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sweet and salty, sailing with family

The Sweet and Salty, Sailing With Family

Our biggest fear is living a static life. We half-jokingly say we have a case of Sedentary Lifeaphobia.  Because time has a way of thrusting us forward at warp speed.  Days turn into years and before we know it, we’re looking back at the past wondering what we’ve done with all that time.

Everyday life for most of us has a way of blending together.  Routine settles in and it becomes difficult to distinguish one day from another.  But, as perpetual travelers our mission is to avoid routine, seek out new experiences and rack up as many milestones as possible.  Especially with the people we love most, our family.

Each year we make a concerted effort to spend time with family and share experiences that leave heavily imprinted memories.

However, our unique lifestyle makes us exceptionally difficult to catch up with.  We’re never in the same place for long, there is rarely an airport nearby and the notoriously fickle Mother Nature dictates our schedule.  The effort to coordinate and accommodate each other’s time, schedules and resources seem to increase each year.

How is it there are thousands of apps and services available to help us become more efficient and save time…yet, it seems we’re all busier than ever?

Luckily, Jason’s family loves to travel, and loves us enough to spend their hard-earned cash and vacation days to make the journey to wherever in the world we are.  We have a vault of lasting memories ranging from Alaska to California, the Bahamas and now Panama!

In other words, we try desperately not to take these opportunities for granted.  They don’t last long so it’s important to savor every moment.

Are you ready to meet the family?  Click the play button and sail with us to the Las Perlas Islands of Panama (Pearl Islands in English) and get the scoop on what its like living on a sailboat together, as one big family at sea.

Memories provide a record of past experiences and anchor them in time.  They give our life coherence and meaning.

These special moments don’t blend together, they stand out.  They give us a feeling of pause, as if we’re able to slow down time to spend it together…even if it’s one short week out of a year.

Real life is Sweet and Salty

We try really hard to focus on the good (dolphins, rays, snorkeling and sunsets) but also share the reality of this slightly insane un-sedentary way of life.  We learned a ton from our family’s first visit aboard s/v Curiosity which we shared here:  www.gonewiththewynns.com/sailing-with-family-our-mistakes  This time I think we were all more prepared for a sailing adventure.

We don’t hold back with our fam and we let everyone participate as much as they want.  To our delighted surprise, they wanted to be a part of it all, even the not so glamorous bits.  Experiences were had, memories were made, and elbow grease was used.

sailing around the world

beautiful sunsets at sea

sailing with family

diving las perlas

sailing with family

Learning how to filet a fish wasn’t exactly on Lauren or Alexis’ bucket list, but they both volunteered the moment I asked if anyone wanted to give it a go.  I always love a girl who’s not afraid to get her hands dirty!  #GirlPower

sailing with family

sailing with family

sailing with family

live aboard sailors

Lines, knots, sails and fishing gear were tended to with excitement.  Everybody had a dish-duty day.  Mom and Jacob wanted to help scrub the hulls of Curiosity.  Gabe was the designated sous chef.  And everyone was up for scrubbing the salt off the deck after being at sea.  This was not a chill-out charter sail for this Curiosity Family Crew, which is how they all earned their crew uniforms: Our fancy shirt and hat!

sailing with family

I know we’ve been promising a swag store for a while.  With the feedback from the fam we’re in the process of making a few product tweaks before launching it.  We promise the swag store will go live this year!

A Tearful Goodbye

Saying goodbye to crew, friends and especially family can be extremely difficult.  Even for us seasoned travelers who are constantly on the move.  What made this goodbye especially tear-inducing is also what makes life great.  Lauren is getting married, we’re about to sail halfway around the world, Jacob is moving to the east coast and mom (AKA Mary) is…well, crazy busy like always.

Each of these individually are exciting, but in our heads, we realize, there’s a good chance we might not see anyone for a long while.  That’s a tough pill to swallow.

Lauren’s wedding falls right in the middle of our Pacific Ocean crossing.  Jake and Alexis start new jobs soon and will likely not have the time or budget to visit for a while.  Flights to French Polynesia are ridiculously expensive and time consuming so Mom may have to wait for a more affordable location too.

In the end, we’re all departing with seared in memories that forever anchor us together.  Let’s hope these shared experiences will keep our hearts full till the next big family adventure.  It’s gonna be tough being away this next year, but I guess that’s what Instagram and WhatsApp are for.

sailing around the world

Thank You!

Thank you for joining us!  Sharing our lives and what we learn along the way is possible because of viewers like you and of course our Patreons. If you like what you see, check out our Say Thanks page to learn about different ways you can help keep the videos and posts flowing. You’ll notice most ways don’t cost you a penny but make a big difference to us.  Thank You!

Sailing Report

To see our full map with interactive pins, click here: gonewiththewynns.com/mapsailing las perlas panama map

  • Dates: 12 / 21 – 27 / 2017
  • Nautical Miles Sailed: 107
  • Anchorage: La Playita (Panama City) Isla Chapera, Isla Contadora, Isla Viveros (Las Perlas Islands) – All can be found on Active Captain: http://bit.ly/2oHvPkg
  • Cell & WiFi: Isla Contadora had cell service but that was all we had.

 

Gear Used In This Video

Sailing Specific

Snorkel/Dive Gear

Nikki

Jason

Fishing

Kitchen

Cameras Used to Capture This Video

Full Review Of All Our Camera Gear: gonewiththewynns.com/camera-gear-review-2017

Action/Underwater Camera

Tripods

Drone

Hello there! I honestly don’t know what to say, so I am going to tell you a bunch of random facts instead. I'm a fish eating vegetarian who hates spiders and loves snakes. I almost never took vacations growing up. I wanted to be Pippi Longstocking (still do). I misspell about every other word I write and still struggle with grammar. I love splurging on a good high tea (which is really hard to find these days). And whatever you do, don’t tell me I can’t do something, because then I'll HAVE to do it!

Comments (27)

  • bud smith

    Just learned of your Adventure Site from new Leopard friends John and Rena Blades, S/V Delos, they are about to depart Palm Beach area for the start of their curious cruising. Great job with your story telling, videography and keeping my fire burning to do the same big sailing adventure.

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  • M Kreke

    Quick note on the dolphins and the number you had swimming with Curiosity. The number you had isn’t uncommon. Pods are fluid, even temporary and vary between species of course, yet in the Atlantic, they trend toward smaller pods. In the Pacific, it’s not uncommon to encounter pods into the teens or more. Sea birds are a good indicator for dolphins, specially when they when they are feeding. Look for diving birds.

    Super pods with over 1000 dolphins are possible too. Sailing in Southern California, my wife and I have sailed into those pods, which can be over a mile long. The best one on record was in 2013 off San Diego. The “Super Mega Pod” was 7 miles with and estimate of over 100,000 dolphins. Welcome to the Pacific!

    Fair winds and safe travels.

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  • Beautiful. Jason, I love your Mom Mary! I’m probably around her age, and I love her adventurous spirit! Also wondering about Cleo… And, OMG, your videos are stunning! Thanks for sharing, continued safe travels!

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  • Most of the people can only dream of it but you are living it. Sailing with your family, watching sunset, sailing with dolphins. Its Great!! Love all.. 🙂

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  • Gary Gray

    Hi guys we love your videos. My wife and I (well over 70) have traveled to over 70 countries but never sailed. We had a 34′ monohull but Liz used to get sea sick right in the marina. So that never lasted, so we are living our sailing adventure through you guys. go safe and keep up the video reports. We live in Australia and will keep an eye on your travels through this neck of the woods. You never know we may see you there! Gary

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  • Phil Schneider

    Have you decided that your air conditioner puts just too much strain on your batteries? You mentioned that you don’t have air conditioning in this video. Great video as usual. My wife and I lived in a couple of big Class A motorhomes over the past 30 years (total of 45 years of RVing) and have always had lots of solar. We knew that the air required just too much power so we tried to go where ever it was 65F-75F. We pretty much lived in shorts, T-shirt and sandals year around. We sold our 40′ MH last year and are just staying home in Oregon now. We’ll continue our travels through you. We loved our travel life and if we had it to do over, we’d do it exactly the same.We started at 24 and just never stopped. Thanks for sharing all your travels.

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  • Roger B

    Boy were those two ugly fish you caught, but I bet they were delicious. Great drone videos capturing those gorgeous islands. That was an emotional goodbye with “Fam” leaving.

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  • Deborah Kerr

    Family memories- priceless!! Love seeing the big fish you catch!! Where is Cleo??? Beautiful scenery – keep up the great work!! ?

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  • James Dillon

    WAAAAAAY COOL! Great drone footage! Family first, a very endearing video. Keep up the great work guys and stay safe! Greeting from Canada!! Jamie

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  • Nancy Fernandez

    Wonderful time spent with family, it’s hard to say goodbye. Stay safe and excited for more adventures as you make the cross.

    reply
  • Ward

    Where did everyone sleep? I thought there was only 6 beds. Did someone get the dingy?

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  • Doug Staron

    Good job on the video!!! What is the matter with your air conditioner? Everyone looked like they were melting.

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  • Richard Morholt Sr

    1. I think MARY is very pretty and cute. IS she single?
    2. Facebook page Is “Richard Morholt Sr ” has my phone number posted.
    3. I use slivers of GINGER ROOT in the food to prevent sea sickness.
    4. To clean boat bottom, use scrub brushes in the water. You just have to find the type of bristles that suit you. Plus scrub tanks do help as well as a certified air compressor for Scuba.
    5. I’m serious about Mary ! I think she’s great.

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  • Bill Boyd

    I’m now seventy years old but I’ve done a lot of sailing including virgin islands to Bermuda, and on to CT …Bahamas…to Honduras….lots of racing etc…point is I really enjoy your videos! Thank you so much for sharing your journey…great shots esp the drone!!!

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  • Rob Franks

    Thanks for an excellent video. We look forward each week to see what you’ve been up to.
    Great job!!

    reply
  • Venice Scherer

    What an amazing experience: dolphins, rays, mackerel, groper, flying fish, fishing birds – wow! Thank you so much for sharing that incredible family experience with us!
    a few questions:
    1. Where is Jason’s father?
    2. how do you store provisions and water for 7 people? Does everyone get a shower?
    3. why do you clean the bottom of the boat at 6 am instead of in the afternoon when it is warmer?
    4. Your lifestyle is to achieve the flexibility to, do what you want, when you want. Why can’t you schedule your trip to include the wedding?
    Thank you so much again for taking all of us viewers on your adventure.
    Love,
    Venice

    reply
  • Richard Skaff

    Hi there.
    I’m still getting and watching your great emails/videos. The most recent, with family on board checking out the islands in Panama, was great. And your use of your drone to get video of your boat and wider view shots really adds to your videos.

    I just purchased the Sony 4KAction Cam and wonder if you have suggestions for using it. I use a wheelchair for mobility so I’ll probably buy the unit that will allow me to use my GoPro attachments. And what video software do you use. Do you ever just transfer videos from the camera to YouTube?

    Thanks for the great videos that allow me to “live on board” in places i will probably never get to.
    You guys are great!

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  • RICHARD CHARTIER

    i have been following you guys for years and was wondering what happen to your other cat? was with you on the boat for awhile. Hope all was and is ok. I have done many adventures in my life but to old now and live my adventures through you two, thank you so much for sharing.

    reply
    • Curious Minion

      Cleo is fine! She just prefers napping below.

      reply
  • Lisa Bee

    Hi Guys- I hope you got my note I left you in the “Tip Jar”. Nikki, can you please post your Thai salad dressing recipe and do you have a spiralizer that actually works (other than those huge ones)?

    reply
  • Lisa Austin

    When do we meet your family Niki? Goodbyes are hard, such a nice family Jason!

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  • JOHN SCHRETLEN

    “Beautiful” comes to mind for this video. Beautiful photos, beautiful underwater videos, beautiful family.
    Glad to have a few more minutes with your family, they all seemed to enjoy the week.

    Mind if I offer one comment? When scrubbing the hull you ought to use a wetsuit hood or foam ear plugs. Those tiny crabs in the ear canal will be painful, especially if they get into the inner ear (then it’s an emergency). Same goes for the other floating thingies that get scrapped off the hull.

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  • Jayme

    Family is all
    Congrats very good videoblog

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  • Pam

    I’m weeping as your family leaves. Such a nice video. Thank you.

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  • OjaiLynda

    Amazing! I enjoy all your videos but this one was especially touching. Loved meeting and seeing the interaction with your family and especially how everyone threw in to help. Thank you so much for sharing! Congratulations to Lauren & Gabe on their upcoming wedding!

    reply
  • Lisa (beanieweenieable)

    Jason and Nikki thank you for sharing your family with us…what a nice visit for all of you! Great way to make forever memories!
    Cheers

    reply

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