Meet the Family
Chris, a photographer, is focused on crafting images for the landscape industry. He’s traveled across the U.S. and abroad to capture photos that enhance the perception of our outdoor environment. Chris also has a passion for educating professionals in the landscape industry.
Alison, a software developer, has worked remotely for the last decade. She enjoys building tools for creatives and finding efficient ways to solve problems. Alison is also an educator, teaching graduate courses for computer science students.
Ewan (age 10) and Gwynnie (age 8) are active kids who have jumped into the homeschool experience for the last couple of years as we prepared ourselves to be able to live and work from anywhere.
Our family has gone through several boats as we prepared for life aboard.
We cut our teeth on a 1977 Catalina 22 (later named Pickerel Rush) that we trailered into Lake Macatawa and Lake Michigan on weekends. It served its purpose of being an inexpensive entry point into sailing, confirming that we wanted to do more.
We upgraded to a 1980 Catalina 22, the first to earn the name Fika. It had cushions and provided a better camping experience. We trailered it over Mackinac Bridge and enjoyed our first “long” experience sleeping on the boat while at Mackinac Island.
Then we upgraded to a 1983 Catalina 30, also given the name Fika. This boat gave us experience with many systems we didn’t have before: a galley, a head, batteries and electricity, a water system, and a tv screen! We enjoyed traveling in this boat from Holland to Grand Haven, MI, during one summer and a more extended voyage further north in Lake Michigan the following summer in 2022.
A 43-foot Sailboat!
While we loved our Catalina 30, our month living aboard during the summer of 2022 confirmed that the space was a little tight for us. Traveling along The Great Loop in this boat would be doable, but we recognized everyone would benefit from separate cabins and a little more space.
Late in the summer of 2022, we came across a boat for sale in Virginia that checked off all the boxes of what we were looking for in a boat, including a scarce 3-cabin layout. We almost immediately arranged a 13-hour road trip to Virginia to see this live-aboard 2005 Beneteau 423 and made an offer.
Chris and Alison spent a week on the new boat after its purchase in October 2022. Their time on board made them fall in love with it even more.
This Beneteau 423 will be our full-time home while exploring America’s Great Loop.
Sailing Vessel Fika
Fika /ˈfēkə/
From a Swedish custom, fika is a state of mind or attitude toward taking a break for friends, coffee, tea, and snacks.
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Sailing Vessel Fika, or “SV Fika” in shorthand, is the name we’ve given our sailboat. The Swedish term “fika” can mean something as simple as a coffee break. But it can also mean more, like taking the time to relax with others.
