When we were young and hip.
We are Michael Boyte and Melissa White, a computer programmer and psychotherapist, in that order. For the last 34 years we’ve raised kids, bought and remodeled houses, had dogs and cats (birds, rodents, etc.) and we’re almost, but not quite, done with all that. We are middle-aged, middle-income and in the middle of a huge life transition. Frankly, our kids are more well-traveled than we are and we believe it is imperative to correct this mistake before we’re too old to care.
We fell in love with sailing 13 years ago when we bought an old Catalina 27. The Saucy Sue was a great boat for learning. We sailed her happily for 5 years, then sold her and bought Moonrise, a Cal 34. After 5 years with that lovely boat we finally found the boat to carry our plan to fruition. We fell for and purchased a 1975 Olympic Adventure 47 foot ketch.
It’s safe to say we’re into ‘Good Old Boats’, but mostly this is because we can afford them. Plus, Michael is learning to like working on them. Moonrise was a great boat and we sailed her several times up to the Gulf Islands of British Columbia. In 2010 we sailed her to Barkley Sound on Vancouver Island and this was our first almost-blue-water sailing adventure. We loved it. Our cunning plan began to be hatched on that trip as we fantasized about heading across the ocean to Hawaii. (I believe that fantasy may have begun as we were sailing through fog and trying to stay warm in Moonrise’s open cockpit.)
This Little Cunning Plan has been a long-term plan. We are setting a goal for being ready to leave in 2017, but we started preparing 5 years earlier. This blog documents this transition to the next phase of our lives as we cast off the ties that bind us to the land. We know we are not the only people out there who want to have adventures and aren’t sure how to make that happen. Follow along and we’ll do our best to inspire you.
UPDATE: September 2016. Mike has set January 2017 as the month he will give notice that he is retiring. He should be retired by the end of March 2017. Our son, Andrew, and some friends will be staying in the house, covering the expenses of keeping it for awhile. We are that much closer to leaving the dock.
Us. Having fun. Not working on our boat.
Hey there,
Just wanted say it was great meeting you both while you were anchored out in Capitola Ca. Truly a pleasure that you invited us aboard to poke around and chat for a bit. What a wonderful craft you have, and great application to the many projects you’ve embarked upon. I could have heaved to in the cabin for at least few hours just talking about chain plates alone! So many questions, so little time. I hope our paths will cross again at some point.
Anyway, we wish you all the best, fair winds, and plenty of wild places along the way.
Ward & Susan Coffey
Hi there! We were so happy to meet you both! What a pleasant surprise to meet up with folks who have read the blog. I only wish we’d had time to prepare the boat a little more! I loved hearing about your kids and just marveling at the kind of lives you have lead. May you find the boat that is just right for you and, of course, anytime we can be of help in the picking of brains on boat topics, you know where to find us.