Rocking Chair Next
All my life I wanted to sail. And all my life I was pulled into different directions. Working, business, marrying, providing for a family. Truly, I have no regrets. The best thing I ever did was marry my lovely wife and have two boys with her. In a life filled with many mistakes, that is the one thing I got right. And through that journey, right up into my 60s there was a call from the sea.
In a busy life, I would grab every fleeting opportunity that came my way to get on the water. Small sailing dinghies on beach holidays, deep fishing, even ferry crossings, there was always a whisper from the waves. I even bought a couple of boats over the years, sunk time and money into them and never found the time to sail them. If I amortised the cost of each hour in my own boat at sea- too terrifying to analyse.
My dad left me an inheritance. It wasn’t much but more than I thought. He was a good man, the best dad, but not wildly successful. I should have been ‘sensible’, maybe used it for buying a small rental property, something safe, something for the future. But I knew he would approve. I started scouring the internet looking for the boat. Eventually, I found it. A 40-foot sailing boat, a ketch with a funky rig arrangement around two carbon fibre masts. The make and model? Freedom 40.
That fitted.
And it was named Beyond.
That was predestined.
Embracing the Call of the Sea
It was more than just a vessel; it was a symbol of my commitment to finally embrace my lifelong passion for sailing. To go where I should have gone a long time ago. Despite the daunting prospect of managing such a significant project, I knew I had to. I didn’t have a choice.
It wasn’t easy. Boat projects always take longer than they should. Inevitably crush your budgets. And the boat was in Baltimore. I was in Oxford UK. I went over in two-week hits and slept on the boat. In December it was freezing. In a sleeping bag, fully clothed, with just my nose scarily poking outside, I asked myself, “What are you doing, Mr Andersson?”
Navigating Challenges and Doubts
Amidst the relentless grind of managing a complex project, doubts lingered like shadows in the fog. Each day brought new challenges, each obstacle a test of resolve. It was all a bit mad. But in the midst of all this, I found a quiet determination, a steadfastness that refused to yield. With every setback, with every moment of doubt, there was a choice—to retreat or to press on. And though the end remained shrouded in ambiguity, there was a sense of purpose, a belief that the struggle itself held meaning. Take another step, just one more, and then another.
The Journey Continues: Almost Finished
The world doesn’t need another sailing channel. But I felt called to refit Beyond. And I feel called to document the journey. Maybe I am supposed to remind people to be less safe, to live more precariously, to listen to your sea, to your soul, to God.
No matter your age.
By embracing the unknown, overcoming doubt and fear, and finding purpose in new adventures, we can redefine what it means to retire and truly embrace the joy of living. So whether you're 25 or 65, it's never too late to set sail on your journey and discover the adventures that await.
Every journey starts with the first step. For sailors it starts with making a commitment to a boat. And you have to grind on. Commitment is doing the thing you said you would do, long after the mood has left you.
Each trip brought me closer. Each repair. Each new coat of paint. Each new system. Sometimes it is two steps forward, one step back. The only way to fail is to quit. Or not start.
Beyond is almost finished now. Just one more trip.
Now available in our store, click here to buy. The old man staring out to sea, holding his dreams of sailing in his hand, may it remind you to never let go of them. And never turn away from what calls you. Feel the fear and do it anyway.
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