Welcome to Casting Off. We began actively planning to sail around the world in 2005. We left on our adventure in May of 2008. Our family is large, loving, and very tight but unfortunately not all members want to sail around with us.
Our families support and encouragement makes this dream possible! Let me introduce you to the members of our family who will be sailing together. I am Julie and my husband is Graham. We have two kids, Alex and Amelia. We each have an important part to play and we are all equally focused on our goal and achieving our dream.
The idea was born in the winter of 1997. Graham was working with a fellow helicopter engineer, Mark McGregor and Mark was building his own catamaran sailboat. Through discussion, Grahams interest was sparked. Graham picked up a few sailing magazines and happened across a book titled “Just Cruising”.
What began as a two-year expedition for them turned into a six-year adventure to 82 countries and a circumnavigation of the world. After reading this book the dream was officially BORN! Graham’s excitement scared the beegeesies out of me. I could not imagine sailing, little alone out into the middle of the ocean, with our children. Reluctantly I read the book and I couldn’t put it down. I was shocked to learn how little sailing experience the family had.
They believed that it wasn’t the sailing skills that would allow you to sail around the world but the vision, motivation, drive and passion. Even though the book was amazing, I still couldn’t overcome my fear and embrace this dream. I managed to push the idea out of the spotlight for Graham and we focused on babies, careers, and building homes…..7 years went by. It is funny how time and experience changes you. I have always loved an adventure and I thrive in new situations.
My fear was still there but I was ready for a life changing experience and I knew that the more I learned the less fear I would have. Step one was moving to Toronto to learn how to sail. We rented out our home in Alberta, found jobs and a home to rent in Toronto and began our Sail around the world Checklist. I hope you enjoy our site. If nothing else I hope it makes you realize that anything is possible. Dreams are never unattainable or too big. My approach has always been to break it down, make a list, put up pictures of what you want, tell everyone you know, be excited, embrace help, stay the course, fantasize often about the dream, and the one piece we are always working on…. enjoy today while working for tomorrow.
Note: On our first sail on the ocean, fate came into play and we met the couple who inspired the DREAM. Read the blog entry from this experience Tuesday, May 1, 2007 Close encounters of the inspiration kind
