S/V Passage - Refitting a Classic (& Building Our Skills) Before Cutting the Docklines

It's so hot here, I don't even want to go out on the boat because I dread the HOT air that will waft out from Passage's cabin when I open up the companionway. I know, what am I going to do when I'm in the tropics with no AC? After all, in some parts of the world 99" with a heat index of 114" might be on the chilly side. I'll worry about that when I get to it...and likely spend all day floating on a foam noodle next to Passage...with a cerveza or pina colada...(cue Jimmy Buffet!)

But I digress...or should stop digressing and actually blog...

I started this blog to track our progress, adventures, misadventures, and other miscellaneous happenings as we "sail" through this phase in our lives (bad pun intended). Two months and two days ago, we became yacht owners. Since then, so much has changed; I don't just mean how we spend our weekends (doing boat stuff) or how every conversation seems to circle back to Passage (usually a cool boat toy and how to build it cheaper ourselves). I feel happier, more fulfilled...and I'm surrounded by amazing people who encourage and support my life approach.

This past weekend was truly spectacular...spending time with friends (and a friend's cool family member) who love sailing for the sake of sailing is pretty great. When David and I first started reading about people who gave up the rat race for something different, to live aboard a sailboat, they all seemed to get negative reactions that they were crazy, weird or psychotic for making such a change. We’ve been lucky enough to have the opposite experience…mostly curiosity, questions, and a surprising number of crew volunteers.

Maybe none of you three readers out there actually think we’re going to do this, and we’ll make Passage pretty and just have fun summer sailing on Lake Michigan. If that’s the case you don’t know us well enough…in college no one wanted to go to London with me, so I went alone…for a week…alone. It rocked. In the Navy, David walked across an entire island in the Middle East…alone…with nothing to drink. Crazy? Yeah. Stupid? Maybe. Fun? Hell Yes!! Two things we both share are an adventurous spirit and a bullheaded desire to prove people wrong. For the doubters, it will happen…for the supporters, you have berth dibs on visits.

No matter what a person’s dream is, it CAN happen. This isn’t because some people are luckier than others, or they’ve built up lots of karma points; rather, it’s because some people don’t believe that it’s too late for a dream. Those same people will do whatever it takes to make their dreams happen. One can either live to work or choose to work to live. Our five year plan was fundamentally a shift from the former mental paradigm to the latter. Yes, we both still work full time…David even has two jobs. The difference is WHY we do it…not for a bigger condo, or a newer car, or even a 3D TV. We do it for each other, for our shared goal, for our mutual dreams.

Everyone needs to find their passion. And not be afraid of hardship and change. Those are things that force a person out of a “rut” and sometimes into where/who/what they really want to be. Those are the things that helped us realize what’s important, and reexamine what we want from the next 5, 10, 50 years. Thank you to those of you who read this blog, who listen to our stories, who have encouraged us to follow our dreams…our parents, our family, our friends-old and new. More than anything else, this blog is a testament to making dreams come true and each post is an appreciation of the people who have been and are such great support along the way.