Ditching land life to buy a sailboat

Avid world travelers backpacking across multiple continents our thirst for travel cannot be fulfilled. I vividly remember sitting on a beach in Koh Phangan, Thailand staring at a sailboat anchored peacefully in the bay. It occurred to me that this might be the best way to keep traveling and have a home. Somewhere to carry all of our toys, might it be climbing gear, surfboards or so much more than what could fit in my backpack. I also quickly pushed aside the idea thinking it wasn’t practical because I knew nothing about sailboats and even less about how to sail one. It wasn’t until a few months later while visiting Cory’s family in the Netherlands and attending SAIL Amsterdam, a major maritime event gathering tall ships from around the world, that I reconsidered the idea. After talking with a sailor I realized that everything could be learned and that it wasn’t as intimidating as I originally thought.

Back in Newfoundland we settled into our regular life with a 9 to 5 job to save up money. The dream was still very much alive and forced me out of my comfort zone. I started hanging out at marinas and it didn’t take long before I got invited for a sail. There are a lot of solo sailors out there who are very eager to have someone join them and to share their knowledge. After a few afternoon sails I was hooked so the search for a sailboat began. To be honest I didn’t know much about all the different brands, what to look for or avoid and what the heck was a bluewater boat. Unfortunately after checking out a few boats or having an owner back out of a sale I was at a loss. There are far more fishing boats than sailboats on this island and they tend to be overpriced. Instead, my partner and I decided to quit the 9 to 5 life, pack our car and go back to mainland Canada to carry on the search.

It didn’t take too long to find a suitable boat in Lake Erie on the Great Lakes. It was cheap and big enough to give the cruising life a go. We didn’t want to spend a fortune just to find out a few months down the road that this life wasn’t for us. So in May 2018 we became the proud owners of a 1981 Hunter 33. I was so excited despite the big projects we had to tackle. First one being a complete rebuild of our rudder. I knew nothing about fiberglass and polyester resin, epoxy resin, silica and so many more words that sounded like gibberish to me. However one day at a time we managed to get things done. Eventually launch our sailboat and start learning how to sail alone. We had run our jib sheets (not bed sheets but lines) in the wrong place. A new friend gently pointed it out to us. The shame! Eventually after a few sails our confidence grew and we went out in more and more wind and bigger waves. It was exhilarating although stressful, especially after docking the boat with the transmission that failed. Good thing I wasn’t going too fast because I couldn’t put it in reverse to slow down. But we had to quickly learn to sail because my parents were coming to visit only 2 weeks after finally having our sailboat in the water. I wanted to at least look somewhat capable.

Our very first night at anchor made us realise that we were so not set-up for long-term cruising and living off-grid. We had unlimited power while docked but out on the lake our batteries were not even enough to keep up with the anchor light. Instead we hoisted a solar light and hoped our engine would start again the following day. We had no solar panels and lead acid batteries of unknown age and capacity. And in the middle of the night to make things worse the wind and waves picked up from the exposed side of the anchorage. Should have looked at the forecast. We still had so many things to learn. Soon after we splurged, we got solar, a new inverter, AGM batteries, a new anchor and a better outboard for the dinghy. We also sanded a LOT of teak in exchange for new dinghy davits. The ones we had snapped on a sporty sail with our dinghy filling with water, not a fun day, but a valuable lesson.

On our second sailing season on Lake Erie we were more prepared and even attempted our very first overnight sail on our way to Pottahawk, the biggest boating party in Canada. We had a great time and we felt so proud of our longest sail to date and finally getting a taste of what cruising would look like. Cooking at anchor, jumping off the boat to go for a swim. This was what we were working so hard for. Between boat projects, learning the ropes, cleaning boats for money or painting, sanding, grinding, plus working a full-time landscaping job, we were fully committed to the dream. All we could think of was to save as much money as possible to set sail around the world in September. There was still so much to fix but it’s a boat and it seems like there’s always something broken or that needs upgrading. We have also met so many people out there who wait for everything to be perfect and actually never set out on their adventure. Fear, doubt, and pride holding them back from their dreams.

Setting out to see the world and leaving our home country was not without some regrets. We went back home for a last visit. Dining with the whole family and soaking in the last moments together was bittersweet. We’re all very close together and we weren’t too sure when we’ll be flying back here. Despite a hard goodbye the appeal of new territories and a heck of an adventure was motivating us to untie the lines. 

Anne Alexandra Fortin

Cory and Alex share their adventure with weekly videos on their YouTube channel “Wildly Intrepid Sailing”. Their dream is to travel the world and to live without any regrets.