Thanksgivings Through the Years

At some point in our adult lives, we stopped going to “Mom’s” for Thanksgiving and everyone came to our house. Then we moved aboard Nine of Cups and celebrating the Thanksgiving holiday became more of a challenge. Over the past two decades, we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving in many different places … sometimes in the USA where it’s actually a major holiday and sometimes in foreign ports where we sought to share some American traditions with local friends who considered it just another Thursday in November. 

Charleston, SC - Thanksgiving 2001

In 2001, we were in Charleston, SC and spent our first Thanksgiving aboard Nine of Cups with local friends. The Charleston Maritime Center was gracious enough to let us cook our over-sized turkey and pies in their oven.

Blogs and websites were less common back then though I kept a passage journal. Digital photography for amateurs like me (forget iPhones with cameras) was just coming into its own, hence no pictures from our Thanksgivings in Charleston once again in 2002, Venezuela in 2003 nor Denver in 2004. By Thanksgiving 2005, I had purchased my first Canon digital and our photographic records (and our memories took a turn for the better.

Just how many pies can you serve for Thanksgiving Day dessert? 2005 - Boston

We crossed the Atlantic from Uruguay to South Africa in 2006 and spent Thanksgiving at sea. By 2007, we had recrossed the Atlantic and were back in Florida for a low-key Thanksgiving just the two of us aboard. We returned to Boston from Chile in 2008 and spent the holiday with Lin and her family. In 2009, we crossed the Pacific and celebrated both 2009 and 2010 Thanksgivings aboard Nine of Cups in Opua, New Zealand.

Marcie had to measure the frozen turkey in NZ to make sure it would fit in Cups' oven.

Sean & John of Active Transport joined us in Opua, New Zealand for Thanksgiving 2009.

We finally departed New Zealand and arrived in Bundaberg, Australia in November 2011, just in time to share turkey with a bunch of cruising friends aboard Fifth Season.

Gail & David served up an outstanding feast in 2011 aboard Fifth Season - Bundaberg, Australia

Two Tasmanian couples joined us aboard Cups in 2012 to share turkey and discover that Americans love pumpkin pie for T-Day dessert, a taste not shared by our Aussie friends.

Roast turkey ... awesome! Pumpkin pie? not so much. Kettering, Tasmania - 2013

We were home again in Boston in 2013 and David’s brother, Paul, flew in from Oklahoma for the occasion and we were joined by Lin's family and friends.

So there's no confusion. That's a statue of Lt. Lewis above, a Pilgrim fellow and NOT David's brother, Paul, who flew to Boston from Oklahoma to celebrate Thanksgiving 2013.

Thanksgiving 2014 found us fighting the challenge of crossing the Indian Ocean. We had hoped to reach Durban to celebrate, but alas, Neptune had other plans for us. We were across the Atlantic and anchored up the Essequibo River in Guyana when Thanksgiving rolled around in 2015, trying to make it as far as Trinidad to get home for Christmas.

Little did we know last Thanksgiving, that this would be Becky’s last Thanksgiving with us. It was a fine get-together with plenty of feasting and high spirits. In a matter of days, she got sick and was gone. Carpe diem!

Thanksgiving 2016 in Las Vegas with family.

And this year? Well, 2017 finds us moored at the Atlantic Yacht Basin in Chesapeake, Virginia. Nine of Cups is under contract for sale and we’ll spend the holiday celebrating our last Thanksgiving aboard … just us, Cups and a big turkey.

Trying to remember where we were for Thanksgiving for the past two decades was an exercise in patience and memory trial. After that turkey ... we're gonna need a nap.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. Enjoy the day wherever you are!