Adventures from beginner sailing courses to our family of 4 + Oliver living aboard a 40′ catamaran, running a business on the vessel, and traveling around the Caribbean.
The survey and sea trial are the equivalent of a house inspection done on a property prior to finalizing the deal for purchase. The buyer is responsible for hiring the surveyor and the costs associated with it. The seller … Continued
There are several similarities of buying a large boat and buying a home. However, as opposed to the investment increasing in value over time as many properties do, the opposite is true on a boat. Boats live in the … Continued
“The secret of happiness is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.” – Socrates Downsizing from a 2000 sq ft house with a yard and large patio to a 550 or so (indoor) … Continued
The island of Vieques is a Spanish Virgin Island located 6 miles east of the main island of Puerto Rico in the archipelago. It is commonly referred to as “Isla Nena” or “Baby Island”. The hidden paradise has been discovered, and the … Continued
The name of our blog has a double meaning. The first is for both of our nicknames; Tomas, “el gato” (the cat), and myself, “the mermaid”. Tomas’s Titi (Aunt) Valen, in childhood gave him the nickname “gato mañoso”, (best translated … Continued
I grew up on sailboats as both of my parents are sailors. They owned a few sail boats. They also took us a few times in the Virgin Islands on bareboat charters for a week at a time when we … Continued
When the idea of the nautical tourism business first starting coming to life I started researching and realized that the first step in making this dream a possibility would be obtaining a US Coast Guard Captains license. I also found … Continued
This whole making our dream a reality thing has been a work in progress since we met in Vieques four years ago. Both of our lives have shifted and merged into a joint venture…to make a living…using a luxury … Continued