Feature: Wayward Learning

If your boat was your home, what would it look like? What "home" necessities would you be willing to part with in order to make your dream life possible? If you're really thinking about it, then Carolyn, Jason, and their family are the people you need to read up on, and they make it really easy for you, with a detailed blog called Wayward Learning. They answer the big question: "Why?" With "why not?" But if you read even a little more, it quickly becomes apparent how much thought they've put into making their life actually be as good as it looks in pictures ;) 

We're proud to be onboard with this family and give you a glimpse into their nautical life! 

Where are you right now, where were you before, and where are you going next? 

We are Jason and Carolyn with our kids Deirdre and Osiris. We are currently in North Carolina. We spent the summer in the Chesapeake and are slowly meandering our way down to the Florida Keys.
 
Tell us about yourself. Why’d you choose your lifestyle? How long have you been at it? Any plans for the near future? Distant future? 
 
Jason loves boats and wanted to live on one after retirement. Carolyn loves travel and wished we could do more as a family. When we heard about a family living aboard and traveling, we figured, why wait? We may as well live an adventure today! We have been living aboard for just under 3 years now. Our plans consist of sun and fun and to keep going as long as it feels right!

Tell us about your rig. How long have you had it, how much distance have you put on it, where have you taken it? 
 
SV Rána is a 45ft Hunter 410 sailboat. She is a B&R rigged fractional sloop. The name means Moon or Wanderer in J.R.R. Tolkien's Elvish. We have traveled from Florida up to the Chesapeake Bay and are currently heading south again with plans to go further.

What product(s) of ours do you have onboard? How’s it working out for you? 

We have 5 fans onboard and we use them all the time! We have two Chinook fans which are great for drying areas that get wet, two Boras and an Ultimate mounted that we use to keep the air moving in our living spaces!

We found you through an online community you’re a part of and seem to be actively involved with. What’s the vibe like these days? Are you finding more people are starting to live the way you are? 
 
Yes, we are actively involved with our Instagram.com/Wayward_Learning followers and our WaywardLearning.com blog. This nomadic lifestyle really does seem to be growing. More and more people seem to be embracing alternative ways of living!  Pre-COVID, we definitely saw more people coming around to this way of living. That said, we have met several people who moved aboard because COVID-19 related working from home finally allowed them the freedom to do so!

It’s a weird time for the world. How have you been affected personally or how has your lifestyle changed recently? 

It has made the cruising lifestyle harder because there is just less chance to meet people and fewer fun things to safely go and do! I think the biggest impact has been on the kids. We would typically spend lots of time at libraries, parks and beaches where they make friends and that just hasn't been possible this past year. That said, the kids have made friends with other boat kids and we have explored protected habitats, isolated islands, hidden beaches and observed lots of wildlife so it hasn't been altogether a bad year! We look forward to continuing our explorations and hopefully meeting up with old friends and making new ones along the way!