I am back in Europe after just over five years of sailing the oceans. Yesterday my book, Wave by Wave, was published – which shares the true story of this major life shift from city living to living and sailing on the oceans. My husband and I had a very good Italian meal at a local restaurant to celebrate. We talked about what it took to complete a journey like this.
Picture of my husband and I after thirty days in the Pacific, arriving at Hiva Oa in French Polynesia.
So Much Can Stop Us
Of the few who set sail each year with a round-the-world voyage in mind, even fewer manage to sail all the way home.
The three big problems are money, relationships or health. Or the fear of sailing around the rough South Africa. Sadly, some have to abandon their yacht, mostly due to leaks and sinking. I have met several and heard of even more.
A lot can happen on a risky adventure like sailing the oceans. One day you will encounter a storm and end up in high waves. Things break, even when you’re careful. And so much is unpredictable. My husband could barely walk when we arrived in New Zealand. The X-rays showed severe osteoarthritis in both hips. We wouldn’t have set off if we had known that beforehand.
Commitment
In our opinion, the most important thing, the decisive thing, was commitment. We were already married and committed to each other – to make a big life shift like this needed its own commitment.
Even before we left, we knew that money was our weak point. It didn’t help that the prices of the condominium fell sharply, and we had to sell both the apartment, the furniture and the previous yacht for much less than we wanted. We realised that it was too late to change our minds. What we had committed to was too much of a soul message to just dump. So the commitment has to be important and come from the heart.
Then the commitment will help you find solutions to the challenges that will arise. On the seas, everything is constantly moving. We quickly learned to love change. Our motto, wave by wave, supports this and reminds us to be in motion, to take small steps – one at a time. A commitment means that you will do whatever it takes to make your dream come true. We must be able to trust each other, and we must be as present as possible.
Do you have a dream that you want to come true?
Welcome to read more in Wave by Wave where I share our experiences and give you questions to reflect on.