Sailing Around The World to Make a Difference
More than just adventure traveling or cruising, I’m on a one-woman mission to give my way around the world. By becoming a subscriber on Patreon, you’ll enable me to sail on, spreading empathy, raising global awareness about youth in foster care, and creating a compelling story and a light for other former foster youth and the communities that support them.
The choice to join our team of caring supporters on Patreon is a meaningful commitment, and in return, you’ll be receiving more than just a good feeling. As we make this unique journey of the heart, I share my stories exclusively with Patrons about our experiences as Zia 🐶 and I sail Windfola around the globe. Our community of Patrons has exclusive access to stories, photos, and satellite tracking maps to follow our progress and read up-to-the-moment messages about our experience, plus much more.
There’s plenty of amazing free content online these days. There are remarkable influencers, how-to writers, and videographers, not to mention entertainment companies making great shows and films. I understand that it’s a stretch to ask you to pay for content these days, but becoming a subscriber to our journey is different. It’s a decision to support one person following a dream to travel and make a difference in the world, one person who will do her best to take you along for the ride. With your support, we can do amazing things.
Authagraph map of our itinerary. (Altered, with original credit to https://axbom.com/world-map/ )
OUR JOURNEY TO DATE
July 2017 Sailed from San Francisco to Hawaii | October 2018 Hawaii to San Francisco | March 2019 Departed California and sailed through the Marquesas, Tuamotus, Society & Cook Islands | December 2019 Arrived New Zealand | 2020-2021 Sailed a figure of 8 around Aotearoa / New Zealand for charity | August 2023 Crossed the Tasman to Australia | 2024 Sailed to Melbourne, continuing on with our mission in Australia! ⛵️ | 2025 Cross the Indian Ocean!
how to ship out with us
Charitable CHUM
Chums are true friends — they believe in our mission to change the world, and their funding provides the equivalent of: four liters of diesel, two days of food for Zia and me, or one pair of wool socks to survive the southern ocean winters on Windfola! Chums get access to our tracking map, and receive our stories about the voyage and other exclusive digital content on Patreon. You’ll hear the raw experiences and realities that I don't share in social media posts, and be part of an exclusive community on Patreon that can ask questions, participate in polls, and cheer us on!
BELOVED BACKERS
Our Backers know that we make a real difference in the communities we encounter, and they want to contribute more because they deeply believe in us. These beloved supporters are our backbone — their monthly contribution makes a serious dent in the costs of keeping the boat in good repair, or staying in a marina for a night when we really need to. As a Backer, you have access to our tracker, stories, and other exclusive content on Patreon, and you’ll also receive international postcards a few times a year from the places we visit.
Not interested in subscribing, but want to support us? Consider making a one-time or recurring donation to keep us going.
a peek into what it’s all about
During our passages, current photos and stories are exclusively shared with our crew and mates via satellite e-mail. Our journey is as much spiritual as physical, and as we voyage, I share deep essays on the unique experience of traveling alone through foreign countries as a woman on a small sailboat. Sometimes funny, sometimes heart-wrenching, but always engaging, you’ll be the first to read excerpts of what will one day be a book about our journey. Sometimes we are quite active and communicative, but at other times we are embedded in our goal of giving to the communities we visit. (You can be sure that you’ll be the first to hear those tales once we’ve finished each project!)
Become a subscriber, and be a part of supporting our dream to sail while giving back to the communities we encounter around the world. More than adventure travel or YouTube influencing, you’ll help us make a hands-on difference across the globe.
THAT ONE TIME WHEN MY FIRST DOPHIN PASSAGE COMPANIONS EVER SHOWED UP AND SWAM JUST BENEATH MY TOES, AND I WEPT AT THE MAGIC OF IT ALL…
On my second day in the North Pacific High, I had my first ever visit at sea by a pod of dolphins. They swam with me, dancing through water under my feet at the bow. I couldn’t believe that I was standing on top of dolphins.
SPENDING A DAY TEACHING STORYTELLING AND HOPE TO A SMALL CLASS IN THE ISLANDS
Invited to teach a little workshop at a small school on a remote island, I spend the day with this group of youngsters teaching some simple tools to find their storyteller within. By the end of the day, they shared some amazing stories they’d written about their experiences with animals.
After four months traveling all the way from Tamaki / Auckland NZ through the Cook Strait and around the South Island, we stopped in Lytleton. We collaborated with the local team at VOYCE - Whakarongo Mai to meet young people in care in the region, and to welcome them onto our boat. I had the opportunity to spend a little time one-on-one with a young person who lived in a locked residence much like the one I was in at her age. She saw the scars on my arms, and I shared that great things are possible, even when you come from a tough situation. I made her a necklace with a shell from French Polynesia. I know how important touchstones were for me back then.
come along with us
I hope you’ll join us as a subscriber and share our experience on the high seas. There will be highs and lows, stories of what we find out there on the great blue and ashore, laughing and crying… I promise a great adventure with us on our journey around the globe to make a difference.