Our Story

The Privilege Effect

Letting go of the old in search of the new

For most individuals, a fresh start or an adventure of this scale doesn't happen instantly. Something must disrupt the status quo to set it on a new course. For us, the disruption was Covid and a series of events surrounding it. 

The loss of family members, a significant road accident, the lack of control brought by Covid, and a reawakening all came together. In hindsight, it was the perfect storm, effectively tipping the apple cart.

We spent 20 years living in Australia after moving from South Wales in the UK. We enjoyed an active outdoor lifestyle in Australia with our three children and looked forward to growing old in Perth, surrounded by family and friends—a dream many share. Leigh and I had fulfilling careers; I worked as a Paediatric Nurse, while Leigh was a Physiotherapist. Additionally, I was an enthusiastic photographer with a small side business that included a studio and gallery. Although I never aimed to be the next renowned landscape photographer, my passion for capturing light, photographing people, and having the creative freedom to express myself was always a strong motivation. 

We hope our blog series will introduce various aspects of our past life into the conversation—moments that influenced decisions, stirred our emotions, and now shape our current sailing lifestyle. 

Our blogs will explore the places we visit, including those that are off the beaten path. We will delve into the details of life on a boat, covering everything from our own experiences to those of others, and comparing the costs of living on a boat to living in different locations. We will discuss topics like gratitude, motivation, health and wellness, and include blogs with photography. Some content might appeal to you, some might not, but there may also be topics you'd like us to cover or highlight. We invite everyone to join us on this journey. 

Let's be clear from the start. The notion of purchasing a sailboat, setting sail into the sunset, and adapting to an entirely different set of life rules isn't suitable for everyone. Life on the water presents daily challenges, and it definitely isn't the champagne and sunsets lifestyle that some might imagine. 

Some days are incredibly tough, emotionally exhausting, financially taxing, and physically strenuous. Navigating the laws of various countries, maritime regulations, weather conditions, tides, and other vessels, while avoiding the chaos, is quite a challenge. Although the oceans are vast, they can be as intricate as a highway during rush hour. We just do it at a slower pace!

Why are we dedicating so much effort to our blog? Primarily, we are far from our closest family and friends, but ultimately, we aim for our blog to captivate everyone. Perhaps you've considered sailing, purchasing an RV for a sunset drive, or simply have a desire to explore. Or maybe, just maybe, some of you are at a life crossroads, ready to shake things up.

There will always be inevitable critics, as well as those who might find some inspiration in how we choose to live our single life and what we manage to accomplish within the brief time that life offers us.

I refer to it as the privilege effect, because we truly are. We are fortunate to be here, experiencing the beauty of life and all that this wonderful planet provides. We've opted to approach it this way, and perhaps you might find something in our journey that resonates with you.

Our goal is to post out some regular blogs, maybe the odd youtube video and post out on facebook and instagram photos of the adventure. However, we do want to use this platform (our blog) as the central point for all social media. So we ask a big favour, If you have'nt already and you are keen to follow us, it would be awesome (for the so called algorythms) if you could like and subscribe (on those little links above) to any of our posts/pages. maybe even a share to others.

Also, Forewarned is forearmed!!! on youtube (link above) is our only post from 2020!!! (it was the year that started the ball rolling and pretty crap as a video!!)

We are really exited about this next chapter in our lives, Would love it if you become crew and jump on board Sailing Fluenta

Much Love

Mark & Leigh xx