by Becca Guillote
SAYING YES A CRUISING LIFESTYLE PHILOSOPHY
W
e had just moved 3,000 miles across the country to Seattle, drawn by its enigmatic inland sea fueled by the Pacific Ocean and embraced by jagged snowy peaks, when our friendly neighbor in Ballard invited us to go racing on his new-to-him Moore 24. Excited to explore the waters of our new home we enthusiastically agreed, despite a total and complete lack of sailing experience. That was 12 years ago. Like so many opportunities that drift by on an incoming tide, we had no idea how much that encounter would change our lives. We agreed to go racing with our neighbor first because it sounded fun, but also because it agreed with our philosophy in life to say “yes” to new opportunities as often as possible.
48º NORTH
We went on to lose every single Sloop Tavern Yacht Club Monday night race that summer. But after each race we straggled into the Sloop with new bruises and huge smiles. There, we found a joyful and welcoming community of likeminded people and an introduction to what a life of sailing could look like. Soon, we were looking for a boat of our own. We saw an opportunity to buy an affordable home that came with some of the best views in Seattle. More than that, though, we were enticed by the unknowable but undoubtable opportunities that would float by an adventure-ready boat. With the courage to seek out the unknown and buoyed by a strong community of experienced sailors, we bought Halcyon,
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