The work was done. We were done. There was nothing left to fix, sand, paint, or rewire. After four long, hot, dusty months in the boatyard in Puerto Peñasco, we were more than ready to be floating again. We’d been dreaming of warm swims, sandy beaches, and lazy evenings at anchor on the mainland.

There’s a strange comfort in boatyard life—everyone’s a little tired, a little broke, and a little sunburned. But we’re all in it together, trading tips, tools, and beers. It’s the kind of shared misery that somehow turns into great memories later.

Sell it all. Move onto a sailboat. Live for free. Sounds simple, right? When we sold everything and moved aboard, we knew it would be cheaper than renting an apartment in one of Canada’s most expensive cities. And when we set sail for full-time cruising, we figured the costs would drop even further.

The climb involved scaling narrow rock cracks and trusting frayed ropes that looked like they’d been installed sometime during the Steinbeck expedition itself. We got stuck, got scratched, but made it to the top. And, more importantly, back down alive.