My Story

Little did I know…

Growing up in Mobile, Alabama deep sea fishing, waterskiing, and enjoying random family outings on our powerboat in Mobile Bay little did I know that this would be my future life. Even after leaving for the Army to be a deckhand on ocean going vessels in the Army’s Navy (yes, the Army has boats) I still couldn’t not have seen this coming.

Somewhere in 1992 I went out sailing for the very first time. A guy that my mom had worked for invited me and my Army buddy/ fellow deck hand to crew with him. We took him up on it and I can remember loving it. But that’s not even where this dream began.

In 2003 the notion was put in my head about sailing around the world from a guy I was dating. The guy & I didn’t make it but the idea held fast. In 2005 my then 9 1/2 year son and I took off for a month-long trip in Italy. Part of that was a 10-day sail aboard a 42’ Sparkman Stephens boat named Clizia. Let’s just say I decided to double our time living the cruising life after falling deeply in love with the experience.

For the next 14 years, I slowly made my way into different sailing scenarios. Having moved to Portland, Or. in 2005 opportunities began arising. One of the first sails I did was to bring a boat home from Port Angeles. This required us to transit the Straits of Juan de Fuca, hang a left at the Pacific Ocean, cross the Columbia River bar, and make our way up the river to Portland. None of these adventures are for the faint of heart!

It’s wasn’t too much after that delivery before I discovered the Oregon Women’s Sailing Association (OWSA). Here I would build new skills while getting older ones back in action. With a supportive group of women behind me I developed the confidence to begin skippering smaller vessels, eventually going out by myself.

Fast forward to December 2016… The dream of sailing the high seas had stayed with me. 14 years after I had the thought to buy a boat and go sailing I was at the precipice of ‘poop or get off the pot’. I wasn’t getting any younger! I think it took me a whole 6 months to find my beautiful 1980 Morgan 38. She had been lovingly owned and sailed by the same owners since they purchased her in 1989. This couple sailed all over the Pacific Ocean, as far as Australia and New Zealand, places I dreamed of sailing too.

After 3 1/2 years of boat ownership, and with strong encouragement from a friend already living this life, I set my departure date for July 24, 2020. This happened to be my 50th birthday. What a gift I wanted to give myself! Despite a global pandemic all channels remained open for the plan to be seen actualized.

With a crew of friends, two other sailors and two non-sailors along for the ride, we departed Portland and all I had built there over 15 years. Leaving my son and the family I had created in my wake was the most difficult thing I’ve done in a very long time.

A dear friend often reminds me of Anaïs Nin quote: "There came a time when the risk to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." This was my time to blossom.

It’s been 7 months. It’s been worth every ounce of struggle and challenge.