Sailing School Student Spotlight: Liveaboard Lifestyle With Dave & Lynda

“We tend to do things that push us outside our comfort zone. So this seemed to be in the spirit of things."

Dave and Lynda are adventure seekers by nature. They love being outdoors and enjoying the elements, whether that’s mountain biking, whitewater kayaking, or backpacking. You know, everyday activities. They even owned a livestock farm with the intention of retiring and enjoying life on the farm for the rest of their lives. But then, the pandemic happened.

As with so many others around the world, their perspectives and desires changed. The Georgia locals were coming up on the end of their careers and Lynda, a high school science teacher, confided in Dave that it was time for a change. They missed traveling and the joy that it brought them. Although they were tethered to land with the farm, Dave and Lynda put their heads together to find a way to travel while being retired and enjoying life.

“We asked ourselves, ‘Is this what we want to do from here on out, living at the farm and [sort of] being stuck there? Or do we want to do something else and see the world?’” recalled Dave as he shared their story.

The couple began researching ways to take their home with them as they traveled the world, which, of course, opened up a whole new world of possibilities for living their best life.

“We started watching YouTube channels that are travel logs, and we came across one that was a couple who transitioned from RV life to boat life. And we looked at each other and said, ‘Huh, that seems interesting!’ So we dove in and began researching liveaboard lifestyle,” explained Dave.

As the wheels turned in their heads, Dave toured boats and found a Leopard 45 sailing catamaran that could comfortably accommodate two adults and three dogs (we’ll get to that in a second). They put a deposit on the boat and then took lessons to confirm that they were capable and interested in sailing. A little backward (technically speaking), but there’s no right or wrong way of making a lifestyle change; there’s only your way.