Hi, and great that you found our website. Here you can read about our way of
living, and about our home which has a name. She is called Sybaris and she is a sailing boat. When we decided to
become "yachties" i.e. live on a yacht all year round, we were lucky to find
a boat which has even more space than some normal homes. We have 3 bedrooms (cabins), 2
bathrooms with shower (heads), one large living room (main saloon), a
spacious kitchen (galley), a walk in engine room, two outside cockpits (one
covered), and a huge front teak deck. Sybaris is a Gulfstar 54 Sailcruiser
and for us she is the perfect boat.
We are Per and Elly,
we moved
onboard in early 2006, and we have been sailing full time since then. Most
people ask us; "what do you need to live like you", "do you ever get bored", and
"what do you do in the evenings" (in that order). To answer the first question, it
might work because we are thrifty, handy, curious, patient, and want
to live the way we do. But then, that is not necessarily a general
rule - who knows?. As for the other two questions the answer is no,
and plenty. Just maintaining a boat is almost a full time occupation
in itself. Then the actual traveling takes a lot of time. Each trip
needs to be planned (some more than others), which can involve booking
arrivals, reading up on destinations, and making sure all paperwork is
in order. The daily logistics take more time than normal because we
always have to find new shops, and get to know the "local
knowledge" in order to save time and money. Finally you make lots
of friends everywhere both on land and among other boats, and socializing
can take as much time as you want it to.
The name Sybaris comes from an ancient Greek town that was situated
in the heel of southern Italy. It was known for
it's opulent citizens and general comfortable way of life. The term
"Sybarite", which is still found in many languages, is used
to describe people who like the good life. Well, we are doing our best
in trying to turn as many people as possible into
"Sybarites", and we
have so far been quite successful. In fact, all you need to do is to spend some time onboard
in order to become a Sybaris
Sailcruising Club Member. Once a club member you are
automatically classified as a "Sybarite".
We
have made the Eastern Mediterranean and the Red Sea our home for now, and our
"job" is to sail and explore wonderful countries like Greece, Cyprus, Turkey, Egypt,
Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. A definite bonus we have is the countless and
unique
photo opportunities we encounter on a daily basis. If you appreciate
great photos, want to learn more about the eastern Mediterranean, or
just simply want to check out where we have been, then go and browse our photo
gallery. The gallery is organized in chronological order and shows
you some selected highlights along our way.
If you want to enjoy a more interactive experience you can make yourself a
"cyber sailor" and follow our adventures both in text and pictures on-line.
Our travel blog
is updated on a regular basis (as internet access permits) so be sure to check
in often.
If you have a nagging idea about something you really want to do or
accomplish then the first step you need to take is to define this wish
is more detail. It might be to change your lifestyle and go sailing indefinitely
like us, or something else like climbing a mountain, learning to sing,
loosing 20kg of weight, or getting a promotion. Whatever it is, once
you have defined it in detail to yourself you are past the biggest
hurdle. But be realistic and practical when you define your dreams.
Many disappointments happen when people set their targets too high, or
make them out to be more than they really are. Selling all you own to
buy a house is Spain on a whim is most probably not a good idea. The
weather is not always perfect in Spain, you might need to learn a new
language and make new friends etc. If you already know this when
setting your goals you are already one step ahead and much more likely
to succeed. Next you need to decide to give it a try, and this is very
important. Most dreams never come true because we think we have to
make it permanent. If you for example want to loose 20kg your mind
might tell you that you are not willing to give up all the good food
you love. Ok, but then make it a temporary thing and see what it is
like. The same goes with dreams about travel and making a new life. Go
and spend a few months in Spain, go for a
sailing vacation, or whatever you dream of. Give it a try and
don't be afraid of changing your mind if it wasn't what you thought it
would be. Now, if your dreams still persist you need to make them
happen. Sometimes you can go for it immediately, but it might require
changes and preparations that take some time. Do it yourself, do it
your way, make it happen, and don't worry too much of what others say.
If you like this site or have any comments please let us know.
Likewise, if you want to get some tips or information about sailing in
this part of the world, about the Gulfstar Sailcruiser 54, about cooking on a
boat, or about making dreams into reality then you must contact us.
You might want to use one of our photos, or get a selection of more photos of a specific subject (cats,
flowers, amphitheaters, temples, pyramids, minarets, you name it), or
perhaps you want to discuss web design. Whatever the reason your best
bet to get in contact is via email. We would love to hear from you.
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