Words by Sailing Sundays
Found in the 2024 Spring Issue
Introduction
Life is like a big canvas, isn’t it? Some people choose to break away from conventional life, opting instead for an extraordinary journey that transcends the ordinary. That’s where our story begins! I’m Ryan, a 37-year-old Australian, and my partner Brittni, a 34-year-old Canadian and our rescue pup, Jackson the 40 kg German Shepherd. Our decision to cast off the trappings of a comfortable life 5yrs ago, led us on a sailing journey around the world. What was initially meant to be a 12-month adventure through Europe, evolved into a crazy inspiring 5-year journey on YouTube (Sailing Sunday) saving the lives of animals all over the world.
Our Decision to Live Aboard and Be Full-Time Cruisers
Our story began in Australia with a radical decision one night while Brittni was back in Canad
a visiting family and friends. I was sitting up late, stressed, bored and feeling miserable with the thought process “we only live once, then that’s it!” and I’m choosing to work 16 hours a day, 7 days a week into an early grave. It’s strange to think I was a successful builder, and Brittni, working for the number one network radio station in Australia had a comfortable life with security, yet we chose to give it all up and sell everything; houses, cars, furniture and turn absolute minimalistic to travel the world! Boats are 1/2 the price in Europe, so I came up with the idea to buy a boat and sail it home. Within a few months, we were on our way to Europe buying a boat. Thus, our journey began.
The first few months were a mix of trepidation and exhilaration as we were not only learning how to sail, but learning this new cruising lifestyle on the water. The seamanship, expectations, formalities, the culture and language both offshore and inland throughout Europe. We were lucky to buy our boat in Malta where they have a huge English influence, which is also where we met our initial fears in the marina almost wiping out a few boats trying to leave on our maiden voyage! But with baby steps we evolved sailing from country to country exploring the amazing coasts of Italy, Albania, Montenegro, Croatia, and Greece that
first year. As we learned and grew to appreciate the ocean, our understanding of the diverse cultures we encountered also developed along the way….
