Adjusting the Sails
Until the money runs out or it isn’t fun anymore.
Our canned response to those who asked how long we’d be gone on our sailing adventure.
Surprisingly (to us anyways), the “it isn’t fun anymore” came first. And, it’s come much sooner than anticipated. We thought we’d be sailing for at least a few years, cross the Atlantic; cruise the Med. Although we’ve had an amazing journey on Free Range, we’ve learned that the cruising lifestyle is just not for us. This feeling has crept up on us over the course of the last month and has been slowly growing with each passing day.
The beginning was so much work and frustration and learning – and we loved that part!
The middle – when we were sailing and fixing things and still learning – was equally fun.
Now we have settled into a different rhythm, one that is less appealing to us. It’s kind of like being on vacation. Except all the time. We sail from one amazing beach to another, explore island after island, drink beers, talk with the locals; chat with other cruisers. You’d think this would be a most satisfying lifestyle, right? And I think for a lot of people it is but for us, we feel like something is missing. Like we should be doing more; like we should be more productive; live more meaningfully.
I hate to say it, but we are pretty bored.
We are ready to start up our lives again in Colorado – ready for new challenges and ready for the next chapter in our lives.
I read a sailing quote once:
“When you can’t change the direction of the wind, adjust your sails”
So, we adjust our sails and move onward to our next great adventure.
We would like to thank all of our family and friends who have supported us in so many different ways as we prepared for our sailing adventure and as we lived it. We did it!
I think we’ll keep eeeeeep going though, so keep checking in on us!
Love,
Sara & Stéphane
Love you guys! Melisa and I can’t wait to see you again.
t&m
How was Cayman??? We’ll catch up soon and hopefully face to face this time!!! See you guys soon!
What a wonderful adventure you guys have had!! A goal that you reached with both lofty dreams and hard work… you know, reading thru your blog just now, it kind of sounds like you miss the “work hard” part of “work hard and play hard” and the whole working hard part really does make the playing hard part even better, doesn’t it?! 🙂 Can’t wait to see you again!!
Chris,
One thing we have learned through all of this is that working hard really does make the playing part that much more enjoyable. Once you take out the working hard part, the playing sort of loses its luster…Anyways, we’re ready to work hard again back in CO – see you soon!!!!
Sara
Hi Sara and Stephane, I just left you a reply on your, “About Us” page; it says it all plus you know how unsavvy I am with these damn computers:-) Looking forward to seeing you on soil/rock!
We,are going to miss you two! I know whatever you end up doing you will make it an adventure……..
Judy,
We are going to miss you, Bob and Leo too. When do you think you’ll be in St. Thomas? It would be great to catch up again!!!
You and Stephane have had a wonderful experience/adventure, one that I don’t think you will ever regret, but can’t say that I’m sorry that you will be landlubbers again. I know things will work out just fine for the next phase of your lives, as they did when you decided to “sail away”. Much love, XXOO
Thanks Grams!
We’re excited for what will come next – ready to be on land again but so glad we made our sailing adventure happen.
Love you!!
Sara
Very wise choice. That thar ocean is a big place. Not much gong on for miles and miles. (Or knots and knots).
I bet your respect for the early voyagers across the vast unknown has grown a bit.
But your adventure logs have been very informative and entertaining.
Call me when you get back to Paradise.
tom
Tom,
Definitely MUCH respect for those early voyagers and ALL who sail.
Look forward to catching up with you when we get back!
Nice!
“You never get any fun out of the things you haven’t done” Ogden Nash
You have Done and had Fun lots in this chapter.
Many MANY more ahead for you both.
Thanks for all the counsel
Enjoy Each and Every Day
Dale & Merna
Dale & Merna,
We follow your blog daily and look forward to reading your progress – saw that you made it to Charleston yesterday! Congrats! Love the quote- we have had fun and we DID it, now we’re done 🙂 Looking forward to what’s next and looking forward to following your adventures!!!
Safe travels back to Colorado Sara and Stephane! I have greatly enjoyed the blog. If you are ever in the Fort Collins or Idaho Springs area please let me know so that we can get together.
Miss working with you Sara!
Hi John!
So glad you’ve been following on the blog. Hope all is going well with you and that you are enjoying more and more days relaxing up in the mountains.
Sara
I’m coming to the last chapters of a 30 year cruising-focused life, and I have passed through a number of the kinds of crisis of values you are now facing. It seems unlikely to me that you have come as far in cruising as you have without being somewhat transformed by the lifestyle. It is easy at times to dismiss it as pointless self indulgence, but I hope you won’t entirely lose sight of the impulses that drew you to it in the first place. Even if a particular cruiser (or couple or family) never finds an impressively meaningful role in the cruising community–never becomes the Pardees or Beth Leonard or the amazing couple who charted the Bahamas for the Explorer Charts–and you two are young and talented enough to make a big contribution–even if all you do is “sail around” as I have, you are still making a contribution that is very significant. Remember that for every boat that makes it as far as you have, there are 10 or 20 who are planning or just dreaming about it. You are their inspiration just as people like me were yours. And for every one who realizes this dream there are hundreds of people who have dreams and destinies of different kinds. You also are serving as a role model for people around you (children included) who might or might not ever find the courage to take some steps to make those dreams more real.
You are discouraged now, and that happens. But I hope you will remember that full time cruising and selling the boat and moving thousands of miles from the ocean are not your only two choices. The sea called you and she may not let you go so easily.
Cant wait to have you both back safe travels until you get home. Wait until the spring winds are gone and come home when summer just starts
Hope you get a chance to stop by me along the way home
Hope you get a chance to stop by me along the way home