I am feeling trapped, claustrophobic, and out of money. It has been on of THOSE summers.

We’ve been in the Marina in Portland Harbor for MONTHS and it’s been expensive.  The primary reason we were coming to Maine was so that Ryan could take a class and get a job and then get his own apartment and move out on his own.

When we were making our final run to Maine our transmission blew and so we added a second goal to the trip to Maine.  A new transmission.  As adventurous as it was betting for someone to work with us we eventually found a great guy who was able to put the transmission in but still we couldn’t leave the Marina.

Ryan.  He took the manufacturing job training class, did well, and got a job.  Then moved to a second job.  And all the while searching for an apartment, a room, anything.  Alas there is no housing available in the greater Portland Maine area.  And I just can’t afford to keep paying the Marina fees to keep us here.  So we’re going to go.

I’ve paid through Monday morning and with today being Wednesday Ryan is wrapping up his last few days at work.  He’ll work this week and weekend and then Monday morning we’ll untie the lines and head back out to sea.

This summer has been frustrating and disappointing on many fronts.  Mostly because I was under the misguided notion that we’d sail into town, and that Ryan would actually be able to find an apartment.  Everywhere I called was full to the max with large waiting lists.  Every place that was advertised was either gone that same day or when Ryan went to see it he was out competed.

So the Maine kid has to leave Maine.  It’s not too unexpected in the state.  No place for young people that’s for sure.  I had to leave the state to find work when I was his age.  These days you can’t walk down the street without getting three or four job offers but sadly there is no housing available.  Maybe next year.

Our plan is simple.  We’re just going to turn around, aim south along the same path we took to come north and find our way back to St. Augustine for the winter.  Ryan will get another job, probably get one the first day we’re there that’s just how he is.  And he’ll look for an apartment and likely not find one because this housing crisis is so massive.

Then we’ll turn back north.  But we’ll need to evaluate where we should try next summer.  I’m thinking it might be more realistic to spend the summer in Boston Mass and have him try to get an apartment there.  Yes they are more expensive but they actually have apartments for rent and aren’t dealing with waiting lists a year or two long.

What a depressing time to be a kid this is turning out to be. And of course the whole process is complicated for Ryan because we’re on the boat full time which means he can’t take a full year to work and save up money and apply to everything that opens up day after day for a year or two which is what it seems to take these days.

So we’ll try again. A few times a year in places where we can stop and sit for a few months. A month for him to show he’s working, two more months to apply to every apartment advertised.