We are currently en-route from Charleston, SC to St. Augustine, FL.
It's surprisingly hard to talk about "why" we are selling the boat. It's not you, it's me.
It's financial. We planned to go back to work full-time and start back up the 401K after our cruising adventure. Now? The idea of parking the boat and commuting to work to fight with a copy machine and sit on a committee to save the preferred parking program? It's not going to happen. So while the original goal was to keep our catamaran forever, now the goal is to get a more economical boat so that we can live the voyaging life forever.
It's practical. We have a whole hull we don't use.
It's also a philosophical change. An exchange of having less and getting more.
We want to be more minimalistic, and we want to live in less space. A smaller boat means we have less costs and less maintenance, and therefore we can do more cruising.
And less boat gives us more options: more options for marinas and haul outs. More options for traveling to Europe and finding winter haul outs and berths. An easier space to heat in winters and cool in summers.
And so we want to sail a monohull. We don't want this modern light weight wood veneer anymore. We want real teak from floor to ceiling. We want a boaty boat, all cozy inside and tipping all the time. We want our wine glasses to be at risk. So there.
Independence has been a great boat to us. It's hard to beat the wrap around salon windows and the fabulous views afforded from every seat in the house. She sails great and clips right along under sail or under power. If you like stability at all times, lots of storage, lots of space, and want to monitor the anchorage from any seat in the boat - she's perfect for you! She's set up for off the grid living, and she's ready to cruise to the Bahamas, the Caribbean and beyond.
In reflection, it's easy to say we made a mistake. To say we should've bought the smallest, simplest boat when we left our jobs four years ago. And while that might have been the financially smartest thing to do, we wouldn't trade our time with Independence for anything. We sailed our dream boat and had a blast. We lived and loved the catamaran life. But now it's time for some new owners to take her on new adventures.
For more details, please see our Yachtworld listing: Independence for sale
