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 lack of money, relationships- or health issues. Or the fear of sailing around the rough South Africa. And sadly, some has to abandon their yacht, mostly due to leaks and sinking.
On top of that, I dare to say we all get tested many times of big and small things. A lot can happen on a risky adventure like sailing the oceans. Will we stand the storms and high waves? And the constantly changing planes and unpredictable life?
For example, we were tested when we were going to go through the Panama Canal. In the same morning, we were called to our agent who told us that today is the last day to go through because tomorrow the canal will be closed, and everything will be shut down due to covid. Do we want to go through, or not?
Commitment Is Crucial
In our opinion, the most important thing, the decisive thing, was our commitment. We were already married and committed to each other – to make a big life shift like this needed its own commitment.
Our commitment helped us already from the beginning. We knew that money was our weak point. When we should sell our apartment, 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.
We also come to face health problems. 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. On the other side of the world, and with the commitment to also sail back home safely, we just had to handle it. That started a process where we both emphasised our health and relationship on a deeper level.
So having a commitment is crucial if you ask us. It has to come from the heart.
A commitment means that you will be and do whatever it takes to make your dream come true.
Help and solutions to challenges will unfold when you are committed.
Our motto, wave by wave, reminds us to be present and in motion,
to take small steps – one at a time.
Do you have a dream that you want to come true?
What are your experiences of commitment?
Welcome to read more in Wave by Wave where I share our experiences
and give you questions to reflect on.