We used to travel a lot with our 4x4 Toyota, visiting Brazil, Uruguay, Argentine and Chile, each one with distinct and wonderful natural beauties. We also had a small 23' ocean sailboat on which we started to make short cruising trips. Putting all together, we decided it was time to move to a bigger sailboat and begin to think more seriously about living aboard and cruising extensively.

This is how Anaue, our 37' cruising boat, was born, built along 10 years by ourselves. It was a long period away from the sea but rewarding because we know every inch, detail and flaws too of our future floating home. We also could, along those years, take advantage of bargains and shopping opportunities that allowed us to better equip our boat without spending hundreds of money in a short period of time.

Our 5 year old daughter, Helena, born during these building years, loves to sail, diving and living aboard during weekends and vacations. The main dilemma now is to find a "homeschooling" system in order to provide us some guidance and methodology to keep her formal education. We also have a bigger "legal" problem because homeschooling in Brazil is forbidden, constituting a parents' negligence. We've heard about some American schools, but we are now, besides the illegal aspects, trying to start some project with a Brazilian school where there would be some interactive channels, and Helena would be a kind of a host, showing some of her lifestyle, experiences, visited places and cultures to other kids. A cruising life thru a child's eye...

But it is being difficult to leave our normal lives, not because they are confortable and pleasant. Changing is really challenging!!! And we, not on purpose (I hope...), seem to create excuses and reasons to postpone it. Unconscious self-sabotage?!?

Fortunately, reading others' blogs definitely show us that cruising/life aboard, besides a mixture of love and hate, is certainly very rewarding, otherwise there would not be so many people on their boats around the globe.