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Before we answer the question "Why do you cruise?" it's probably worth talking about the kind of life we're trying to create.
For us, cruising isn't really about sailboats. The boat is simply the vehicle that allows us to live differently. What matters more are the values that shape our decisions and the experiences we want to have along the way.
We're drawn to community, meaningful work, lifelong learning, self-reliance, good food, and time spent outdoors. We enjoy meeting people whose lives look different from our own, supporting local communities, and remaining curious about the places we visit. We want fewer distractions, fewer obligations, and more opportunities to be fully engaged with the world around us.
Cruising isn't the only way to pursue those things, but it happens to be the path we've chosen. The ideas below are some of the beliefs and interests that continue to shape our journey.
Community
We love the idea of getting away, but that shouldn't be confused with being alone. One of the greatest surprises of cruising has been discovering a worldwide community of people who share similar interests and values. Cruisers come from different backgrounds, countries, and careers, yet many are united by a common desire for adventure, independence, and meaningful experiences. Admittedly, it can be a community that's a little difficult to break into at first, but once you do, it often feels like family. And if we're being honest, there is a bit of romance in it too—stories of distant horizons, sea captains, and adventures that first captured our imagination long before we ever owned a boat.
Food & Diet
We differ a little on this one, but we're both primarily vegetarian and occasionally enjoy fresh fish. More importantly, we try to minimize processed foods and eat closer to the source whenever possible. Cruising gives us access to local markets, fresh produce, and the opportunity to support small growers and fishermen in the places we visit. It encourages a simpler and more intentional relationship with food.
Activities
We enjoy an active, outdoor lifestyle. Paddle boarding, surfing, swimming, hiking, snorkeling, and scuba diving are all activities that naturally fit with life on the water. (Herb is also a PADI Open Water Scuba Instructor.) Cruising allows us to live where many of our favorite activities happen rather than traveling somewhere else to experience them.
Intellectual Pursuits
We're both curious people. We enjoy writing, filming, reading, listening to podcasts, playing music, learning new skills, and exploring new ideas. One of the things we value most about cruising is the freedom to devote time and energy to those pursuits while continuing to learn from the people, cultures, and experiences we encounter along the way.
Self-Reliance
We believe in taking responsibility for ourselves and minimizing our impact on the world around us whenever practical. Life aboard encourages a greater awareness of the resources we consume and the systems we depend upon. On Garuda, we generate much of our own electricity using solar power, produce fresh water from the sea through desalination, and travel primarily by wind. While we don't always get everything right, we appreciate the challenge of living more intentionally and with greater self-reliance.
For Herb…
Of the two of us, I'm probably the one who gets asked this question most often.
People assume the answer has something to do with sailboats, tropical anchorages, or a desire to escape the ordinary. Those things certainly play a role, but they aren't really why I'm here.
If I'm being honest, my reasons for cruising have far less to do with where I'm going than with who I was trying to become again.
I was fortunate enough to spend my youth chasing dreams and adventure in my own way, traveling through foreign places alongside interesting people. I studied Sociology and Anthropology, spent time in Europe, East Africa, and Central America, and developed a deep appreciation for different cultures, perspectives, and ways of living.
Then I got married, raised a family, built a career, and life moved in a different direction. Responsibilities replaced adventures, and colorful dreams slowly became fading memories.
Fast forward thirty years and all those small compromises had carried me a long way from myself.
Things weren't bad. In many ways, they were quite good. There were accomplishments to be proud of, wonderful experiences, and people I loved deeply. Yet despite all of that, something wasn't right.
In the spaces between competing demands, I continued looking for pieces of myself. I became an instrument-rated pilot. I logged hundreds of scuba dives. I learned alpine mountaineering and avalanche rescue out of Denali base camp. I accumulated stories, scars, and more tattoos than I probably needed.
But none of those things reflected my daily life.
More and more, I found myself struggling to maintain the version of me that everyone expected to see.
"I was lost. And when I looked for myself within, I couldn't seem to find me."
Instead I began reliving a half century of mistakes and regrets, one-by-one. Then starting over from the beginning again. I hadn’t slept in months, I was getting physically sick from all the conflict, and my mind just couldn’t deal with all of it. It was all just too much… so with Heather’s help, I let it all go.
I ended up walking away from it all, resolving to never again make someone else’s dreams my priority or to suppress the parts of me that some might dislike or find unattractive just to be accepted or acceptable. We’ve gotten rid of most everything we used to own – all the stuff I thought I needed to feel happy or successful. We don’t make any decisions or take any actions based on money, and we’re working to steer clear of toxic people and meaningless conflict. In short, it we started doing our own thing to live more purposefully.
Along the way we started traveling abroad again – hiking trails, climbing mountains, learning to surf – and slowly, the air cleared.
"Then we bought an old sailboat."
I don’t know what’s next – that’s kind of the idea. I’m figuring it out as I go along. Garuda is part challenge, part partner. She’s got her own personality and presents me with endless puzzles. If you’ve ever owned a boat, you know what I mean. If you haven’t, think of her as a forty-year-old off grid tiny home in the most hostile environment on earth. Still, we’re in this together.
Lastly… I’m just going to say it: It’s great to be the Captain of my own vessel. James Kirk, Han Solo, Jack Sparrow… too much? Ok, well metaphors aside, our ship goes where we want, when we want, and with the crew of our choice. And that’s pretty sweet.
For Heather…
My Story Is a Little Different
While Herb's path to cruising was shaped by a desire to rediscover parts of himself that had been set aside, mine began with a feeling I could never quite ignore.
For years, there was a quiet voice reminding me that the life I was living wasn't fully aligned with the life I wanted to live.
I didn't have all the answers. I only knew something was waiting beyond the horizon, and eventually I decided it was time to find out what it was.
"For years, I carried a feeling I couldn't quite shake—a sense that the life I was living wasn't the life I was meant to live."
Why Do You Cruise?
For as long as I can remember, I have been captivated by the ocean—its vastness, its mystery, and the sense of possibility it seems to hold.
My journey toward a sailing life began while I was working on a disaster recovery project in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Although the islands were beautiful, our demanding work schedule allowed only one day off each week. Whenever I had the chance, I escaped to the beach.
On one of those days, while sitting on the white sands of St. John, I found myself watching a sailboat quietly anchored offshore.
And then I started to imagine.
I wondered what it would be like to live aboard. To wake up somewhere new. To follow curiosity instead of routine. To trade schedules and obligations for freedom, exploration, and a deeper connection to the natural world.
At the time, my life was good in many ways. But beneath the surface, I carried a feeling I couldn't quite shake—a sense that the life I was living wasn't fully aligned with the life I wanted to live.
I wanted adventure.
I wanted freedom.
I wanted to spend more time outdoors and less time beneath fluorescent lights. I wanted to wake up excited about the day ahead rather than counting the hours until it ended.
For years, I satisfied that longing through travel. Hawaii. Honduras. Iceland. Italy. Each destination filled me with energy, wonder, and unforgettable memories. Yet every trip eventually ended, and the same restless feeling always returned.
Until that afternoon in St. John.
For the first time, I allowed myself to seriously consider a different kind of life.
Later that day, I shared the idea with Herb. To my surprise, he was far more receptive than I expected. Looking back, I think we were both arriving at the same conclusion from different directions. Whatever the reason, we were ready for something new.
Of course, deciding to pursue this life was only the beginning.
Building a life aboard required persistence, patience, sacrifice, creativity, determination, and more than a few tears—mostly mine. The journey from that beach in St. John to life aboard Garuda was far longer and more challenging than I ever imagined.
But even during the difficult moments, we knew we were moving toward something that mattered.
Today, whenever that familiar voice starts whispering again, reminding me there is still more to see, learn, and experience, we have a simple answer:
We pull up the anchor and go
So Why Do It?
Because we don't think we're alone in searching for an alternative.
Because sometimes a little inspiration is more valuable than another reason why something can't be done.
Because seeing someone else take the first step often makes it easier to take your own.
And because others did that for us.
Many of the people who inspired this life never knew us. They simply shared their stories, their successes, their failures, and their willingness to try. Without those examples, there's a good chance we never would have taken this leap ourselves.
So this is our way of paying that forward.
If something we share encourages you to travel, try something new, take on a challenge, or simply question whether the conventional path is the only path available, then the videos have served their purpose.