Covert Castaway Sailing with SV AWEN

We are buying a boat that costs as much as a condo and the warranty part of the contract is literally one single page. In today’s podcast I’ll talk about what I learned about warranties, local laws and legal accountability, and what kinds of things to expect to fix that are covered under the warranty the first year. Welcome to Covert Castaway, my undercover diary of making the transition to being...

When you buy a new boat, it turns out that the broker you use you will be stuck with for a long time. In today’s podcast, I’ll talk about what we looked for in a broker, how we chose ours, and what we learned after the fact. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as...

Commissioning and deciding about options when buying a new sailboat is not a straightforward process and neither is getting answers to what we set out thinking were pretty easy questions. In today’s podcast I’ll outline our experience with outfitting and commissioning and what we are learning through the process. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a l...

In today's episode I’ll share what I learned from Tracy Edwards MBE, famed British sailor and social activist, after a unique opportunity to spend time with her and also learn about her new project, The Maiden Factor.  Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as I mak...

In today's episode I’ll share my first passage experience as offshore crew with 59 North on their Swan 59 Icebear, and what I learned on my first blue water passage. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as I make this lifestyle change.  

In this podcast, I’ll share how a new boat is conceived and born and what I learned that surprised me the most about the manufacturing, delivery and commissioning process. Just like labor and delivery of a new baby, it’s not something you are ever fully prepared for. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share m...

In today’s podcast I'll talk about the changing power dynamics and boat battles that are happening in our relationship as we make the transition from land to boat living. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as I make this lifestyle change.  

Now that we have all of our budget, costs and basic assumptions agreed on, how do we put a financial strategy in place that will enable us to cast off without a ton of economic insecurity? And a bonus, find out one more reason post-its are awesome! This is part two of my podcast series about creating a financial strategy for cruising. If you haven’t read part one yet, this won’t make any sense so...

How are we ever going to be able to afford to quit our jobs to live on a boat? In the first in a two part series I’ll share the six steps we took to create a financial strategy to make our dream real!  Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as I make this lifestyle...

The more I learn about sailing the more I learn all the ways the ocean is out to get me. In this episode, I’ll share my struggle with fear, and ways I'm trying to harness it to my advantage.  Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as I make this lifestyle change.  

Just before our move out date, my husband got an idea that would upend everything. I’ll share why I missed moving day, and how I spent Mother’s Day stranded on an island. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid journal about what I'm learning as I make this lifestyle change.  

Putting my house on the market was one thing, actually selling it happened while I was driving in my car alone to a Justin Timberlake concert. In this episode, I share what happened to get the house sold and the big mistake I made with my kids during that time. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my cand...

It gets real. The decision to sell the house was a highly emotional decision and an has an impact on family who start to understand that the dream is a plan. In this episode, I’ll share the journey of deciding to sell the house and what I learned in the process. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my can...

Before a budget, before having a solid game plan, what did we do? We did exactly the opposite of what we should have done when deciding to commit to transitioning to the cruising lifestyle. In this episode, I’ll share my story about how got our sailing plan kick started and ignored every piece of advice anyone will give you about where to start - never fall in love with the boat. Welcome to Covert...

How did plans change from being a working mom to wanna be cruiser, with no previous sailing experience? Yes, it had to do with a man, but not in ways you might think. I’ll share my story about how liveaboard sailing went from an idea, to a dream, to a plan. Welcome to Covert Castaway, an undercover diary of making the transition to being a liveaboard sailing cruiser. Join me as I share my candid j...

In this episode I put some context around this channel so you know what you can expect before we dive in. Please start here. Are you dreaming of quitting your job, selling your stuff and sailing around the world as a liveaboard cruiser? Me too! Covert Castaway podcast is a fully candid diary of everything I'm learning to make the transition to life at sea, in all its honest glory. From creating a...