Sweeping up into the sky, a large white cloud in the distance swirled and changed as we played on the beach at Jones Island last Friday. Then, last night, with the boys tucked into bed, Jill and I sat in the cockpit watching a superb sunset while the evening’s clouds beautifully reshaped themselves as they meandered across the orange-hued sky. We talked about our next steps for the spring and summer and the shape of life in front of us. Like the clouds, change is once again in the air aboard Yahtzee.

It has been eight months since we gave up our slip at Shilshole Bay Marine in Seattle. When we pointed our bow north for the San Juan Islands it was the start of a new adventure — we didn’t need to go far, we just needed to get out here. Our plan was to spend the winter exploring the islands at our own pace, to have a son and to generally do what we do best, enjoy each day as they come. And it’s working.

Wintering in the islands turned out to be an incredible experience. Some may grumble about the weather, but we’re not the whining type, and complaining about weather is utterly useless anyway. Instead, we kept our sails small and boat warm, and embraced the season and its many rewards. Empty anchorages and parks were the norm as we crisscrossed the archipelago from east to west and north to south. And really getting to know the island community on a personal level was an unexpected yet highly gratifying benefit. Winter in the San Juans surely had is troughs and crests, but the memories we gathered along the way are like waves on the ocean — endless.

So what’s in store for Yahtzee over the coming months? We’re casting off and heading across the border to the Gulf Islands today and plan to spend the rest of the spring and summer exploring Canada as far north as Desolation Sound. We’ll be doing some racing along the way in events like Swiftsure and the Round Salt Spring Race. And we’re looking forward to spending time with our Canadian friends, and as always, meeting new ones.

When it comes down to it, life aboard Yahtzee is not about how many miles we sail, it’s about what makes us truly happy, and that’s being with each other while discovering the world in front of us. We’re in the moment right now. And that is all we’re after.

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