Sailing Tempest Tact: An Origin Story

ocean sunrise

Genesis

Life Happens. Sometimes it can feel impossible, like your back is up against the wall and there’s no way forward.

So it was recently and for the past few years for me in my life. I have been going through a divorce and some heavy family drama. I have a daughter (nearly 6 years old) to look after. Along with a career change and being land-locked in Germany…

My life started to feel like some sad country music song, stuck on repeat…

But I have finally decided, ‘Enough!’. My life starts new today.

My goal is to prepare for and to become a Sailboat Captain and to buy my own Sailboat to liveaboard.

I’m just an average guy. I don’t come from money and I am starting from rock bottom. I have only my wits and determination to get me to achieve my dream.

This is my Journey to Freedom.

There is hope for me, as there is for you, in whatever endeavour you have ahead of you.

Just keep putting one foot in front of the other and say thank you to the big man upstairs, for it is through adversity that we build character and competence.

After all, “A Smooth Sea Never Made A Skilful Sailor.”

Landlocked – “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday”

So this is where the idea started. I have been land-locked for the past 5 years. The ocean is well over 500 km away and I am getting “Sea-sick”, in the same sense as some people get “Home-sick”.

Perhaps I took the ocean for granted all my life, but when it’s not there I feel as if I’m suffocating, as if my gills were drying out…

I happened upon sailing videos on youtube and something clicked inside of me. This is what I want to do with my life.

I want to sail around the world.

  • What is Sailing Tempest Tact ?

Sailing Tempest Tact is a passion project. This is my journey from complete rock bottom while following a dream.

Sharing this with you, helps me to keep myself accountable and focused.

It is my goal, in being open and honest, to show people that there is hope even in the darkest of times.

We have all experienced a lot of problems in the last few years. Life is relentless.

But if anything it has showed us how distant and alone we have all become in our modern lives.

This is my attempt to build a community and to motivate.

The 10 Year Circumnavigation

Sailing Yacht in Croatia
Sailing Yacht in Croatia

“Crazy?” – Maybe … “Impossible” – Not at all!

It is my desire, in the next 10 years, to become an Ocean Yacht master and to buy my own bluewater cruiser to circumnavigate the globe.

I need a goal, a project, to keep me moving forward.

While my daughter is still young, I am doing the preparation now, in order to achieve this dream in 10 years time.

I want to bring you along for the journey, but also to learn as much from the community as possible.

Life Has Been Colourful

I was born in Plymouth, a stone’s throw from the ocean. My dad was a commercial diver, so we have travelled a lot for his work and have lived near Dubai, Plymouth and in county Cork in Ireland.

Life revolved around rock pooling at the beach as a child, swimming, surfing, free diving and it has continued to be an integral part of my life ever since. I grew up in the water.

I started sailing toppers when I was around 9. Then lasers and Omegas at 15. I loved sailing but didn’t get much of a chance since. Life and love got in the way and life got really busy.

After achieving the IMCA 50m Offshore Surface Supply certificate I became a commercial diver at 19. After working inshore jobs in England for two years, I realised there wasn’t a lot of work around at the time and started to work on building sites and eventually did my carpentry apprenticeship.

I have done many jobs, handyman, gardener, Health Care Assistant, Tree Surgeon… (Did I mention I have ADHD?)

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