In 2020, Californians Chris and Shawna Dutton were on vacation in Mexico. They we in a marina bar at Puerto Escondido and gazing at the beautiful cruising boats, many of which were owned and run by retired American couples living their dreams. It was in that moment that Chris uttered two fateful little words, “what if…”
The answer was “yes.” It was the height of Covid lockdown, people were going stir crazy and the two of them hankered to travel extensively with their two young children. No question about it, an ocean-going trawler-style cruiser was the only way to go.
They finished the house they were building and put it on the market. Chris, a software engineer, started his own company and lined up enough contracts to fund their new lifestyle while working remotely as they traveled.
The boat hunt took some time and a lot of effort but they finally settled on a Selene 53 fitted with fin stabilizers and enough tankage to cross oceans. They sold everything they had, cars, furniture, everything, and moved aboard with their two small children Lexi and Jake, who was still in diapers.
Shawna reflects that their family and friends had two typical reactions to this radical change in their lives. It was either “You’re living the life most people only dream of,” or “I honestly thought you were crazy.”
In the end, the decision and the commitment to adventure was a mixture of both. Yet, three years later, they have cruised from California to Panama and explored the Caribbean before setting off for an Atlantic Crossing via Bermuda and the Azores.
The children have adapted well and aare now experienced travelers. Chris’ remote work and the ongoing business of maintaining a large motor yacht, keeps him busy and Shawna revels in her new and unconventional life. Their story is an inspiration for anyone with a lust for life and an itch to explore the world aboard a proper blue water cruiser.
Read more here in Part One of their adventurous tale. We’ll bring you Part Two when it is available.
