The Crew

Who are we?

We are a couple of Gen-Xers who are tired of the rat race! We don’t believe that we are put on this Earth to just work and pay taxes.  Why should we work 40 hours a week for 48 weeks a year only to reap a reward of a month of “freedom”? Of course that freedom costs too much and drives us to need to work another 11 months next year!

We realize that we are a bit of an anomaly. Many of the people we see doing the “sail away” thing are either well into retirement age or are young Millennials with dreams of making their way by YouTube.

We believe “the world” is our home. We’ve lived in 6 different states and we spent years living in Germany and traveling around Europe. We discovered a long time ago that we really love to travel and are currently working toward our daydream of sailing around the world and visiting as much of it as possible, while living as frugally as we can.

If you’re interested in checking out some of our land-based travels, feel free to visit our Tanner Family Online  project.

Background

Dwayne

Originally from the mountains of West Virginia, in the Mid Atlantic region of the US, I spent my youth on the waters of Summersville Lake and ripping around on a motorcycle. Biking, boating, fishing, and enjoying the outdoors were ingrained in me at a fairly young age.

I left there when I was 17 and joined the Army. I spent time in Texas, Germany, and Saudi Arabia during my ten years of active duty time but needed a break and wanted to pursue a job working in computers and IT.

My career as a soldier then as a computer security specialist for the US Army gave me opportunities to travel the world and expand my understanding and appreciation of the people and the world around me. My experiences traveling for work really set off my desire to travel the globe and really get to know more about the people, cultures, history, and customs of this wonderful world that we inhabit.

Typical tourists fly in, spend a few days, and return home with very little exposure to the locals. That’s not how I like to travel. I prefer to spend as much time as possible with the locals, visit the out-of-the way sites, and get to know that little piece of the world.

I have essentially zero sailing experience beyond an intro class in Annapolis and the ASA classes in Pensacola. That’s not going to stop me from learning the lines and mastering the craft. That’s just how I roll. I am a firm believer that we should never stop learning.

Heather

Originally from Hastings, Nebraska in the central plains region of the US I spent my youth de-tassling corn, drifting down lazy rivers, and dreaming of seeing the world. I finally left Nebraska at the age of 27 and have since lived in Arizona, Germany, New Mexico, Virginia, and Florida.

I spent most of my working years in health-care tending to patients and working in healthcare administration. All the while, I dreamed of living a life that would allow me to travel, experience new cultures, and meet new peoples.

Like Dwayne, I’m not a fan of the typical tourist experience. I’d rather get off the beaten path and meet the locals. There’s nothing quite like getting a great understanding of what everyday folks go though in their little part of the world. It’s surely eye-opening as an American.

My sailing experience is fairly limited but my skills, as demonstrated in our sailing classes, are pretty solid in calm conditions! I can’t wait to set off on this adventure and share our experiences along the way.