TOP

Meet Sailing Vessel Curiosity

Our self-sufficient floating home and transportation about the world.

the wynns and sailing vessel curiosity

She’s the only home or major possession we own.  So we chose her, and her name, carefully.  It’s not too long, not difficult to say, clear to understand and most importantly it describes the driving force behind our lust for travel and adventure.

cu·ri·os·i·ty
/kyo͝orēˈäsədē/
noun
Curiosity (from Latin curiosus “careful, diligent, curious,” akin to cura “care”) is a quality related to inquisitive thinking such as exploration, investigation, and learning, evident by observation in human and animal species.  Curiosity is heavily associated with all aspects of human development, in which derives the process of learning and desire to acquire knowledge and skill.
The term “curiosity” can also be used to denote the behavior or emotion of being curious, in regards to the desire to gain knowledge or information. Curiosity as a behavior and emotion is attributed over millennium as the driving force behind not only human development, but developments in science, language, and industry.

Want the full, in depth and personal tour of our Curiosity? Then settle in and hit the play button below! Looking for just the quick specs, then you’ll see those below.

 

 

The Purchase

We purchased Curiosity April 21, 2016. At the time, we didn’t know how to sail, but we had Kent (an excellent broker with loads of sailing experience). We also had sailing school lined up and a massive amount of determination to make up for our lack of experience.

We documented the full shopping and buying experience, complete with costs and the unexpected ‘surprises’. Just click the sailboat shopping tab: gonewiththewynns.com/sailing

how on earth do you afford this

Now, at this point you may be wondering like so many do, “how on earth do you afford this?”.  We’re not millionaires, we didn’t inherit any money and we didn’t win the lottery.  We believe Life Is An Adventure!  So, this is a carefully chosen lifestyle and not a temporary gap year or vacation.  Meaning we still have all the normal life chores like working a job, maintaining our (floating) home, grocery shopping and all the other day to day stuff.

We’ve shared the full scoop on how we make money and travel here: gonewiththewynns.com/travel-money-wynns

 

It’s All In The Details

S/V Curiosity is a 2005 Robertson and Caine Leopard 43 Sailing Catamaran, built in South Africa.  She is a three cabin, owner’s version (owner’s version means it’s the 3 cabin, 3 head, not the 4 cabin 4 head charter version).  She is a blue-water sailing vessel that isn’t too big or too small but just the right size for us and a few adventurous friends.

leopard catamaran layout

Layout options from the original Leopard brochure.

  • Length – 42 ft 6 in
  • Beam – 22’ 9”
  • Draft – 4’
  • Height – 63’
  • Sails – Main Sail, Genoa & Asymmetrical Spinnaker
  • Fresh Water – 210 gal
  • Fuel Capacity – 95 gal
  • 2 Inboard Diesel Engines – Yanmar 3JH4E 39 Horsepower
  • Anchor, Chain, Bridal and Anchor Accessories: gonewiththewynns.com/product/mantus-anchor

We’ve done a fair number of upgrades and modifications and of course there is always more to be done.  We try to do as much of the work ourselves as possible not only to keep costs down, but to ensure we know how to fix things if ( or when) they break.

Maintaining the boat is practically a full time job itself but as they say: the definition of cruising is doing maintenance in exotic locations.

curiosity before and after

Before and After Mods

Electricity, off the grid

Sailing Luxuries

Cockpit

Helm Station

Galley & Salon

Cabins / Heads

Connectivity

Dinghy

When we purchased our sailboat, it reluctantly came with a beastly center console dinghy that was way too heavy for the boat.  We sold that dinghy and went in search of the perfect cruising dinghy.  We ended up with a Highfield and you can see the full story and specs here: gonewiththewynns.com/dinghy-swap-ab-highfield

Safety

Additional Toys & Accessories 

More to Come

We’ll be working on Curiosity, testing new products and upgrading features on a regular basis.  When something worthy of sharing comes along, we’ll update the details and list them here.