Cruising Indigo
This is the story of a cruising dream… come true.
In 2009 we bought a Pacific Seacraft 34 sailboat. After 5 years of planning, saving and implementing numerous equipment upgrades, we waved goodbye to our jobs in May of 2014. Next, we sold most of our belongings, stored the rest and moved aboard. In anticipation of the 2014 Baja HA HA Cruisers Rally, we diligently prepared for what we hoped to be the greatest adventure of our lives.
On Oct 27th, 2014, Indigo departed San Diego for Cabo San Lucas with over 100 other boats. It was the hardest thing we had ever done… and the best decision we’d ever made. From 2014-2017, we meandered up and down the Sea of Cortez, bouncing between docks in La Paz and San Carlos with lengthy stops in Loreto and Mazatlán. In between marinas, we’d anchor out for a week or a month at a time in some of the most stunning anchorages on earth. (Click the PICS button for proof!)
For those amazing and challenging years, the cruising life tested us daily. We learned to not only navigate at sea, but to navigate on land in a foreign country with a new language and culture.
The challenges were infinite: mechanical breakdowns at sea, walking miles around town in search of a desperately-needed tool, sleepless nights worrying about dragging anchor, spending a half-day just to grocery-shop, more sleepless nights getting tossed around our bunk by uncomfortable waves, fixing a blown-out refrigerator in 100-degree heat. Hmmm, see a pattern? We spent an inordinate amount of time washing Indigo and rewashing her, fixing Indigo and re-fixing her, putting Indigo away for the summer and getting her ready to sail again come winter. People assume living on a sailboat is like living on the Love Boat, permanent margarita in-hand. I assure you, it is not.
But… despite the endless hours of work, the innumerable moments of pure bliss kept us captivated: dropping our anchor for the first time in crystal clear water over a seabed of sparkling sand, snorkeling in a deserted cove with thousands of tropical fish, beachcombing for seashells or hiking in a cactus forest, being surprised by the kindness of strangers, watching dolphins frolic about the boat in a quiet bay, meeting new people who became lifelong friends, being mesmerized by spectacular sunsets, witnessing the greatest fireworks extravaganza ever…and the food!
Yes, our days consisted of 40% sunshine and seashells, 50% manual labor and 10% white-knuckled panic! This way of life is not for everyone. It’s yin and yang to the extreme. Oh, we complained about the hard work and the fear factor, but ultimately, we loved it.
Though we hoped to have ventured farther afield and for at least a couple more years, life happens. We made a choice to discontinue our travels and return to land-life in order to support our parents with health issues. But we will hold onto this incredible experience, treasuring every yin and yang of it for the rest of our lives.
Why did you create this website?
1. We wanted to help those looking to purchase or upgrade their own cruising boats. If our thousands of hours in research and labor in modifying Indigo can benefit others to make confidant decisions regarding their own boats, we are delighted. Jump to the UPGRADES button which details all our modifications… from purchasing sails to welding granny bars!
2. THE BOAT button delves into the characteristics of the PSC34 sailboat, specifying why we chose this particular vessel. We placed our lives in her hands. We chose correctly.
3. The BLOG allowed our family and friends to follow along on our crazy adventure. Now that we are back on land, the blog is a wonderful reminder of what we've accomplished and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
Brian & Marya Lipiec
S/V Indigo is currently moored in Bay City, MI
Her parents are grounded on land in mid-Michigan for the foreseeable future.
*We have not been compensated by any company for mentions in or links to this website.
In 2009 we bought a Pacific Seacraft 34 sailboat. After 5 years of planning, saving and implementing numerous equipment upgrades, we waved goodbye to our jobs in May of 2014. Next, we sold most of our belongings, stored the rest and moved aboard. In anticipation of the 2014 Baja HA HA Cruisers Rally, we diligently prepared for what we hoped to be the greatest adventure of our lives.
On Oct 27th, 2014, Indigo departed San Diego for Cabo San Lucas with over 100 other boats. It was the hardest thing we had ever done… and the best decision we’d ever made. From 2014-2017, we meandered up and down the Sea of Cortez, bouncing between docks in La Paz and San Carlos with lengthy stops in Loreto and Mazatlán. In between marinas, we’d anchor out for a week or a month at a time in some of the most stunning anchorages on earth. (Click the PICS button for proof!)
For those amazing and challenging years, the cruising life tested us daily. We learned to not only navigate at sea, but to navigate on land in a foreign country with a new language and culture.
The challenges were infinite: mechanical breakdowns at sea, walking miles around town in search of a desperately-needed tool, sleepless nights worrying about dragging anchor, spending a half-day just to grocery-shop, more sleepless nights getting tossed around our bunk by uncomfortable waves, fixing a blown-out refrigerator in 100-degree heat. Hmmm, see a pattern? We spent an inordinate amount of time washing Indigo and rewashing her, fixing Indigo and re-fixing her, putting Indigo away for the summer and getting her ready to sail again come winter. People assume living on a sailboat is like living on the Love Boat, permanent margarita in-hand. I assure you, it is not.
But… despite the endless hours of work, the innumerable moments of pure bliss kept us captivated: dropping our anchor for the first time in crystal clear water over a seabed of sparkling sand, snorkeling in a deserted cove with thousands of tropical fish, beachcombing for seashells or hiking in a cactus forest, being surprised by the kindness of strangers, watching dolphins frolic about the boat in a quiet bay, meeting new people who became lifelong friends, being mesmerized by spectacular sunsets, witnessing the greatest fireworks extravaganza ever…and the food!
Yes, our days consisted of 40% sunshine and seashells, 50% manual labor and 10% white-knuckled panic! This way of life is not for everyone. It’s yin and yang to the extreme. Oh, we complained about the hard work and the fear factor, but ultimately, we loved it.
Though we hoped to have ventured farther afield and for at least a couple more years, life happens. We made a choice to discontinue our travels and return to land-life in order to support our parents with health issues. But we will hold onto this incredible experience, treasuring every yin and yang of it for the rest of our lives.
Why did you create this website?
1. We wanted to help those looking to purchase or upgrade their own cruising boats. If our thousands of hours in research and labor in modifying Indigo can benefit others to make confidant decisions regarding their own boats, we are delighted. Jump to the UPGRADES button which details all our modifications… from purchasing sails to welding granny bars!
2. THE BOAT button delves into the characteristics of the PSC34 sailboat, specifying why we chose this particular vessel. We placed our lives in her hands. We chose correctly.
3. The BLOG allowed our family and friends to follow along on our crazy adventure. Now that we are back on land, the blog is a wonderful reminder of what we've accomplished and the lessons we’ve learned along the way.
Brian & Marya Lipiec
S/V Indigo is currently moored in Bay City, MI
Her parents are grounded on land in mid-Michigan for the foreseeable future.
*We have not been compensated by any company for mentions in or links to this website.
