It doesn't matter how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich.

I'm going to quote that saying to the Bank of Montreal when I get home from my trip and see what they think! hahaha

The Old Man "feeling" the tiller as we sailed up to The Bitter End, Virgin Gorda

A family vacation to that will not be forgotten! We sailed from one side of the US Virgin Islands all the way to the edges of the British side. We snorkelled, combed the beaches, ate together, drank together, slept right beside each other and most importantly, laughed together. We all agreed it had been over 12 years since we were on our last family vacation with all four family members together. This time we had the pleasure of one more. Now, let me tell you about this little man. For the first few days we set the sails and watched little Riley sitting in Lindsay's arms to see how he was going to react to his new sailing lifestyle. And it was perfect. After pulling anchor Riley would gaze off into the the distance and instantly fall asleep. He would wake up a few hours later at our next anchorage, point to land and say with a broken english baby voice (that only Lindsay really understands) "BEACH". He loved the beach! He ran up and down, in and out of the water, inside the beach bar and out again, up wooden ramps, down wooden ramps, and always followed by Lindsay close behind with a smile on her face and a hand full of toys or anything else Riley dropped along the way. So Riley mostly slept on LB while sailing for the first few days. Then on the last few he decided to stay awake. He watched as I ran up and down the decks pulling ropes and raising sails. to my amazement the little guy began helping out. I would turn around and he would be pulling ropes and giving orders. He would throw both of his hands in the air and yell"UP" as I put the sails up and "DOWN" while I took them down. We would get into port and he would say "DONE" with a huge grin on his face. I'll tell you, I'm not sure what I will do without him for the next few weeks. Just a great little dude with a lot of potential. Much love Riley, you are the man!

Mom hanging out on the main boom as we motored down to Cruz Bay.

Not sure what Riley was pointing at but this shot was taken early one morning in Sopper's Hole as I went in for a coffee run.

This shot is a treasure for sure!

Early morning cookie!

The Old Man getting some "alone time" on his Zodiac.

Riley's mad at the banana because it was not in his mouth! Lindsay would say with a calm voice, "Yes, Riley's mad". The rest of us would try not to laugh in the background and encourage Riley. hehehe

Then he figured it out! hahahaha happy again!

Red Stripe. Jamaican beer.

We have this same shot on our last vacation. We would say "Smile Old Man" and he would reply "I am smiling" with a scowl on his face. Haha

Lindsay being an awesome mother. I must say, great work Lindsay. He's a handful sometimes. But man he is a cute little dude.

We sailed Lizzy Belle right through a pretty serious looking race with some huge sailboats from all over the world. The cool part was that their crew members were pulling cameras out and taking pictures of Lizzy Belle. She really is something special and not just to us.

Riley taking his first turn on the rudder. He would point off in a random direction and say, "that way" with a huge smile on his face.

Mom, happy to have the family together.

Good old Jiffy Pop. It is true. It is as much fun to make as it is to eat!

Riley realizing he can see himself in my camera lens. That kept him busy for a few minutes.

Riley driving the Zodiac looking like a "cool dude", as he would say.

That isn't Riley's Red Stripe on the left hand side.

I admire Riley when I think about how something as simple as pouring water from a watering can can make him laugh so hard.

Good times for sure!

The Old Man found the Pirate Bar on Norman Island. He fit in perfectly!

So did Riley!

Always smiling!

Riley with LB in the background.

I had to get a few shots with Riley and I. To Riley I became "Uncle Dude". I really like that name! Thanks Riley.

Lindsay and Riley taking Lizzy Belle back to the US Virgin Islands.

On our final sail we made Riley Captain of his own vessel. This is the sailing vessel Lindsay Welsford named after and purchased by Lindsay Welsford herself. She's a solid little boat with nice lines and only a draft of about half an inch. She's 5 inches long and made of solid Chinese plastic. It is a sloop designed vessel and made with the intentions of doing some serious offshore sailing. I imagine she will go on many voyages over the next few years, in and out of bath tubs, the kitchen sink, she will probably even get dropped in the toilet and possibly chewed on by Ella the family Black Labrador Retriever. But to Riley and his young super awesome imagination, she'll be crossing oceans and voyaging around the world. Riley and his Lindsay Welsford will discover new lands with interesting and fascinating creatures. Good luck on your adventures my little friend, if you ever need a solid crew member let me know and I'll stand by your side through the roughest seas. Thanks for joining us on Lizzy Belle, it was an honour to have you aboard. It was also an honour to have you pee on my right knee in the Zodiac at the Bitter End! hahahahaha see you soon!

Thank you to my family. I love you!

Dave