Andy spoke with Brenda of the schooner Mahdee, which is currently berthed in California. Brenda and her husband David got inspired to go sailing in their college years while on a cycling trip around Lake Superior. Eating from a camp stove, they looked at a sailboat on the lake and thought, 'that's how we ought to travel!'

Years went by, and Brenda and David traveled all over the world following his career as a Navy Pilot while Brenda picked up Engineering jobs. Finally, in 2006, their dream came true when they bought and begant the lengthy restoration of the classic 1931 schooner Mahdee. Since launch, they've cruised the west coast as far as Alaska, and are full-time liveaboards, having sold everything ashore to follow their dream. Check out Mahdee's transformation on blog.mahdee.com.

Their latest project is Bootstrap Adventure (bootstrapadventure.com), where they're attempting to create a marketplace for outdoor adventurers to buy and sell gear, knowledge and experience.

Want to go ocean sailing with Andy? Book a berth on 59-north.com/events.