the love and support of our friends and family.