What made you decide to take the plunge & live full-time on a yacht?

Hayden: In 2016, my mates and I went on a surf trip, on a yacht, around the Mentawai Islands, and that kinda put into our minds that this was something we could work towards doing ourselves. So a year or so on, a few of us mates ended up buying a project yacht together to do just that. But, unfortunately, we never completed the project and sold the boat before we were able to get it into the water. At that point, though, Lily had come into my life and took to the dream pretty hard, too - convincing me not to give up and that we could make it happen together. After that, we worked our a$$’s off to save up for a yacht that’ll get us around the world. We bought our boat in 2020, just before Covid hit, so although we haven’t been able to chase waves, we’ve had an absolute blast sailing, exploring and free diving our way up the coast. Hopefully, next year we’ll be able to chase waves. If not, surely 2023! 

What are your biggest challenges living on your yacht? Any do’s & don’ts in tough weather conditions?

Lily: Oh, definitely the availability of fresh food. We're such big foodies, we love local farmer markets, and we struggle not having those around for months at a time. We're pretty good at storing and preserving our food, but it never hits quite the same spot or gives us as much energy as fresh organic food!

Hayden: Hmm, there's a few do's and don'ts, haha, but the first couple of things that spring to mind would be around safety and communication - and being irrational… which admittedly I can be guilty of being. 

When things get wild out there, you're concerned about the safety of yourself and, most importantly, the person you love. So it's easy to get flustered and panic, which means you're not thinking clearly and a lot more mistake-prone. 

I mostly just try to do everything because I don't want to be putting Lily in any dangerous situations. But in reality, that's worse because we're better and safer when we work together, and Lily really is more than capable of doing anything and everything on the boat.

Trust and having a rock-solid relationship is another huge thing. Often, your safety will be in the other person's hands, so you need to work together really well, not just yell and scream at each other. And granted, with more experience, you also learn how to understand and deal with not-ideal situations as they emerge. Just, stay confident and calm, and have trust and a good relationship with your partner/crew/friends/whatever the situation is.

And that's it. That's Sailing 101 ;).

What are some of your best memories since living on your yacht?

Hayden: Ah man, there have been so many unreal memories. It's hard to put the finger on a few. But, we recently visited Lizard Island, and that was a wonderful experience. Aside from the beauty of the island, we were surrounded by the most incredible community of sailors. 

Our days consisted of tai chi, yoga, bird watching, hiking, learning guitar, learning to foil board, abseiling, slacklining, using our pois and pixel whip, visiting the research station, collecting coconuts, and of course, snorkelling. And while we were snorkelling, we learnt to look for animals and things we wouldn't usually observe. It's kind of like being at a community school where everyone is there just kinda teaching and sharing what they know and love. It was really incredible. 

We'll always cherish our little Lizard Island family, that's for sure!

We see you started your full-time travelling in a troopy before changing to a yacht. If you had to pick one for the rest of your life, which would you pick & why?

Hayden: Sometimes, we still miss life on the road. We loved our Troopy travels, and it's so good being able to move somewhere quickly. But I think we belong at sea. We find a lot more fulfilment in being out here; even though it is a heck of a lot harder, it makes it more rewarding. Plus, we get to check out some very rarely visited places and reefs! 

 
What's your ultimate dream travel destination?

Lily: The goal has always been the Pacific Islands - hitting all the destinations such as the Lousiades, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Cook Islands, Samoa and Tonga. But obviously, the world isn't really in a position for us to do that now, so we'll keep watching what opens up and checking out our incredible backyard for the time being. 

What do you have to do before landing and travelling between different islands off Australia? Do you need to apply for permission or pay any docking fees?

Lily: It varies from island to island. In most places within Australia, you can just pull up and visit without any dramas. You can't typically enter any resorts, but there will usually be a cost associated if there is the option to. Some islands are owned and occupied by Aboriginal people or privately owned; in both cases, you need to get permission before checking out these islands. 

Other islands, such as Lord Howe, Norfolk, Cocos Keelings, Thursday etc., I'm pretty sure have quite a few additional requirements, such as biosecurity. And then, there are also some islands and areas of the ocean that are pink zones, so you literally can't enter the area at all, and there's a hefty fine if you do. 

It sounds complicated when writing it out, but it's pretty quick and easy these days to research the places you want to go before you go to them. There's also some really good user-fed apps, websites and Facebook pages with reliable information (just send us a DM if you ever want a link to these sources)