Million Dollar Yacht or Affordable Explorer?

Last week we stepped aboard a 1965 vintage yacht, but this week? Totally different story. We check out two serious explorer yachts that actually make sense for what we're planning. One that's practically brand new (and way beyond what we can spend) and another that's older but feels like something we could actually make work.

The side-by-side comparison was so helpful. We could really see the differences in how each vessel was set up and what kind of adventures they're built for. But here's the sticky part, when you're looking for a boat that can handle the cold, rough and extremely beautiful places we want to go, you're not picking from thousands anymore. It's more like dozens.

So this whole trip answered some big questions. But honestly, it created even more. Everyone keeps asking us about sailing boats, and yeah, we're still looking. But the used market for sailboats that can handle high latitudes is pretty thin. It seems like everything decent is brand new. So we're keeping our options open.

The biggest thing we've figured out through all this is that whatever we pick next isn't forever. It's just the next chapter. We're not trying to find our dream boat that we'll keep until we're 80. We just need the right boat for this adventure. After that? Who knows what we'll want to do next.