This one’s a little different. It’s less of a structured post and more of me putting my thoughts down on paper. Read it if you’d like. Skip it if you’re not interested. No hard feelings either way. Think of it more as a journal entry than anything else.

It finally dawned on me what I’ve been chasing.

In my last post I talked about disconnecting from technology. About stepping away from the constant buzz of screens and notifications. I talked about the garden, about soil under my fingernails instead of keys under my fingertips.

But that wasn’t the full picture.

The first pull was backcountry hiking. When we first moved to Vancouver Island, I felt it deeply. The wild spaces here don’t just exist. They beckon. We got out there that first year. And I loved it.

Then my body reminded me I’m not twenty-five anymore.

A bad knee. A stubborn hip. Injuries that still whisper when the weather shifts. Could I train harder and push through? Probably. But it slowed me down. It forced me to reconsider what “wild” looks like for me now.

So we shifted to camping.

And I love camping. Always have. The crackle of a fire at night. The stillness of early morning before anyone else wakes. My in-laws even bought a camper to park at our place here on Vancouver Island so they can stay whenever they visit, and they’ve generously offered it to us anytime we want to head out.

I just haven’t done it yet.

An electronic trailer brake I still need to install has quietly become another small barrier. Not insurmountable. Just one more step between intention and action.

But if I’m being honest, the real thread runs deeper than hiking or camping.

I’ve always wanted a boat. Like…always.

For years I looked at Bayliners. Cuddies. Trawlers. Pontoons. Even canoes, kayaks and SUPs. Anything that could get me out on the water. I grew up on the lake. Water has always been my absolute happy place. There’s something about it that settles me instantly. The smell. The motion. The openness.

The ocean, especially.

The forest and mountains are a very, very close second. They move me deeply. But the ocean is where my heart truly lies. It calls to me constantly. Not loudly. Not urgently. Just steadily. Like it’s been waiting.

I’ve spent years circling around that truth.

Then it dawned on me.

Maybe a sailboat is the ultimate expression of everything I’ve been chasing.

My uncle and aunt, Steve and Marianne, are avid sailors. Every year it seems they’re heading somewhere new, or at least exotic, often down into the Bahamas or the Caribbean, chasing warm water and steady trade winds. I won’t lie, I’m envious. Not in a bitter way. In an inspired way. Watching them cast off lines and point their bow toward turquoise water does something to me. It makes the dream feel tangible. Real. Possible.

For the past couple months, my newest obsession has been just that. Sailing, sailboats, learning to sail etc. Maybe I should stop just watching and start asking.

I’ve even started picturing what that boat might look like, and I’ve been keeping my eye on the sale listings…

Something in the 25 to 30 foot range feels right. Not tiny, but not overwhelming either. Big enough to feel stable, and room for the 3 of us (including my tall 6’4″ self). Small enough to learn on. I’d want it to have a working motor, and though I think I’d prefer a steering wheel, a tiller is perfectly fine. I don’t mind a bit of a fixer upper, but I’d want it solid and ready to get out on the water.

I wouldn’t be crossing oceans or even be out in large open water anytime soon, maybe not ever. I am more interested in just coastal sailing. Staying close. Learning the protected inside routes, seeing all the inlets between Vancouver Island and the mainland. There is so much to see right here in my own backyard.

So for those of you who sail, and yes, Steve and Marianne, I’m looking at you, would you recommend something specific? Am I crazy to start in that size range? Or does that make sense for what I’m hoping to do? Something like a Catalina 25 looks like a sweet spot and affordable.

Because what I’m really after isn’t just being outdoors. It’s silence. Real silence. Nature’s silence. The kind that strips away the hum of traffic, the buzz of electronics, the whirring of fans and systems and background noise we don’t even realize surround us.

I want to hear wind.
Water against a hull.
Gulls overhead.
Whales, seals and otters.
Rigging gently tapping.

I want to drift into anchorages where the world feels far away. To sit on deck at dusk and watch the sky fade into darkness with nothing mechanical breaking the moment.

Maybe every obstacle along the way wasn’t blocking me.

Maybe it was redirecting me.

The forest and camping shaped me.
The mountains and hiking strengthened me.
But the ocean and water holds my heart.

To be clear, a sailboat is not in my immediate future. Likely 2 years away if not more. But maybe at some point I need to stop wondering ‘what if’ and start asking ‘why not?

Remember, you only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough. Step outside, chase the wind, listen for the quiet between the waves, and I’ll catch you next time.

Much love,
Rob ❤️