Deciding To Cruise by Lin Pardey

“You’re so lucky. Do you think I could get off cruising like you did?”  I’m sure Teresa is asked this question. After more than four decades of voyaging then writing several books about our experiences I know it’s been put to us literally thousands of times. So as a guest blogger on this site, I decided to write out the answer we give to potential voyagers. Our experience has shown us that almost anyone can go cruising—that is, anyone who really wants to do it and does four things: 1. Decide that you are going, that nothing will stop you, and that, from this moment on, all your time and effort will be directed toward…

What it takes to be a solo sailor.

Last week I was in Florida visiting a friend on her boat. The waterway was full of boats and beautiful houses. A lot to see and notice. But I was focused on the company I was with and wasn’t paying attention until she said, “My friend Anne lives on the boat next door. She sails it all by herself.” My ears perked up. Another solo sailor? And to top that, another female solo sailor! I always pay attention to the sailors around me while I’m cruising. Most often they are couples. Occasionally there is a family or a solo male sailor. Now I can say I’ve met another solo female sailor. Ben and I met…

Matt Rutherford and his solo sail for CRAB!

“Reward lives in the house of risk,” he said from the makeshift stage that was erected near the city dock, the town center. It was the first time he stepped on land in almost a year. His hair was long, his feet bare, and his smile big. Matt Rutherford was there to talk about his journey around North and South America in a small sailboat, non-stop, and alone. I watched his expression and wondered if he was experiencing the culture shock that I sometimes experienced after having sailed solo for a while. His would be ten-fold. Three-hundred-and-some days is a long time to be at sea. I call it re-entry-itis. Its the unnatural colors, loud…

Red, Right, Returning

Last week Ben and I welcomed two friends aboard Elizabeth for an afternoon sail. It was the first sail of this season, and we were excited to dust off the cobwebs. We headed out into the bay, hoisted the sails, and set a course for the opposite shore. The chilly air was reminiscent of a summer day in Newfoundland, and the sea spray that struck our faces tasted of salt and smelled of new beginnings. We toured around the bay, tacking and gybing, sailing full and by, and then bearing away, we made a run back toward home. Upon entering the channel, Benji on the bow shouted back to our guest at the helm. “Have…

Published in Cruising World: The Gifts of Sailing Solo

Last month I wrote an article that was published in Cruising World. Even if the newsstand copies were sold out, you can still read my article. Just click here to read The Gifts of Sailing Solo.       It’s the moments when I worked hard to take care of Daphne, when all the elements of the ocean were testing me, and when all the strength of my body was gone that I found resources in myself that would’ve remained undiscovered and still buried today had I not sailed solo.            

Is Simplicity Political?

Living aboard a boat has never been solely about sailing for me. In my hopes it has always persisted as an avenue for diving fully into a new and uncertain way of life and by doing so, perhaps encounter my own ideology. I turned to the sea to look for an answer to some of the unease I felt when I first began exploring my country as an adult. “A person who is going to make a fruitful inquiry into the question of the best political arrangement must first set out clearly what the most choiceworthy life is. For if that is unclear, the best political arrangement must also be unclear.”-Aristotle My exploration of Simple…

Black Friday OR Buy Nothing Day?

Fifteen years ago I celebrated Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa’s house with Aunt BK, Mom, Dad, Alicia, Marissa, Nick, Tony, Angie, Uncle Denny, Karen, Mike, Aunt Fay, John Michael, Shane, Richard, Linda, Katie, David, Laure, Jeff, and often many others. The Schirripa family is a loud talking, game playing, song singing, laughing, and loving group. Family gathering were always full of good cheer and good times. I would sleep in the attic of Grandma and Grandpa’s house, and after a long lie in bed I would wander downstairs, sit down in the living room, and enjoy the baton twirlers, Radio City Rockettes, and marching bands of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. One by one, people…

Money! Money! Money! Mon-ay!

One of the top reasons that people get divorced is money. One of the top reasons people commit crimes is for money. And one of the top reasons people who read my blog or see my videos say disparaging or hypercritical remarks to or about me is…you got it… money! Here are some of my favorites: “How many Americans could actually afford a 27-foot sailboat much less consider such a lifestyle of simple living? It is simple all right, simply incredible and egotistical in its lack of work ethic.” -Dr. Ileana Johnson Paugh, Canada Free Press “Such a pretty boat. You must not live so simply to afford that boat. You live in such luxury.” -Nancy,…