<\/p>\n
The family sold everything and have lived on a boat for the past decade. Source: sailingcatalpa.com<\/p>\n
An Aussie couple sold everything to live on a sailboat with their kids, sailing the world for a decade \u2013 and say they still have no plans to return to \u2018normal\u2019 even if life is easier on land.<\/p>\n
As house prices and living costs rose, Gold Coaster Sara Rice and husband Lee decided to ditch the rat race, selling everything and taking their children, Taj and Bella, for what has been a decade of adventure.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lee, Sara, Taj and Bella sign off their messages \u201csomewhere on the sea\u201d. Picture: sailingcatalpa.com<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t want to wait until retirement to live this lifestyle. Both of us lost a parent too early and that taught us to not take life for granted we aren\u2019t guaranteed tomorrow,\u201d Ms Rice told The Courier-Mail. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe love the ocean and we wanted to make our life with our kids one big adventure showing them to follow their dreams and live a life they love.\u201d<\/p>\n
They set sail full-time in 2016 in a \u201cbudget sailing boat\u201d Catalpa, before leaving Australian waters the following year, travelling throughout South East Asia and eventually buying a bigger boat in 2022 in San Diego that they named Catalpa 2.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Lee teaching son Taj to appreciate diving about a decade ago. Picture: Sailing Catalpa\/YouTube<\/p>\n
The toughest thing was deciding whether they were doing the right thing for their kids, according to the couple. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe scariest thought was whether we\u2019d made the right decision pulling our kids out of school away from family and friends,\u201d Ms Rice said.<\/p>\n
Instead they boatschooled, something that wasn\u2019t easy but the kids got through, now 18 and 19 years old.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the beginning I was nervous about it for sure and not everyday was easy. It was sometimes hard to get them to want to do school but as the years went on we adapted to each of our kids, learning to suit them,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cTravelling is a wonderful education and seeing the world I believe was in itself a beautiful way to learn.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Their daughter on the mast in early days. Picture: Sailing Catalpa\/YouTube<\/p>\n
Life at sea has also tested them. <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been a few scary moments like going through the hole in the wall in Australia on the wrong tide. We have hit a reef. Had a hole in our boat taking on water mid passage, been in terrible storms many times but one of the scariest moments was when we were being followed by a boat in the middle of nowhere between Indonesia and Thailand \u2013 a boat full of at least 20 men slowly gaining on us,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter an hour or more they finally caught us and much to our relief they just wanted some food and to check us out.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The family at sea, doing whatever makes them happy in their first YouTube video. Picture: Sailing Catalpa\/YouTube<\/p>\n
The couple caution others considering the lifestyle that \u201cas beautiful as this lifestyle can be, it can also be challenging and stressful. The good times are incredible but the lows can be really hard so you got to want it\u201d.<\/p>\n
If you don\u2019t like the ocean, it would be a struggle, but they said but also warned that \u201canyone that likes to stick to a schedule\u201d would struggle.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou find out pretty quickly things don\u2019t always go to plan so being flexible and relaxed with that helps,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Anyone that thinks \u201cit\u2019s going to be easy\u201d might also struggle, as there are challenges, they cautioned.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The family believe in the value of a worldwide education of a different kind. Picture: Sailing Catalpa\/YouTube<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are more often than you think,\u201d Ms Rice said, adding \u201clook at those things as this is just a part of the lifestyle, for example, things breaking or bad weather, getting stuck places.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of our favourite memories are from being somewhere we never thought we would be so it\u2019s not all bad.<\/p>\n
\u201cI guess like any lifestyle it\u2019s how you look at the positive. But to be honest life is easier on land.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ten years on, the family has no regrets, saying it has been worth it. <\/p>\n
\u201cAbsolutely I guess that\u2019s why we are still out here,\u201d Ms Rice said. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn a heartbeat I would love to go back and do it all again.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The family sold everything and have lived on a boat for the past decade. Source: sailingcatalpa.com An Aussie…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":514201,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[4740,50],"class_list":{"0":"post-514200","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-news","8":"tag-australia","9":"tag-news"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115890429054503700","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=514200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/514200\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/514201"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=514200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=514200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=514200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}