The Nahoa Story
The Crew
Ashley
Logistics coordinator, yogi, mother and cheerleader. You’ll find her everywhere. From researching the next destinations, taking the helm, to ensuring the meals keep flowing.
Fun facts
Full blown bikini addiction.
Fills the bilges with sea shells.
Can’t stand a salty boat.
Ben
You can often hear him shouting “I AM NOT AN EXPERT!” fixing the boat. Self taught mechanic/plumber/el ectrician/video editor & many more, he’s also crazy about fishing.
Fun facts
Enjoys a good Romantic Comedy.
Prefers a sledge over a normal hammer.
Has sleepless nights visualizing fighting massive Tuna.
Willa
Climbing the ranks in her 2nd year of life, holding the camera when mom & dad are wrestling a big fish & ensuring her little brother stays in the cockpit when the seas are too big.
Fun facts
Hates cold water.
Sleeps like a log when it’s rough out.
Prefers all foods with Mango.
Bodhi
At 1 year old, he’s spent more time at sea than on land. He’s quickly learning the ropes & acquiring new skills such as falling asleep in a gale while getting airborne in his front berth.
Fun facts
Spent most of his lifetime at sea. No joke.
Has sea legs like the oldest of seafarers.
Can’t keep him out of the water.
Our Story
What causes someone to sell everything and embark on an expedition to sail around the world? Be at the risk of storms, pirates and financial uncertainty.
Where We Started
We’re not much different than you. We fight. We laugh. We worry about our futures. And we have dreams. Dreams are a funny thing. They’re exactly that. Just a dream. Until you act.
Let’s back way up. Raised in middle class families we were taught the value of hard work, humbleness and being grateful for what we have. These values stick with us to this day.
College days. Dad’s pickup got a workout on the weekends as we chopped and delivered firewood. His truck, his chainsaw, our sweat. Didn’t know it at the time but this was one of those lessons in hard work. You can have whatever you want, you just have to work for it.
After University we went down the typical path. Life was extremely predictable. Mortgaged to the hilt with our first townhome. Ashley flying overseas for software implementations. Moving up the corporate ladder. Ben building up his software consulting agency. We were good at what we did but something was missing. There had to be more to life than owning a house and a few toys.
Our first (and only) house.
For the next 10 years we hustled, scrounged and sacrificed. We saved every penny then quit our jobs and sold up. Sold the house, car and most of our possessions.
About to embark on a life changing trip that would change us forever.
Living the Dream
We bought the boat and sailed off into the sunset. It was a magical first year. Oblivious to what it takes to maintain an offshore sailing vessel. Oblivious to the costs involved. It was magical not knowing.
What Actually Happened?
We ran out of money in our second year of sailing. Everything broke and we found ourselves in the deep end of the pool having quit our jobs and sold everything. That’s where the videos start. At first a pipe dream but as the months wore on and the Line of Credit kept piling up we got more serious. We started filming everything and editing daily. After 5 years creating videos we’re keeping Nahoa afloat and have our eyes on the future.
Our first refit in 2015. Clueless how much work goes into an offshore capable vessel.
What’s Next?
Nahoa is still floating. She’s in better shape than she’s ever been and we’re starting the second half of our circumnavigation. Things are lining up to be an epic few years as we cross the Indian ocean and round the Cape of Good Hope.
We have big dreams of how the videos will evolve. There’s that word again. “Dreams”.
We have a responsibility as explorers, especially those that make videos, to show you the World as we encounter it. How it exists. Without judgement. Without prejudice. But with understanding and openness to other ideas. Openness to other ways of experiencing this brief period that we are here.
There are incredible stories to be told as we sail to places such as Chagos, Seychelles, Madagascar and South Africa.
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