What happens to us along our life as we stop living our dreams and, instead, spend endless nostalgic moments delving in dreams about how great life could be if… When do we cross the line from being a kid with our only boundary being the sky, and being a so-called responsible grown-up? I don’t know. I only know that if giving up your dreams means growing up, I never want to grow up and hope my kids won’t either.

When it comes to the right moment of setting sails and living your dream of blue water cruising, there seems to be three categories of sailors out there:

Pre-career: Fewer than 10 percent of the circumnavigators  set sail when they are young (eg pre- or just post university) with no commitments and not a penny to spend. Their compromise is a cheaper, less safe boat and very basic living standard (eg no dinners out in restaurants at the places they visit or little gifts and gadgets as memories from various destinations). Their big advantage is their youth,adventurous spirit and their health.

Sabbatical, Job- or Lifestyle Change (us): Generally between 30 and 40 years old, possibly with kids, this crew has an established profession with several years of work experience and can generally afford a larger. better equipped and safer boat than the Precareerers. They have some money to spend in paradise and can have deadlines to return to work after a year or when the kitty is empty. The biggest disadvantage is the step back in the career, for those who think about returning. For the rest, they will try their luck in finding jobs along the way to keep going for longer.

Early Retirement: About one third wait till they are close or passed the 50 year mark and have enough financial backup to afford many comforts and conveniences. These are often partially used to reduce the physical demands of handling a boat, as fitness is not  as strong anymore as in their 20s and 30s. Health represents the largest downfall for this group of sailors. Those who wait for their 60s and more might be surprised by some unexpected disease and never get the chance to live their dreams.

Although by far not the simplest option, we have missed the first group (time flies!) and are not willing to take the risks of the third. So here we go, mum in her late 20s, dad in his early 30s, and the boys both under three, on our way to living our dream of sailing around the world.