Our Next Adventure is Big

Have you ever woken up to sea turtles swimming around visiting you? Spent an afternoon sailing the sea surrounded by flying fish? These rewarding experiences are so enjoyable that once you’ve had them, you’ll want to repeat! Interacting with nature and being close to the sea are part of what compels me to embark on my next adventure.

We Bought a Boat!

Brian and I are packing everything away to sail the seas for at least a year. We bought a boat, and we’re going to live and travel on it. We’re starting in Florida and heading south from there. No exact plans – we’ll see how it goes and go with it.

This is not a lifestyle for everyone: some people think we’re crazy. Others think we’re “living the dream.” Me? I am excited, but our date of departure is fast approaching, and I don’t know what I am doing!

About Our Boat

Sava is a boat built for adventure. We’re pretty sure she’s been around the world, and she’s definitely been to The Bahamas. She’s in Florida now waiting for us, and I’ve provided more details and a tour where you can learn more about our new home.

Our Next Adventure is Big – and Scary!

Most of the time, I am not nervous, just excited. This is Brian’s idea, which I quickly seconded! My favorite part about this adventure is that I get to do it with him!

I love summer and the water. Sailing in the south means a lot of both! I love adventure and exploring new places. Sailing to a new island or country every few days is certainly an adventure. I love Brian and Domino and now we are going to be sharing a very small space for a very long time. Let’s see how that goes! Just kidding, I’m sure it will be fine.

Experience Levels

I am not an expert sailor. By no means am I even a good sailor. I would never take a sailboat out on my own, yet, I am about to take on a 46-foot sailboat for a year solely with my husband. Yikes!

The good news is, Brian knows what he’s doing, and he’s trusting me to be a good partner, to learn and grow and assist in any way I can. My plan is to learn to fish, to sail, and to be fun on the boat.

I’m sure there’s more to it than that, but we can wing some of it too. I have spent the last few years trying new things, and learning from mistakes. Unwittingly, I have prepared for the next few years. Don’t worry, I am packing LOTS of Gravol ginger, and hoping the motion sickness goes away after time.

Research

Books about sailing are becoming a common purchase for us. Navigation guides and mechanical guides are coming in the mail, ready for us to read. We have a book on fishing, and are starting to learn about apps for wind and navigation. We’ve read about cruiser groups and how to make friends on a boat, and we are almost ready to put all that research and knowledge to use. I also like to prep for trips by reading about the places I am going and the top attractions. This is going to be fun

Where We Will Go

We aren’t making too firm plans, because that is apparently one of the rules of sailing: “Don’t make plans.” Sailors don’t make plans because wind, weather, a broken part, or all three, will get in the way. Still, The Caribbean is a nice goal for our first year – or three – sailing our new boat. We haven’t been to many islands so it will be nice to island hop for the next few years. Before this trip, I’ve only been to The Bahamas and Aruba so I will be visiting a lot of new places, and on a boat!

Our Next Adventure is Big – But We’ll Take it Slow

Eventually, we want to travel everywhere on our boat. The South Pacific is calling, where I dream of diving with giant manta rays! For now, we plan to navigate the waters of The Bahamas and the eastern Caribbean, or West Indies, and learn as we go. Once we’ve gained experience and confidence, then we’ll cross an ocean. One passage at a time.

A Cat on A Boat

Yes, you read that right. We are bringing Domino to live with us on the boat. She has never been on a boat before. She doesn’t even like cars. Not that we have a lot to go on: she’s probably been in a car three times. She is an easygoing cat, so hopefully she will be fine. I’ll be chronicling her adventures here too, another reason to keep reading the blog. I know! We’re not making it easy on ourselves, but we can’t leave Domino behind, either.

Now Is The Time

I found a quote online that has been misattributed to Mark Twain, so I’ll just say SOURCE UNKNOWN:

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than those you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the wind in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”

I agree! I want to experience mornings with sea turtle visitors, afternoons sailing to new lands, and evenings viewing sunsets from the deck, and I couldn’t have a better person to share this life.

Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive.”

Eleanor Roosevelt

Wish us luck, wish us fair winds and following seas (another sailing quote), and follow us! You can follow our adventures here on the blog; and even sign up for updates. We’d also love for you to be a part of the journey by visiting us in person!