The Crew, Our Story

Meet the crew, Jason aka The Captain and Kelly, aka The Admiral :) 

Day one of our honeymoon - we did the DelMarVa Circumnavigation.

We met back in June 2008, through a mutual friend.  It's a fun and interesting story which  maybe one day we'll share but it's a sweet story and I can say that I truly believe we were made for each other.

From the time Jason was a kid, he knew he wanted to own and eventually live on a sailboat.  Even though I grew up around the water, I had never stepped foot on a sailboat until I met Jason.  Plenty of power boats but never a sailboat - I had no idea what I was doing. 

Jason purchased his first sailboat S/V Moondance, a 1990 Hunter 28, in April 2009.  We started dating in June 2009.  My first experience out on Moondance was an interesting one – shifting 23kt winds which ended up causing an unintentional gybe. Following a near knockdown and running with the rails under the water, it was a surprise that I stuck around and didn’t go running for the hills. Soon after purchasing Moondance, the hunt was on for a larger boat.  In September 2009 we traded in Moondance and got a new 2008 Catalina 350, which we christened S/V Knot Dreamin' (affectionately called Knotty). We had her for about eight months before Jason convinced me to take the plunge and try living aboard for an extended period.   We were to do a  30 day trial without going back to our apartment. To sweeten the deal, Jason added a one-week, live-aboard sailing school in the Virgin Islands. The 30 days flew by and I didn’t miss the apartment at all - not to mention we had a blast in the VI!

J and I in the BVI completing our ASA certifications.

So after we returned, all of our stuff was either sold or given to friends and we moved aboard full time! It didn’t take long for us both to realize this was the life we wanted (more so for me, because Jason already knew). After about a year on board and coming to the realization that cruising life was what we wanted, the search began for another, more capable boat.  While Knotty was a great boat, she couldn’t do what we aspired to do – sail around the world. We needed to find a blue water boat, that could handle heavy seas and carry enough fuel, food, and water to complete an ocean crossing and be self sufficient for months at a time.  It took us about a year, but we found S/V Last Tango (affectionately called Tango) in September 2011.  In October 2011, she became the latest boat in our growing fleet!

An old picture of Tango - she no longer has an in-mast furler. 

From October 2011 until May 2012 Tango was on the hard undergoing a good portion of her refit.  You can read about the improvements in our posts.  In May 2012 we sailed her home and have been living aboard her ever since. 

Our plan (otherwise known as a point from which to deviate) is to continue to work just until the boat is paid off and her refit is complete.  Then we throw off the lines and go!  Jason has always known he wanted to sail and I have always known that I wanted more than just the 9-5 job and the once a year, two week vacation.  We are fortunate that we have this opportunity, an opportunity to do what we really love - sail, travel, meet new people and experience other cultures.  Though this lifestyle will guarantee we will never be wealthy, we will enjoy a wealth of experience and friendships and we'll do it together.    

One of my favorite pictures of us, taken aboard our best friends boat, S/V Doggie Paddle

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” –Mark Twain