1 Full Month Living at Sea: Learning, Adapting, Sailing, Fixing. Just the Two Of Us.
A Month of Firsts
The first month living full-time aboard our sailboat VAGO, flew like a river, fast, transformative and pushing.
Since we hauled in, days have been filled with countless firsts where we were just the two of us, no skipper, no previous owner, no friends. Our first storms, our first nights truly alone, our first time entering a harbor and the first time having to trust ourselves entirely at sea. We’ve mostly slept at anchor, with only a few exceptions and every evening brought a different kind of silence and beauty. Sometimes no silence at all, only the wind keeping you awake, the ropes creaking, the anchor moving, the chain stretching and vibrating underneath, the anchor alarm waking us up for nothing. It’s in these moments—trusting ourselves, our anchor, our boat—that we realize how far we’ve already come.
Weathering The Heavy Rain
We experienced our first real storms this month, and they were both a test and a teacher. As the winds howled and the rain poured, we found ourselves anxiously checking for leaks, testing the integrity of our home on the water. Thankfully, VAGO held strong, but we learned valuable lessons about preparedness, securing equipment and trusting our instincts. Fun fact: When I can sleep Stefan was awake, when I was awake Stefan would sleep like a baby. The experience also deepened our respect for the sea—it’s a reminder that nature always has the final say! For weather tracking and preparation, resources like PredictWind, WindFinder, WetterOnline, Anchor Alarm, Navily, You name it… have become essential companions.
Learning How VAGO works
Every day on board is a lesson in self-sufficiency. We used the water maker for the first time—a small victory that felt enormous. It’s not just about convenience; it’s about independence. The more we learn about how things work, the more confident we become in our ability to manage this life. Still, it’s far from easy. Everything takes more time: doing groceries, washing clothes by hand, cleaning dishes, or simply maintaining order aboard (trust me, this is a hard one when you have tools everywhere). But it’s this slowness, this deep engagement with the essentials, that makes the experience meaningful.
The Cost of Freedom
Sailing full-time is often romanticized, but the reality is that it’s a costly endeavor—especially when your boat is second or third-hand. There are always upgrades to make, parts to replace, systems to fine-tune. It’s an ongoing process of fixing, repairing, and customizing, and it’s never truly finished. Yet, the satisfaction of doing things ourselves outweighs the frustration. Each repair builds resilience, each improvement adds comfort, and each challenge reminds us that freedom comes with responsibility.
Between Preveza and Vonitsa
Our route this month hasn’t covered great distances geographically. We’ve stayed mostly between Preveza, Vonitsa, Agios Nikolaos and the Ambrachian Gulf.
About Ag. Nikolaos, here a short video Stefan filmed and edited to capture how waking up there looked and felt like for us. Sometimes images describe better what words cannot express. We dreamt a lot about this place, always saw a boat or a catamaran from the street and wondered how it would feel like to be there with VAGO.
In Preveza we feel like in a real city. There you find anything you need. Preveza is where we wait for packages, in the tinier Vonitsa we visit the local market and provision the tastiest honey, freshest fruit and vegetables.
We’re currently equipping VAGO for winter, making sure every system works and waiting for spare parts for our heating system, finding the right people to change our batteries. After the storm and the cloudy days, we realized that even though VAGO is well insulated, warmth and enough energy are not optional—it’s essential when you plan to live full-time aboard.
Crusing and Exploring the Ambrachian Gulf
These anchorages have become our temporary neighborhood—a small circle of water where we’re learning, adjusting, and adapting. Right now, I am writing from the quiet and isolated Kopraina, apparently an historic port and a modern natural site in the Amvrakikos Gulf in Greece, known for its importance as a trading hub since the Byzantine era. We sheltered here for now 5 days, we have water, plenty of birds to watch, a cozy tavern with an oven and fishermen delivering the freshest fish of the day. If you like nature, this is really a nice place. You can walk to the lighthouse or adventure yourself walking by the shore.
The Endless To-Do List
Boat life is a never-ending story. Once one task is finished, another appears—an order to place, a system to tweak, something to clean or organize. It’s easy to get lost in the list, but there’s also beauty in it. These small, repetitive acts connect us deeply to our home and our environment. They force patience, presence, and humility—values that often fade in fast-paced, land-based life. As we wait for parts, we continue ordering, adjusting, and improving, one step at a time.
Beauty in the Stillness
Despite the work, the waiting, and the occasional frustration, moments of profound beauty make everything worthwhile. The way the light dances on the waves, the sound of the wind through the rigging, the peaceful loneliness of a quiet anchorage—all of it feels alive. Sailing is demanding, yes, but it’s also deeply rewarding. Even when tension runs high or exhaustion takes over, the connection with nature and the sense of independence surpass every struggle.
Looking Forward
As we complete our first month, we find ourselves both exhausted and grateful. Every storm weathered, every small repair completed, and every sunrise witnessed has built our confidence. We’re learning not just how to sail VAGO, but how to live this life—slowly, deliberately, and wholeheartedly. With winter approaching, we hope that by my birthday we’ll be on the move again—perhaps north toward Corfu or south into new horizons. Until then, we continue learning, fixing, and dreaming—one tide at a time.
Read more about how we landed to VAGO and how this whole adventure started for us in this Blog Article. More about who we are as human beings here The Crew aboard Project-VAGO.