Do you know how much a wedding costs these days? Well actually no, neither do we, as we’re not quite in “that place”, but we hear it’s a shit load. Is it really worth it, for one day?
So when we heard the story of Charlie Smith and her finance ‘Captain’ (otherwise known as Paul) who sold their house and splurged their wedding budget on a beautiful 38.5ft sailing boat called Silver Paws, we thought here’s a couple who can really get behind. Here’s our version of #relationshipgoals.
The sailing idea was a way to travel but take our ‘nest’ with us.”
The couple, who hail from Jersey, in the Channel Islands, have currently made their way around the Mediterranean, stopping off in France, Spain, Italy, Elba, Corsica, Sardinia and the Balearic Islands. So basically anywhere where the sea is the perfect shade of blue and the vibe is strictly Riviera. Their days are spent sunbathing in hammocks, getting lost in books, jamming to music, exploring the underwater world, or coming ashore to explore some of Europe’s most beautiful towns and cities.
So what inspired the couple to drop everything, including their wedding, to pursue a life on the high seas (other than the very, very obvious)?
Speaking to the Mail Online, New Zealand born Charlie, who previously worked as a model and Regional Weather presenter, said: “We have been pondering further travel for years, but after years living on building sites – (the couple have done some seriously impressive house flips) – the prospect of lugging backpacks around the world and sleeping in hostels didn’t seem like the break we wanted. The sailing idea was a way to travel but take our ‘nest’ with us.”
Despite having minimal previous sailing experience, Charlie and Captain signed up for every RYA skipper, sea survival and first aid course they could find, to ensure they were properly prepared. And although the couple have no plans of slowing down on their worldly adventure, they make sure not to take any stupid risks:
“We’re ‘fair weather sailors’, we are in no hurry and therefore if the weather looks dicey, or even marginally uncomfortable, we don’t take risks. We stay put and wait for the change.”
The couple got engaged in 2013, but so far wedding plans have been put on ice, mainly because the wedding budget was splurged on their beautiful boat. And because their lifestyle is so minimalistic, they’re spending very little money on their adventure. Anchoring is free of charge, and because their boat is less than 39 feet long, marina fees are also minimal.