About Us

We are the Ziolkowski’s, Steve and Amy. We’ve known each other for a long time (since kindergarden in fact).

We first started sailing together in 1984 when we took sailing lessons at the Annapolis Sailing School near the Naval Academy on Spa Creek, Chesapeake Bay. Steve was hooked and starting taking Power Squadron courses as well as bareboat chartering and navigation courses. Amy reluctantly went along thinking that this would never amount to anything serious.

We did several bareboat charters on Lake Erie as well as in the Virgin Islands. We eventually “graduated” to bareboating from Ft Lauderdale to the Bahamas. Steve also crewed during sailboat races on Lake Michigan while Amy waved from the dock.

Steve’s dream/goal from early on was to be able to retire early, get a boat, and sail off into the sunset to explore, meet new people, and have an adventure to look back on. While Amy was not yet fully on board, she indulged Steve in his fantasies not fully appreciating the implications of her tacit approval .

After a career in the high tech industry working for multi-national companies Steve finally pulled the plug on the corporate rat race and retired early. Now he had time on his hands to plan (scheme) the dream.

Amy, after a career in nursing, came home one day saying that she’d had enough and wanted to retire early as well. That was the trigger that led us to where we are now and is also the starting point of our journal/blog.

Always be careful what you ask for because someday you may get it !

Steve’s dream is now Amy’s reality and thus far we’re both loving it!