How Swizzle started
Have you ever had the feeling that you are supposed to be somewhere? Like maybe the universe is telling you that you need to go in a certain direction? That's kind of how this started. I was finishing up my season working on a liveaboard charter in the Bahamas, Rita was winding down with her contract in Bermuda and in a fleeting conversation I said, "I think I'm going to buy a sailboat and sail the world." Just so happens that Rita was down with the idea and just like that, we were planning out the next months to be on a boat.
After a few months of serious research, during which I read everything I could get my hands on about cruising boats, specifically old school sailing vessels, I found THE boat. At the time named "Dalisay", is a 35 ft, Swedish made, Hallberg-Rassy that ticked all the boxes for applicable blue water sailing boats. So without much hesitation, and what might have been a not-so-well thought out decision, off to Singapore it was to pick up the new boat!
As old boats go, it didn't actually need THAT much work, but there was a fair amount of updating and maintenance needed to get it up and going for the long haul.
And so it is! World, meet Swizzle. Swizzle is very, very near to being totally set up for cruising long distances and then...well... we begin cruising! The offshore part will begin early November when we leave Singapore for Phuket via Borneo and then to Langkawi (Malaysia). We have lots of ideas about where we might go but no firm plans yet. So much depends on weather, our moods and other factors that come into play when you live on a boat full time.
As of now everything is pretty well set, dogs are WAYYY accustomed to boat life and basically own the majority of the space, we're well stocked and only a few minor projects to knock out before the big sail. To be completely honest, neither of us can believe that it's actually happening. The following days are all prep then we will FINALLY be making way, under sail towards...... well wherever the wind takes us :)
So please, feel free to check in for updates! We will be updating here, Instagram and the YouTube as often as possible and keeping everyone posted on where and what we're doing, As of now we're looking at least 6 months of sailing through Southeast Asia, Northern Australia and Pacific Islands. But if I've learned anything from sailing, plans are all up to change. Who knows, we could end up in the Mediterranean drinking wine in Sicily by February.