Justin and I live for adventures. Neither of us grew up in Colorado but were both drawn to the varied landscapes and activities that were all within a short drive from our home in Durango, Colorado. Together, we began to plan for the future and dream of the bigger adventures. Justin had this idea of buying a sailboat after he retired and I asked “Why wait?” In the Summer of 2015, we got married and later took sailing lessons in Thailand in our plan to escape to the water.
In the summer of 2017, we put the house up for rent and sold most of our belongings and headed to the Texas coast in our RV. Lopa, our Husky, asked to stay in the Utah mountains while Pete, our hound, came along for the ride. Unfortunately, Pete’s adventuring days in Texas were short and he went over the rainbow bridge in August of 2018. Our adventuring buddies are still very missed.
Once our search for a sailboat began, it only took 3 months to find her! A Valiant 32 which we renamed Nymeria. We sold the RV and moved on board in November of 2017. We continued to work full-time and live aboard Nymeria in Kemah, Texas, which is just off the Galveston Bay. Though she was a solid and well maintained vessel, Nymeria was built in 1985 and was due for updates, upgrades, and typical boat maintenance. Except for a 7 month stint where we were saying our farewells to Park City, we spent our free time getting Nymeria ready to head out of Texas. We had planned to depart a few times but finally left Galveston and set out into the Gulf on January 4, 2023.
Since leaving Texas, we’ve put almost 6000 nautical miles under the keel by hugging the coast or traversing the ICW up and down the Atlantic Coast twice and to the Bahamas once. Our first trip included our tour of the Florida Gulf Coast, The Keys and heading up the Atlantic Coast as far as Annapolis, MD. We journeyed down the coast to West Palm/Lake Worth, FL to spend the winter of 2024 in the Abacos Islands of the Bahamas. Our second trip up the Atlantic Coast concluded with our northernmost stop in Delaware City, DE. We’re currently on our way back down the coast to spend the 2025 winter back in the Bahamas. We’re excited to see where we get to visit this year as we are still route planning. Even if this crazy adventure has to end tomorrow, we are eternally grateful to have this experience.
The cure for anything is saltwater – sweat, tears, or the sea.
Isak Dinesen