As we wrap up the refit story, I’m taking a moment to reflect. In this solo episode, I share 3 insights from the incredible experience of getting Abide back on the water.  I break down the 3 big takeaways that have stuck with me and that I urge you to think about. This project reminded me of the amazing things we would have missed if we hadn’t taken the leap, and I hope to inspire you to take your own leap into that thing you’ve been hesitating over for way too long. Plus, we have some...

Abide finally made her way back to Charleston. This episode gets a little emotional… but it’s tears of joy so it’s okay! This week, Roland and I share the last leg of Abide's first real adventure as she arrives home in Charleston, marking a heart-warming return. Recording this episode was an absolute joy. From navigating treacherous waters to docking in Charleston, the final chapter of Abide’s journey home had its fair share of challenges. We talk Charleston history, Roland’s run-in with some...

Have you ever wondered what life is like for a crew on a yacht? Our crew spend a lot of time on Abide, not only working together, but living together, too. This week, we’re taking a quick break from the refit story to give you an inside look at what it’s really like to live and work aboard Abide. I’m joined by Jacob, our engineer, and Elizabeth, our deckhand who connected with me as they both sat down aboard our boat in Newport, Rhode Island. We’ll dive into how they got into the world of...

As we entered Newport on a freezing Christmas Eve, we realized days later that we hadn’t officially cleared into the port... And that was just the beginning of the next set of challenges! This week, Roland and I dive into the next leg of Abide’s journey, as we sailed from Belfast, Maine to Newport, Rhode Island and onto Norfolk.  From a major malfunction that had us moored to the dock for weeks, to the sea trials that revealed more problems, this leg of the trip was filled with close...

What happens when your sailboat is forced to leave the dock before it’s ready, and the deck is turned into an ice rink? This week, I’m joined again by our captain, Roland - in person this time! We’re sitting aboard Abide as we reflect on the departure from the shipyard in Belfast, Maine.  Abide had become part of the local scenery, with both friends and strangers showing up to give her a send off. But the decision for Abide to leave the dockyard wasn’t made by us. We revisit the chaotic...

When we bought Abide, it was clear that she was built for something more. And part of what helped her reach her potential was the newly designed interior. In this episode, I sit down with Kate Seremeth, owner of TACK studios and the interior designer behind Abide’s stunning look. Kate shares her story from starting out in industrial design to becoming a specialist in yacht interiors. Growing up in Maine, surrounded by water, it’s no surprise that Kate found herself drawn to working on boats,...

This is where things got really hard. After being kicked out of the yard in early June 2023, our sailboat, Abide, went back in the water… but it wasn’t yet habitable. It didn’t seem like we were far off, though, with visions of being out on the water within the next couple of months. How wrong we were… In this episode, our captain Roland and I continue the story of Abide's refit during the second half of 2023. With constant delays, unpleasant surprises and our stress levels rising, we were...

Are you feeling hungry? You will be after listening to this episode! Vanessa, our chef on board our sailboat, Abide (and Roland’s wife), joins me on this episode to give us a behind the scenes look into life as a private chef on the sea. We discover Vanessa’s story of how she got involved in chartering, despite having no initial sailing experience. Vanessa is now part of our crew where she uses her culinary mastery to feed us breakfast, lunch and dinner in a space smaller than most home...

A huge project like restoring a 136-foot sailboat, doesn’t happen in a bubble. While our captain, Roland, and the crew were hard at work with Front Street Shipyard in Belfast all sorts of unexpected challenges were cropping up that made us put the whole endeavour into perspective. In this episode, we dive back into the refit of Abide during the winter of 2022.  As the refit continues, Roland and I share a few stories behind the scenes: from the rigorous crew training that Roland has to...

It was a cold December night back in 2022.  Abide was tucked up in the warmth of her shed at Front Street Shipyard.  Roland was slowly killing his Christmas tree…  In this episode we jump back into the refit story, picking up where we left off in the winter of ‘22. Our 136-foot sailboat, Abide, was undergoing an intensive refit. Our captain, Roland, joins me again to share stories from that winter in Maine and give us a closer look into the extensive refit challenge. Highlights from this...

JB Turner had a vision. A vision for a shipyard unlike any other in Belfast, Maine. A shipyard that could take on bigger projects, and energise the community. And in 2011, JB and his partners got started with building Front Street Shipyard. Abide is currently sitting inside Front Street waiting to be painted. But in this episode, we’re taking you back to how it all started. JB shares with us his story, from developing a love of sailing as a child (back when a 32-foot sailboat was considered...

How much do you need to pay someone to step into an empty black water tank…? We pick up where we left off in episode 5, with Roland and the crew setting things in motion at Front Street Shipyard, Maine. Our sailboat, Abide was being hauled out of the water and unloaded in the shed. In this episode, we’re diving into the process and the challenges behind restoring Abide to her original beauty - and then some. Highlights from this episode: What goes into restoring a 136-foot sailboat.Making a...

Buying a boat is easier said than done. And finding the right one isn’t that simple either. Thankfully, we had Michael Bach on our side when we bought our sailboat, Abide. Michael joins me in this episode to share his story of becoming a broker which started out working in shipyards and racing. We then uncover the process we went through together of finding the right boat and arranging the purchase and works. This episode is packed with surprising stories, professional expertise, and...

Now the real work begins…  We’re picking up where we left off in episode 3 with our captain Roland. In this part of the story, the boat (Abide) is still in the water at the shipyard in Belfast, Maine, but we’re gearing up to haul her out and get started on the refit. This was the biggest project that Roland had undertaken. We speak about how we chose the shipyard, the work that went into getting Abide into the shed and the major undertaking of preparing her for the refit. It sounds...

It turns out, there’s more to a sailboat than a sail and a mast…  After acquiring our 136-foot sailboat, Abide, we discovered something we weren’t expecting to find that sent us down a rabbit hole (and I’m not talking about the 23 jars of mint jelly…). We found a huge binder of records relating to the original design and purchase of the boat. We’re talking notes from meetings, emails, and even faxes! In this episode, my husband Bill and I share what we discovered from these historic records -...

Last week we shared with you the first part of the story of how Roland came to be the captain of our 136-foot sailboat, Abide. This week, you’ll discover the rest of the story. We were about to start the refit and Roland was boarding Abide for the first time. He was greeted with a frosty reception from the old crew… but this only strengthened the resolve to make this work. Abide hadn’t been maintained too well, and she needed some attention before she would be ready for chartering. In this...

We love a challenge. And this story is all about jumping in head first. In episode one I uncovered the story of how our adventure began, from the first time Bill and I went sailing, to coming to own a 136-foot sailboat. If you haven’t listened to episode one already, start there! In this episode, I’m joined by our intrepid captain Roland, who without him, our adventure might not have been possible. We pick up where we left off with Abide arriving at Belfast's Front Street Shipyard, before...

We cast off from the pier, motored away, and did not sail… but we bought the boat anyway. This is the story of how my husband (Bill) and I (Cheryl) - two non-sailors - came to own a 136-foot sailboat, with the crazy idea that we might sail around the world. If you're ready to set sail into the unknown and become inspired to satisfy your wanderlust each week, this is the podcast for you.  In this inaugural episode, you’ll discover how this all started, from the first time Bill and I went...

Do you find yourself looking for something more in life? A new adventure? So did we. In 2021, my husband and I came across a beautiful sailboat that needed a little love and attention. We had no idea what we were in for, but we bought the boat anyway. 21 months after the refit began, our boat, Abide, sailed home to Charleston and now the real adventure has truly begun. In our new, weekly podcast, Adventure On Deck, we share the ups and downs of restoring Abide and beginning our sailing...