It looks like between the transmission and Ryan’s quest for a job and an apartment we’re going to be in Portland Maine for the summer.

Our time at the marina may be expensive but we’re putting it to good use. The transmission, the exterior teak, adding AIS and a remote radio head, fixing the shower drain, replacing the traveler lines, fixing the holding tank vent hose, and other random projects.

We’re not in “Portland” but I’m sorry South Portland is close enough. I remember as a kid thinking that Portland Maine was the “big city” and that someday I’d live there. And of course I did live in the city for several years, it’s a great city. But times have changed. The housing crisis has hit Portland extra hard and there simply aren’t any available apartments for rent. A big part of this is that the city is physically small and with its popularity as a tourist destination any available apartment that is allowed to become an AirBnB becomes one.

We blew in and after some difficulty found a Marine Mechanic who would take us in and install the transmission we purchased. It wasn’t the cheapest adventure, labor alone was insane and I haven’t even seen the yard fees for hauling us out yet. Not to mention that Spring Point Marina, while amazing, isn’t the cheapest place to stay.

My hope was a couple of cheap moorings and anchorages around Casco Bay while visiting Ryan in his new apartment. But alas, there are not any apartments in the area anymore.

Ryan’s goal of being close to family is likely dashed and doomed to failure.

It looks like despite having a fantastic job and being offered another job just about every few days. He’s going to need to quit and come back to Florida with us because there simply isn’t any housing available in the Portland area. The oldest state in the USA is about to get older since there isn’t any housing available for the next generation.

While he might get lucky I’m less than confident. Our plan is that he will quit his job in September and we’ll run to Florida. In Florida he’ll get a seasonal job and then quit in the spring when we’ll once again head to New England. The idea is that next year we’ll aim for Boston and he’ll try to find somewhere to live there.. Again a difficult adventure but perhaps.

And if that fails. Then we’re going to forget a “reasonable grandma radius” and who knows where he’ll end up. I wonder how may folks are going to lose access to their grandchildren, and their children since I’ll 100% follow my kids, due to this economic and housing crisis.