Meet Sailing Vessel Curiosity
Our self-sufficient floating home and transportation about the world.
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.

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.

Before and After Mods
Electricity, off the grid
- Solar Arch / Offshore Dinghy Davit System
- 1400 Watts of solar
- 600 Watts of Flexible Solar – gonewiththewynns.com/product/flexible-solar-panels
- 800 Watts of Rigid Panels – gonewiththewynns.com/product/160-solar-panel
- Relion lithium batteries – gonewiththewynns.com/product/lithium-batteries
- 2000 Watt Inverter – gonewiththewynns.com/product/2000-watt-inverter
- Battery Monitor Kit – gonewiththewynns.com/product/battery-monitor
- Generator – Northern lights 6kw – gonewiththewynns.com/product/sailboat-electricity
- Swaped all lights for LED Lights – gonewiththewynns.com/product/m4-led-lights
Sailing Luxuries
- 2 AC’s – 15,000 BTU, Learn how we run them off our solar/batteries here: gonewiththewynns.com/product/air-conditioning-off-grid
- Cruise RO Watermaker: gonewiththewynns.com/product/watermaker
- Washer/Dryer Combo: gonewiththewynns.com/product/westland-wdc7100xc-sales-energy-star-ventless-combo-washerdryer-with-auto-dry-cycle
Cockpit
- Cushions & Pillows: gonewiththewynns.com/diy-cockpit-sailboat-makeover
- Portable Freezer: gonewiththewynns.com/product/dometic-portable-electric-fridgefreezer
Helm Station
- Chartplotter: Garmin 7612xsv Multi-touch
- Portable Floating VHF Radio: http://amzn.to/2hwEoK7
- iPad Mount at Helm: https://amzn.to/2D8njD2
- With These Sailing/Navigation/Weather Apps:
- iNavx: http://bit.ly/2vGgC51
- Active Captain: http://bit.ly/active_captain
- Iridium Go / Predict Wind for weather and communications: gonewiththewynns.com/product/iridium-go-predictwind
- With These Sailing/Navigation/Weather Apps:
Galley & Salon
- Fave kitchen gadgets (click kitchen faves tab): gonewiththewynns.com/store
- Recipes Here: gonewiththewynns.com/category/recipes
- Water Saving Aerators & Water Pumps: gonewiththewynns.com/product/water-saving-accessories
- Lithium Powered Vacuum: http://amzn.to/2khkXYX
Cabins / Heads
- Composting Toilets: gonewiththewynns.com/product/productnatures-head-self-contained-composting-toilet-with-close-quarters-spider-handle-design
- Water Saving Aerators & Shower Head: gonewiththewynns.com/product/water-saving-accessories
- Upgraded Mattress & Moisture Barrier Pad (the thing under the mattress to prevent mold): gonewiththewynns.com/product/custom-mattress
Connectivity
- We Boost Cell and Data Booster: gonewiththewynns.com/product/weboost-4g-booster-kit
- Iridium Go & Predict Wind: gonewiththewynns.com/product/iridium-go-predictwind
- Wifi Ranger: gonewiththewynns.com/product/wifi-booster-pack
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
- Revere 6 Person Life Raft: https://amzn.to/2DbnFsp
- AIS
- EPIRB: gonewiththewynns.com/product/epirb
- 2 Offshore Lifevest: http://amzn.to/2Gztrn9
- Man Overboard AIS: gonewiththewynns.com/product/man-overboard-ais
- Iridium Go Satellite Communications: gonewiththewynns.com/product/iridium-go-predictwind
- Garmin InReach: gonewiththewynns.com/product/inreach-satellite-communication-and-tracking
Additional Toys & Accessories
- Inflatable Stand Up Paddle Board: gonewiththewynns.com/product/fisher-boards-blowfish
- Provisioning Gear: gonewiththewynns.com/product/thermal-totes-cooler-packs
- Snorkle/Dive Gear
- Hammerhead Free-Dive Mask With Camera Mount http://amzn.to/2d5C6SB
- Hammerhead Free-Dive J Snorkel: http://amzn.to/2cjh3dV
- Jason’s Omer Freediving Fins: http://amzn.to/2kIhljK
- Nikki’s Sporasub Freediving Fins: http://amzn.to/2kIYmlf
- Wet Suits – We’ve had our Henderson dive suits for over 8 years and they’re still holding up well: http://amzn.to/2kIm2tW
- Hawaiian Sling Spear: http://amzn.to/2hIBfHb
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.