“Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe
A sailboat is not the most comfortable of abodes, but the size constraints and comforts we forego compared to living in a house are a small price to pay for the adventure and freedom of the cruising lifestyle. Life is all about balance.
In less than a month our family will be going out the San Francisco Gate on our catamaran Erin Skye, to start our cruising adventure down the California coast, then into Mexico. From there we aren’t sure where we’ll go, but we know that we will explore parts of the world we’ve never seen before. As we prepare to depart from our land home base and reflect on the past few months of preparation leading to this point, I’m most grateful for the fact that we started the journey at all and accepted it as a goal versus an unattainable dream.
Living at the Dock of the Bay

Erin Skye at the dock
We chose to move onto our boat about two years before starting to cruise full-time, in order to learn about the boat’s systems, practice sailing, and reduce our cost of living before leaving our income behind. For the most part that was what we accomplished, but in retrospect we allocated too much time to this phase of the journey. After 6 months we ended up looking for a way to change our departure date to a year earlier.
With all that time, it was too easy to take my eyes off the goal of preparing, and sink into the routine of living at a marina. I volunteered to be room parent for Ethan’s school, Vice-Commodore for the yacht club, and Boy Scout troop reservation lead.
We also fell down the rabbit hole of projects, leading to a dearth of free time for James (aka MacGyver) and stress on my part due to living in a construction zone along with a compulsive need for everything to be in its place.

Cockpit table mid-project
What we didn’t think of was how the lack of usable space (though temporary) would impact the quality of life of the crew. Six months of living this way led me to decide that we needed to get to the more rewarding part of the adventure quicker, minimize the project work, and move off the boat when we undertake large projects in the future.
Trial Run
The decision to move aboard and live in a marina before jumping into the cruising lifestyle allowed us to make mistakes in a setting that was less risky, from a safety and financial perspective. With many projects going at once we found ourselves needing to visit our local marine supply store several times per week, and having multiple shipments on their way to us at all times. The luxury of our home base allowed this convenience which our new lifestyle will not afford us again.
Priorities

Exploring in San Francisco
After we decided that we would leave earlier than previously planned, we had less than 6 months to complete the projects that were necessary to do coastal cruising, so we needed to prioritize our remaining work.
A trick we use in the project management profession when the circumstances allow is to reduce the scope of what is needed in order to be able to succeed at an on-time delivery. This approach has worked perfectly in our case. We identified which of the remaining projects were actually essential right away, and which could wait for a later time after our planned departure date of late June. Then, we simply focused our limited time on the highest priority tasks and projects, and put the others on the calendar for a later time.
Balance
I realize now that we didn’t spend enough time with our family and friends, just having fun. This is what we expect our lives to be about as soon as we leave, visiting new places, making new friends and connecting with old ones. We didn’t take a dip into that part of the cruising lifestyle as much as I now feel we should have.
Perspective
I knew it would take work and some discomfort to prepare for and take on this lifestyle but occasionally I found myself thinking something like, “I just need to wait until this part is over, then I can experience the good stuff.” Sometimes it took a while, but I always would come around to realizing that it’s all good stuff or that I could make it good, through action or reframing.

Looking at the fish finder
This would happen when I donned my teal-colored glasses, those that I acquired when we decided that we’d make this dream a reality and could picture ourselves in the warm blue-green sea. They let me see how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to choose this lifestyle and feel gratitude for each other and everyone else who has supported us along this journey. They help me recognize that the present is fleeting and that allows me to put any woes into the broader perspective. Then I recognize that life is good. Always.
The Final Stretch

Getting comfortable
At this point, mere days before we embrace the cruising lifestyle in earnest, I feel at ease. I realize that I’m feeling calm because we’re ready – not perfect, but ready to take on this next challenge of becoming cruisers.
We’ve worked hard to get to where we are now. We still have outstanding projects, but this will always be the case, and they will be pursued over time and as needed.
As Erin Skye’s deck slowly sways along with the movement of the sea, so now do our expectations. The transition from land lubber to cruiser is not yet complete, but we are well on our way. We can take pride in the fact that we have a clear view of the ocean’s promise, and have pursued our dreams.
Awesome read! You guys are living the dream.
It is a good life, to be sure!
When we were getting ready to leave on our Great Loop journey, we, too, ran into “well, just one more thing before we go..” Finally, a wise old Looper told us, “At some point, just throw off the lines and go! It’s never going to be all done.” Sounds to me like you are that point as well. Have faith in yourselves that you are all smart people, and you will figure it out. Fair winds and following seas in your near future.
Thanks, Louise. I agree – We definitely will never be “done” with the projects, so we may as well get going!
I love your blog, thank you for sharing. What a wonderful experience and enjoy! I’ll bring my scissors with me just in case you will be in Fort Lauderdale 6/11-6/21 😀
Thanks, Liz. We’ll be finalizing a lot here in CA this month, so no trip to FL yet. But, Ventura is on the itinerary – let me know if you’ll be there anytime soon!
You guys are so inspiring! I can’t wait to follow along on the rest of your adventures. Thanks so much for sharing your experiences and insights.
Thanks, Eleanor! It’s our pleasure :).
I love the quote by Arthur Ashe and your wisdom. You guys are encouraging !!! Keep up the good work & don’t forget to pack Christmas decorations, lol:-))
Great point, Paul – we can’t go leaving ALL of our traditions behind! Thanks for the comments.
Great blog.
Yes, you can never have everything done before leaving there will be surprises along the way.
All I will tell you now about our trip down the baja and into the sea of Cortez has been a real shake down, with a hugh learning curve. We will tell you about our hiccups when we cross paths.
Here is a quote I was told by a fellow sailor:
Sailing is the most expensive way to get around free.
Thanks, Kathy! I look forward to hearing about and learning from all the details when we cross paths!
How am I just learning bout all of this- this is amazing! We are pouring over your website and your story and we are so excited for the three of you. We will certainly continue to track you so please keep us all update. Have a wonderful time!