The basic ingredients

Now is the right time. Having sailed a dingy for many years, we always dreamed of sailing a live-aboard cruiser. Caught up in life with young children, and active careers it was never quite time. Three years ago we took our first keel-boat course but work, sports, family, and cottage life was always a bigger priority.

Being closer to 50 than 40 and with our eldest off to university after another school year, it really is now…otherwise it would likely be much later. So we sold the cottage and most of our more mobile assets and started boat shopping.

There are lots of guides to help determine your needs and the likely costs. My favourite has been “The Voyager’s Handbook,” by Beth Leonard. Beth answers most questions and makes cruising accessible. It was the best $55 spent so far. We used this book to gauge the costs and determine we could afford this trip.

Selling the cottage meant we could buy the boat and last a year with no income. By the time we finish preparing the boat for cruising, we will have spent a little more than we had estimated but we opted to add radar, complete some repairs recommended by the surveyor, and redo the interior cabin cushions. We could have reduced some of these costs if needed. We’ve also been able to rent out our home while we are gone so that will cover much our daily life expenses. So we have the boat, a budget for unexpected costs, and a traveling budget. Those are the basic ingredients.

Kevin 

A new life ahead

In May 2016, freshly returned from sailing with my brother Max and friend Harry in the Ionian Sea I suggested our family should take time out to sail around the world. Ten months later, we are ready to board a plane and head to Limassol, Cyprus to board Forty Two, our 2009 Jeanneau 44i which will be our home over the coming months.

Now March 2017, the preparation is nearly done…or I’d like to think so. The foundation repairs still need to be finished, blinds need fixing, a floor needs patching and we’ve got to move what’s left of 14 years of detritus and furniture to a storage unit up north (in case we ever come back).

And the boat. It is hard to believe but the anti-osmosis & anti fouling is fully complete, radar is operational, engine is serviced, life raft is ready, and cabin cushions replacement has started. There are million things to do when we arrive but for now, all is well.

“It takes a village” and this adventure is no exception. Without the support of friends and family our sabbatical wouldn’t be possible. From helping us find and buy our boat to looking after our home while we are away, you’ve all become part of our adventure.

So friends, welcome to our blog. We promise to share our journey with you and hope you’ll post your comments and questions as we go. Each blog post will be signed off by the person who wrote it, changing between Sheila, Margaret, Kevin and Theodore. 

Kevin