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HOW IT STARTED
Will’s sailing journey started as a kid in Kentucky with two thumbs and a remote control sailboat. He’d take it down to the lake and spend hours learning how the wind affected the sails.
In 2015, he bought an O’Day 17’ Day Sailer and started learning what it felt like to sail at the helm instead of the joysticks. He modified, upgraded, and aesthetically reshaped La Liberadora and sailed her around Barnegat Bay, New Jersey. Because he’d removed the keel box, she was always actively sinking, so Em’s only job when she first came aboard was to bail her.
The summer of 2017 was a turning point. After a rough ride through a Nor’easter, La Liberadora’s mast came down, almost cutting Em off at the knees. It was then that we realized: if we were serious about sailing the world, we needed a lot more experience.
In the fall of 2017, we moved to Chicago, and not long after, in spring of 2018, we bought our second boat: Nellie. A Flicka20, she was the perfect step up from La Liberadora. A Trailer Sailor with a cabin and the need for a complete overhaul, she was our ultimate labor of love.
Nellie took us all over Lake Michigan. We trailered her through Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin in the summers - what we affectionately referred to as “Summer Camp,” and for five years her restoration kept our mind off those bitter midwest winters.
She was our learning curve. Everything we knew about sailing and boat upkeep came from our experiences aboard Nellie. We wouldn’t be confident on our 440 without her. We still think of her often, and hope she’s being treated well in Florida - her new home. Maybe one day we’ll see her again.
HOW IT'S GOING
During COVID, we realized we’d grown too comfortable, and reignited our fire for circumnavigation. After years of research, we knew the CatalinaMorgan440 was the next boat for us, and we set out on a mission to find the perfect hull. In 2023, we purchased “Annie’s Song” from a wonderful couple out of Ventura, California, who just wanted to see their vessel in the hands of someone who would take her on the adventures she deserved.
All it took was three months on the hard and 30 days on the dock before we were setting sail for the first time under the vessel’s new name: Appa.
We’re now more than 6,000 nautical miles and five different nations into our voyage, but the quest is far from over.
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SUPPORT OUR QUEST
We create our videos for you - our viewers. While they’re free to watch, they’re not free to produce. From boat repairs to upgraded camera gear, every mile we sail and every story we share is made possible by the incredible support of our Patrons.
By joining our Patreon or sending a donation through Venmo, you’re fueling the continuation of our quest and helping us keep this channel alive. As a thank you, we love giving our supporters a closer look into life aboard The Sailing Bison - with exclusive perks like monthly virtual meet-ups, behind-the-scenes content, and real-time updates.
