Would we run out of money? Would we die at sea? Would we feel lonely? Would the boat constantly break? Would we regret the decision altogether? Now, after years of sailing full-time, here’s the reality behind those fears.

Then there’s time. Everything takes longer. Groceries can take a full day. Checking into a country? Hours of paperwork and waiting. Boat projects stretch on indefinitely, often with a little bloodshed along the way.

Electric winches? Yes please! Glossy wood interiors? Oh Yeah! Fancy electronics? Must have! And just like that, we were looking at boats that were bigger, fancier, and way out of our budget.

Now, three years later, sitting in a river in El Salvador waiting out hurricane season, we’re reflecting back on the things we probably would have done differently. Not regrets. We’re full-steam-ahead kind of people. More of a list of five lessons we’d approach differently if we had the chance to do it again.