July 6, 2025. The day we had been working toward for what felt like forever had finally arrived. After all the planning, repairs, provisioning, and last-minute chaos, we were no longer tied to the dock in Marco Island. We were moving.

Today’s goal was simple: a short 16-nautical-mile hop up to Naples, Florida, and anchor out for the night. Nothing ambitious. Nothing stressful. Just a first step into our new life on the water.

At least, that was the idea.

The departure itself felt good—like a deep breath after weeks of intensity. The boat was finally doing what she was meant to do. Even with everything still feeling new and slightly unfamiliar, there was a moment of excitement as we pointed her north and eased out into open water.

Anchoring in Naples, however, was a different story.

It took three tries before we finally got the anchor to set properly. Eventually, we held, and for a brief moment, it felt like we could finally settle in and exhale.

But that moment didn’t last long.

The first real issue showed up with the electrical system. The batteries weren’t holding or supporting the loads the way they were supposed to. Voltage started dropping quickly, and we could see systems struggling and alarms would go off. It was one of those slow, creeping problems that immediately gets your attention because you know it’s only going to get worse.

The solution was obvious: start the generator.

Except… it wouldn’t start.

Of course it wouldn’t.

In Florida heat, in July, on a boat that was already struggling with power, not having the generator wasn’t just inconvenient—it was immediate discomfort. The cabin was hot, the air still, and the options were limited. We knew we could potentially run it to help stabilize the batteries and cool things down, but right now it refused to cooperate.

So there we were—anchored out for the first night of our journey, officially underway… and already troubleshooting systems.

It was a very quick reminder that the “real trip” had begun.

Not with calm water and perfect systems—but with heat, voltage drops, and a stubborn generator that had its own opinion about the whole situation.

Still, we were here. Moving. Day one wasn’t perfect—but it was ours.