A couple has invested £62,000 to embark on a full-time life at sea, despite having no prior sailing experience.
Dianne Swain, 27, and James Toutounji, 35, first crossed paths while working for a cruise line company. Their relationship blossomed after a night out at a bar, and within a year, they were living together.
It didn’t take long for them to realize that traditional home life wasn’t for them, prompting them to consider living on a boat instead.
“Living in tropical North Queensland with the Great Barrier Reef at our doorstep, we bonded over our love for the ocean,” said Dianne, a marketing assistant, and James, a seafarer, both hailing from the Sydney area of Australia, in an interview with Luxury Travel Daily.
“However, working full time meant only being able to get out to the reef on weekends if the weather was good.”
The couple had been feeling worn out due to the lingering effects of COVID-19, work burnout, and the loss of a loved one, which led them to crave a significant change in their lives.
“And it made us yearn for a big change, an adventure to re-ignite our mojo,” they explained.
Having met in 2021, the pair felt that the time was right to “jump into something headfirst” before settling down and contemplating starting a family.
Dianne admitted that the idea of living on a sailboat was inspired by watching other young cruisers online.
“We did consider other possibilities for the ‘big change’ but kept coming back to the idea of living on a boat,” she said.
While James had a fair amount of boating experience, he had never sailed before. The couple briefly considered purchasing a motorboat, but with rising fuel costs, sailing emerged as the more economical option.
“Also it seemed a great opportunity to learn a new skill together,” Dianne added.
In 2023, they found a second-hand sailboat for £46,560 (AU$90,000) and spent an additional £15,520 (AU$30,000) on renovations, bringing their total investment to £62,080 (AU$120,000).
They recalled, “We removed four skip bins’ worth of the old owner’s belongings—he had lived on the boat for 17 years and left with only a backpack.”
Although there is still plenty of work to be done and numerous gadgets and upgrades they wish to add to the boat, the couple is mindful of their budget.
“We need a new sail bag, and we’d love to have auto-pilot and wind instruments, bigger, newer solar panels, a fresh turquoise paint job, and even a stovetop cappuccino maker!” they said. “But everything is quite expensive, so we have to be selective about our upgrades.”
In May of this year, the couple set sail from North Queensland.
Reflecting on their journey, Dianne said, “We really did dive in headfirst with no major plan or preparation. Looking back, I wish we had taken some lessons beforehand, but we just didn’t have the time while working so much.”
They joined local clubs to learn from the community around them, made friends in Cairns, and practiced by taking small trips out to the reef.
“Eventually, we took the plunge during a good weather window and left the mainland for good!” Dianne exclaimed. “I wouldn’t say we were fully prepared for what was ahead, but we had a solid foundation and a strong desire to keep learning.”
The most significant challenge they’ve faced so far has been learning how to sail.
“Sailing and all the terminology are so foreign to us!” Dianne admitted. “We’re slowly learning the names of everything—like how the ropes that raise the sails are actually called ‘sheets.’ It was confusing when our rigger told us we needed to replace all the sheets!”
Another challenge was not having a handover from the boat’s previous owner, which would have saved them a lot of trial and error.
Despite these hurdles, the couple is enjoying their new life at sea, which they say has brought them closer together.
“It’s an exciting time in our lives, being a newly engaged couple on the adventure of a lifetime,” Dianne said.
They are documenting their journey as they go along, learning more about themselves and each other.
“It’s also important for us to find time to do our own thing each day, or we can get a bit agitated,” Dianne added. “But we’re learning how to work as a team and develop routines for sailing together.”
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