About Us
It’s taken us 10 years to finally launch our 2-year sailing plan. Why so long? We had student debt to pay off, we needed to save to buy a boat, and we wanted to figure out how to sustain income once we left the dock.
To do this, we’ve invested in rental properties, Kirk works nearly full-time in web project management, and Lauren manages a real estate photography business.
If we decided we loved cruising, we didn’t want to have to stop because the money ran out — especially if we loved it. Why then, is it a 2-year plan? In short: kids. We don’t have any yet, but we don’t want to wait too much longer. So, we’re planning now to cruise for a few seasons as a couple, and after that…we’ll see what happens.
So finally, during the summer of 2017, we moved aboard our new boat in search of what lies beyond the horizon.
Our search for the right sailboat took years: We researched thousands of sailboats online, saw hundreds in person. We made some crazy decisions, like driving 10 hours through the desert in Mexico to see a catamaran, and moving from San Diego to the Midwest in the dead of winter to get the right boat in the right cruising grounds.
What started as a dream 10 years ago is finally coming true, and we are beyond stoked to share our sailing adventure with you.
Cheers!
Lauren & Kirk
Products We Love
Living aboard a 37′ sailboat is a practice in minimalism. The things we choose to bring aboard must be vital to our daily life and/or everyday happiness. They must be high quality and long-lasting. If something breaks, we’re living without it unless we’ve deemed it so important we also pack a spare. The products below and everything else in the “Stuff on the Boat” list have stood the test of time.
Partners
We have developed a partnership with a small number of companies in the marine industry who we believe produce exceptional products and also go above and beyond the call of duty to ensure that their customers are well taken care of. We have at times received free or discounted product from our partners in exchange for sharing our experiences with their product(s) on our social media accounts and website. We have only engaged in a partnership with companies we believe in, whose products we continue to use on a regular basis and would do so even without our partnership in place.
Camera Gear
- Canon 80D – This is currently our primary camera. We’d like to upgrade this.
- DJI Mavic Pro 2 – We had the first mavic pro and it was alright. We had a lot of image quality issues, so far the new one is amazing!
- RODE VideoMic GO – This is the shotgun mic we use on the 80d. It’s ok, but I think we’re looking for something better here too.
- GoPro Hero 6 Black – This was an incredible step up from our Hero 4
- FeiyuTech G6 – This was the first Patreon goal we set when we launched Patreon. Once we hit $250 a video. We’ve used this for 6 months and haven’t charged the battery yet. Unreal!
- Blue Yeti Microphone – This is the microphone we use when recording voiceovers.
Featured In Episodes
- Precision Sail Loft – We hinted at the new tri-radial 115% jib made out of Warp-Drive sailcloth we are getting from Precision Sail Loft in episode 24.
- BoatUS Membership – We discussed the unlimited towing package that came with our insurance from BoatUS in episode 22 when discussing how much it cost to buy our sailboat.
- Cruisers Handbook of Fishing – This book came highly recommended buy our friends from “Monday Never” when we were discussing fishing in episode 20.
- Mantus Anchor Bridle & Chain Hook – We upgraded our ground tackle in preparation for the river trip as discussed in episode 15.
- Mantus Anchor Swivel – We upgraded our ground tackle in preparation for the river trip as discussed in episode 15.
- Rocna 45# Anchor – We upgraded our ground tackle in preparation for the river trip as discussed in episode 15.
- Origo Two Burner Alcohol Stove –
- LED Cabin Lights from Kakanu –
- Suaoki 100w Solar Panel -The extra 100watts from this portable panel was a huge help after the company we hired to build our bimini didn’t deliver. Patrons receive a discount here.
- Suaoki Portable Power Station – The battery pack has a built in inverter which saved a client project we needed to access from a drive while at anchor. Patrons receive a discount here.
- Zyliss Manual Food Processor –
- Bodum Electric Tea Kettle –
Books
- Silent Voyage – This is the story of the first solo circumnavigation by a deaf person, which was done in a Tartan37. We talked about this book just prior to buying our boat in episode 6.
- An Embarrassment of Mangoes – This is the book that hooked Lauren on the idea of going cruising. We talked about this book just prior to buying our boat in episode 6.
Let’s Connect!
Give us a shout on your favorite social network.