Winds of Change

A lot has happened since our last post, proving once again, the only thing constant is change. When we embarked on our sailing lifestyle journey, we always knew the long term goal was a motor yacht. Choosing a lifestyle on water, regardless of the boat, has its pluses and minuses—as does living on land. You are always trading one thing for another and making choices based on a myriad of wants versus needs. At the time we bought Belvedere, we wanted to live (and work) full time on the water and not wait until we were in our dotage to do so. Sailing offers a more physical activity, dependent upon the weather, your boat and your version of a tolerable sea state—to which you will be tested regardless of your best planning. Our original intent was circumnavigation, but working (me) and living aboard it quickly became less about goals and more about lifestyle. Some people want to sail to bucket list destinations and check them off the list, but we learned we just want to be on the water and go where life leads us. That is why we often find ourselves in places longer than others, as we wave good bye, and they head across the Atlantic or to where we've already been. Mind you, we've still managed to clock over 10,000 nautical miles just by being in The Med—and we've still much to see.

Since my last post, we've over hauled the boat and fixed her wounds (to an even better standard), lost my mom to effing cancer (the hardest thing in my life) as well as one of my best friends, John Watts, who came to the boat in Turkey for what turned out to be his last sailing adventure. John crewed the yearly Chicago to Mackinaw race on Lake Michigan for years. His time there was most cherished and included a first place finish!

So what has changed, you ask? Well, Jeff's dream of a big ol trawler yacht has always loomed large. The very night I met him in Fort Lauderdale he was there from England to look at a trawler yacht. I was in town at my parent's condo with friends and met the man with the big dream at a bar (gasp!) that would happily become my own. I'm from northern Michigan, grew up on Michigan's lakes and rivers, and they are key to who I am. I never feel more at home than on water, and if I didn't, Jeff would undoubtedly be doing his journey with someone else. But here we are…

Currently, we are moored in Sant Carles de la Rapita, Spain, the marina we left from almost five years ago to begin our journey. We are both excited and sad to be selling Belvedere. However, we are also proud of the care and upgrades we've done to her and know that whomever buys her is getting a world class blue water cruiser that will offer a very comfortable holiday home or live aboard to rival any yacht in her class. We hope they'll love her as much as we do and that the memories created aboard will be akin to the ones we cherish. Regardless of the boat, we hope see you out there somewhere and maybe even grab a beer!

PS: I've also gone back to my PNW roots and created a really nifty art project and source of revenue for my friends and myself. I'm licensing the creative archives of the most amazing artists I was lucky to be in the inner circle of in my past life. These people (including my talented ex!) range from all over the world and are cultural geniuses with artwork just screaming to be put on Tshirts and what not. Each one is a cultural icon that never made a ton of money, unlike the bands and art scenes they worked for, and in some cases still do. They have decades of artwork just sitting in files for the rest of the world to 'discover' for themselves. Check it out if you wish to: www.graphicdisturbance.com

Above: Jeff, Eddie and Mario (thanks to Wolf Moon via Captain Irish Alan Hanley) at l'Avi Augusti in the bay, where they raise and harvest mussels and oysters, serving them fresh from the Med. One of the many perks of salt water living.