Please join us at this year's Cruising Forum for an engaging panel discussion with active sailors/adventurers! 

Panelists will draw from years and miles of experience to answer host Sarah Curry's questions. What should you prioritize when choosing and outfitting an offshore boat? How can you best prepare yourself for the cruising lifestyle? We'll cover topics from self sufficiency to facing fears to life changing landfalls. And learn from our mistakes too! Benefit from expert tips for a safe passage down the Washington and Oregon coasts and to tropical destinations beyond... the freedom to explore the world in this amazing way is yours to realize.

Philip DiNuovo & Leslie Linkkila shed demanding corporate careers in 2003 and set sail from Kingston, WA, on an open-ended voyage aboard Carina, their Mason 33 cutter.  They closed the circle on their Pacific wanderings at Point Wilson in September 2017 after logging over 41,000 nautical miles in 14 years.  With hundreds of friends made in dozens of different countries, their love of this unique and challenging lifestyle has never diminished.  

Stacey & Brett Hoopes left aboard SV Bella Vita, their Hylas 45.5, hailing from Seattle, WA, in the fall of 2012 – sailing non-stop down the west coast to San Francisco. Since then their journey has taken them to Mexico, the islands of the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, and through southeast Asia to Malaysia –where Bella Vita is currently undergoing a refit. Through all the highs and lows, they've never once regretted their decision to leave; cruising has expanded their horizons in ways never imagined.

Will & Sarah Curry bought their first boat in Mexico in 2012 and after Will taught Sarah how to sail, they set off across the Pacific in 2013. They sold SV Hydroquest in Australia in 2014 (as was always the plan), but they knew they were hopelessly addicted to the amazing lifestyle. They've spent the past two years outfitting their second boat, SV Kaiquest, a Jeanneau SO 43, in Vancouver, BC, and set off cruising again in August 2017 - albeit at a much slower pace this time. Kaiquest in currently in San Francisco.