Sailing around the world...one country at a time

Sailing around the world...one country at a time

For most of us, travel is more of a dream than a reality. Sure, we participate in the annual vacation with the kids to Disneyland, explore Mexico with the hubs or even that once-a-year girls' trip, but we always end up right back at our 9-to-5. There's a bit of an adventurer in all of us, dreaming and falling in love with the idea of dropping everything just to travel the world.

Let us introduce you to Rachel Moore (@moore_rachel): "climber, divemaster, traveler, adventurer. Owner of Agape, a 42ft Tayana. Sailing around the world @voyageofagape. Wife of @bylandandsea."

Rachel's Instagram bio pretty much sums her up, but after we had the pleasure of working with her for the Ellie September box, we found that there's much more to her than meets than eye. She's not only beautiful, but incredibly intelligent, humble and inspiring.

We got a chance to dig a little deeper into her story than her Instagram reveals.  Check out the interview below!

 

Tell us a little about yourself! 

Rachel: My name is Rachel Moore, I was born and raised in Southern California and I fell in love with the ocean at a young age.

Your Instagram bio says “Climber, divemaster, traveler, adventurer. Owner of Agápē, a 42ft Tayana. Sailing around the world @voyagesofagape." Can you tell us the path you took to get here?

Rachel: Well, I began scuba diving at the age of 14. I knew I wanted to be a diver as a child, I can remember being about 7 years old and watching a Jacques Cousteau documentary thinking, “I’m going to do that someday!”. As I got older I started traveling and eventually was hired on with the National Park Service as a scuba diver for three years at the Channel Islands National Park. I fell in love with my time on and in the water, and when I met my husband and learned how to sail everything clicked. Being able to use the wind to travel, the sun for power, and having the ability to make fresh water from the sea (using a water maker on board), aligned my passion for the ocean and the desire to live simply. After diving with the park service for a few years I ended up falling into the modeling business. I went from working in a wetsuit, to dresses and high heels. Modeling the last 7 years has allowed me to save up and make my dream a reality. Last year my husband and I set off on what we hoped to be a five year journey around the world. This year we made it to the southernmost port of Mexico, and this season we plan to head south to Panama, Colombia and Ecuador.

 

OMG! Tell us about Agape and living on a boat?

Rachel: Living on a boat is amazing as well as challenging. It’s small, only 42 feet, so we have to make sure that only what we really need is on board. We have a small kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. We have to make sure we stay organized and often have to plan out what we need for sometimes up to several months. I have a small hanging locker and one drawer for clothes, so my wardrobe is limited. I try to make sure most of my clothes are well-made and will last. Most of my wardrobe consists of basics and normal staple pieces, mostly in neutrals that will pair well together, and then a few fun colors and prints to jazz it up. We don’t have room for excess and living in such a small space keeps our focus on our experiences, rather than on things.

What's the best part about living on a boat?

Rachel: The best part is living on the water. Hearing the water on the hull of the boat and being gently rocked to sleep are two of my favorite things. We often wake up with the sun rising and get to watch the sunset every night. We are more in tune with the weather, wind and waves-most of our decisions are based on what mother nature hands us.

What are some of the struggles you've faced living on a boat?

Rachel: It’s not always comfortable. Some days the ocean isn’t a friendly place. The boat will sometimes rock and roll for days on end and it’s like living in a never-ending earthquake. We also always have to be careful when we leave the boat, and decide if it’s safe to leave it behind for a few hours or days. Petty theft or the boat dragging on anchor onto the rocks or being grounded is always a fear in the back of our minds.

Living abroad on a boat also presents it’s own challenges, if something breaks we often have to jury-rig a solution. Rarely are we in a place that has boat supplies and parts. We have learned to become more self-sufficient and do with what we have.

 

Big thanks to Rachel for this interview! Follow her on Instagram: @moore_rachel.