Interview With a Sailor: Vivian Vuong
By Erin Carey Vivian Vuong is a talented photographer and videographer who tacked her way into the sailing world, with hopes of combining her passions collectively, through storytelling her voyages. She is the owner of a Compass 47, Ultima, a South African built sloop that is the floating classroom in which she and her husband, Nathan, conduct long-distance, offshore, sail training expeditions. Through their business, Ocean Passages, the couple share the raw and powerful beauty of deep blue ocean sailing, with those with a thirst for exploration and adventure. Vivian has her FAA remote pilots licence, has worked on two documentary films, and owns a second business called VIZA Media. This lady of many talents started her life afloat aboard superyachts, polishing stainless steel and slaving over a hot galley stove, before eventually partnering with renowned author and sailor, John Kretschmer, to bring her long-held dream to reality. I sat down with this delightful woman, whose
smile can light up a room, to talk about her challenging past, her promising future, and the importance of striving to achieving your goals.
What are three words that describe you? Silly, small, and loving.
What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you? I went to 12 different schools in multiple states before I graduated high school. I was always the new girl! I was the fresh meat, constantly being tossed into new environments, often being bullied, and that inevitably toughened me up.
When did you discover a love for sailing and the water? I knew I enjoyed being on the water, but I didn’t realize I loved it until my first offshore SisterShip 8
