Lauren & Jeff - Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
A brief history of Us
We've been subjecting our family and friends to overly-long slideshows since we met and started traveling together in 2000. When we had trouble agreeing on destinations and activities, Lauren initiated the first "Magical Mystery Tour" - a trip to a destination revealed to Jeff only after our flight landed.
With the kids off on their own, we started thinking seriously about how to spend more time adventuring. As much as we want to spend more time roaming the US, we decided to give this wacky cruising life a try.
Although Jeff had some experience sailing aboard the Brilliant and some dinghy sailing , Lauren hadn't done any sailing so, it's been a steep learning curve. This little website utterly fails to capture the intensity of the effort we've put into making this idea become reality.
Our Training to Date Includes:
2021
- ASA 107 Celestial Navigation (in progress)
2020
- 2-Handed Sonnet from Oriental NC to Galesville MD
- Off-grid for a relaxing trip exploring the upper Chesapeake
2019
- Cert: Emergency Offshore Medicine
- Cert: "Hands-Only" CPR / AED
- Crossed the Gulfstream twice & sailed in 40 knots sustained with gusts to 58!
2018
- Cert: Int'l Offshore Safety at Sea
- Underway training - 75 hours
- Systems maintenance - ??? hours!
- Marine Diesel Engine Maintenance
2017
- Crew: Sonnet Delivery RI to MD
- Cert: ASA 101 Basic Keelboat Sailing
- Cert: ASA 103 Basic Coastal Cruising
- Cert: ASA 104 Barefoot Cruising
- Cert: US Coast Guard Safe Boating
About Jeff
Jeff doesn't know that I've started this website... so he'll have to add his own bio soon.
About Lauren
I was born in Pennsylvania, but have lived in Maryland since I was a toddler. Mom and Dad passed on their interest in learning and I became a voracious reader. As an only child in a rural area, I spent a lot of time roaming the fields and forests, observing the animals and grazing on wild plants. I captured the world by hand in sketches, watercolors, cut paper, batik. I've been taking photos since I got my first camera in high school, but continue to dabble in artwork. My formal education includes Biology, Environmental Biology, Geographical Information Systems, and Project Management.
Long-term hobbies and interests include: art, writing, reading, bird-watching, photography, motorcycling, scuba diving, traveling, cooking, and single-malt scotch.
In addition to working with Jeff on the tons of projects to get Sonnet ready for world-cruising, I've been focused on learning a few new tricks that might provide extra income, including wine-making, canvas work, soap-making, and baking bread!
Lauren's Training & Experience
- Crew: Panama Canal transit 2017
- Crew: Offshore passage Grand Cayman to Panama 2017
At the helm of Sonnet in the Chesapeake.