IT'S THE ULTIMATE BUCKET LIST ITEM: TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD ON A SAILBOAT!
TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD:
SAILING LA VIDA GYPSEA
THE STORY
IT'S THE ULTIMATE BUCKET LIST ITEM: TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD ON A SAILBOAT!
Our first steps towards traveling around the world on a sailboat were to submit our letters of resignation, downsize our belongings to the essentials, buy our tickets to Panama, and leave our old life behind.
We purchased 3 acres of waterfront jungle on Isla Solarte in Bocas del Toro, Panama, where we designed and built our off-grid dream home. We knew that we made the right decision as the colorful characters in our community, both local and expat, made us feel welcome. There was just one more part of our dream to fulfill, and that was to bring our 48 foot Leopard catamaran, SV Wanderlust, to our island to merge our love of sailing with our newfound jungle life. She was being chartered at the time in the British Virgin Islands by The Moorings Charter and was scheduled to be out of charter in a mere 2 years. It was perfect timing.
Unfortunately, that vision was abruptly and devastatingly tossed out to sea…quite literally.
HELLO HURRICANE IRMA AND MARIA
In the summer of 2017, Hurricanes Irma and Maria swept through the Atlantic. The Caribbean Islands leaving disaster everywhere. Originally, we were told by the Moorings that Wanderlust had been cruising out of their base in Puerto Rico and she was secure at the marina there.
However, after calling the marina to check on her status, we were told that Wanderlust had been sent back to Tortola for maintenance. She was right in the path of the storm!
Although she had been taken to a hurricane hole and prepared for the storm, no one could have anticipated the power of Hurricane Irma. For weeks we waited for word on the condition of Wanderlust as the mess of boats was sorted out. Finally, we received the email that we knew deep down was coming. Wanderlust was a complete loss; Mother Nature’s ruthless hands tore her apart, and our plans to travel around the world on her were shattered.
IT WAS HEARTBREAKING TO LOSE OUR SAILBOAT AND OUR PLANS FOR TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD
…but looking back it was probably a blessing in disguise!
We had purchased Wanderlust when we were living in the United States and making more money. There was a sizable mortgage to pay on the yacht, and we were beginning to stress over whether we could make enough income with Wanderlust in Panama to keep up with the payments.
The whole purpose of beginning this new life was not to be encumbered by debts and stresses that would keep us from experiencing life. Instead, we used the insurance claim to pay off the mortgage and we focused on enjoying our experiences in Panama.
FOUR AND A HALF YEARS LATER... TIME TO TRAVEL AROUND THE WORLD!
For four and a half years we lived our lives to the fullest while in Bocas Del Toro. However, the time has come to move on and experience new horizons. It’s time to revisit that dream of living on a yacht, bluewater cruising, and traveling around the world. Our focus has shifted from living abroad to living aboard, so we are determined to find our new home, SV Gypsea…………
HELP US FIND OUR BOAT!
All we need is a boat that will provide the best liveaboard sailing experience while being a trusted and safe bluewater boat. We need the boat to be a manageable size for the two of us to sail. Finally, we need to keep the budget low to avoid taking on debt. We quickly found that it is not so easy. There are many makes and models to research and every boat seems to have compromises that must be made. These three boats have earned a top spot on our shortlist of contenders.
FIRST CONTENDER - CATANA 431
Designed for comfortable cruising, built for performance sailing. The Catana 431, a legendary blue water sailing boat, was built from 1998 to 2004. Catanas are well built and include daggerboards for improved upwind performance. The 431 has twin aft helm stations and a wide flat deck that will be ideal for our dog, Rigby. This boat is proven, fast, and the largest of the three contenders at 43’2”. The Catana 431 is also the most affordable of the group because it is the oldest model in our research.
SECOND CONTENDER - SEAWIND 1160
The Seawind 1160 is the smallest and the lightest of our three contenders, but that does not mean she isn’t a bluewater sailboat. There are helms on both port and starboard, but they are much more protected on the Seawind compared to the others. The galley is down in the starboard hull, which allows it to be much larger with loads of storage. Older models of the 1160 can be found in our budget, but there are not a great number of these boats on the market.
THIRD CONTENDER - NAUTITECH OPEN 40
The Nautitech Open 40’s design is sleek, contemporary, and modern. Like the Catana, she has twin helms aft and is designed for more performance than your typical production Catamaran. Performance aside, the Nautitech is the newest and most luxurious of the three but is also the most expensive of the three.
SO, WHICH ONE IS BEST FOR TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD?
Leave your comments below! We would love to hear from anyone and everyone – what you would recommend?
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