Crew

JessieIMG_6218

Jessie was raised eight miles from the nearest paved road on a small ranch in Southern Utah. Surrounded by big blue skies, wide open spaces, and the smell of sage brush and freshly cut alfalfa, she has always had a curiosity for the world. However, with cow troughs for swimming pools and about as much exposure to sailboats as to space shuttles (ahem, none!), she never imagined that bidding adieu to a landlubbers life would be part of her story. But Jessie loves stories, and a good tale always involves unexpected twists and turns! After college, she ventured to sunny Florida where she earned a PhD in clinical psychology, before moving to Seattle, Washington. Jessie’s love for people and desire to chase the rainbow has taken her to 20 countries on 4 continents, typically with a backpack and without much of an itinerary. She is a sentimental dreamer with a big heart and a deep belief in the good of the world. She is compassionate, quirky, and her wanderlust is insatiable. Jessie has been sailing since Neil took her (and three girlfriends – brave man) out sailing on their fourth date. She fell in love with sailing and Neil at the same time, and her bucketlist has grown exponentially since her eyes were opened to the sea.

Favorite things: Getting lost in moments…cooking (which is linked tightly with her love of eating), traveling, sailing, yoga, talking to strangers, capturing memories in photos, fishing, and theme parties.

Neil

IMG_6710Neil was born and raised in the heart of the Pacific Northwest: Seattle, Washington. Being a stone’s throw away from mountain peaks and rocky shores, he has a deep love and respect for the outdoors. His passion for sailing was born 8 years ago as he watched sailboats work in tune with the wind on Lake Washington, while he sat confined in his car during a gridlock summer commute. Soon after, he threw himself into learning all he could about sailing and spent several seasons crewing as a bowman on a J105 on the Puget Sound. Neil earned a business degree from the University of Washington and his aptitude for solving problems in the business world has generalized to the inevitable challenges that arise aboard our floating home. He is a resourceful handyman whose ability to troubleshoot difficulties in any of The Red Thread’s systems never ceases to impress his new bride. Neil is witty, sharp on this feet, and a passionate consumer of information. He is a natural leader who exudes confidence and competence that lead others to trust his skills as Captain. An adventurer at heart, his eyes are always looking to the horizon, eager to seek challenges and new destinations.

Favorite things: Sailing, scuba diving, snowboarding, scotch, reading, and traveling.

Our Story

We met over breakfast on a beautiful morning in late August of 2011. Two hours of nonstop chatter guaranteed a second date and a third and a fourth….and the rest is history. Within a matter of months we were sharing dreams and making plans. Neil brought to our relationship his dream of sailing the world – a passionate traveler, I contributed the “why not now?” Three months into our whirlwind romance, we began looking at sailboats. We fell hard and fast…for each other and for our boat. A few days shy of our nine-month anniversary, on May 25, 2012, The Red Thread became ours. Since that time, we got engaged, sealed the deal, and set our departure date –October 1, 2014– for what we’ve dubbed our South Pacific Stitch. What can we say, just another eHarmony success story 😉

Happy Sailing

Already smitten…Our second time sailing together.
Lake Washington
Seattle, WA

18 thoughts on “Crew”

  2. Hi Nate! We will likely cross paths in Mexico! We’ll be passing through San Diego (looking at your blog, I think that’s where you are) around the time you and your family leave (or just after). Let’s keep in touch. Hope to meet somewhere on the sea! ~Jessie

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  3. You guys are too cute! 🙂 Looks like you went to school in my backyard…I grew up in Pembroke Pines. Looking forward to following you as you prepare to cut your dock lines in the next few months. Do you have a Facebook page by any chance? Would love to follow along on FB if you do. -Kim, s/v LAHO

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    • Indeed! I lived in Dania Beach and Davie (don’t worry I know all the cowboy jokes) while I was in school there. We actually just started a FB page (search for S/V The Red Thread)…we’re pretty green at all of this!! Glad to have you figuratively aboard 🙂 ~Jessie

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  10. You’re story sounds a lot like ours :). We met on Plenty of Fish and were married on the one year anniversary of our first date. We’ve been following a couple of blogs regarding people who have just decided to spend their lives (either a few years or the whole dang thing!) aboard a sailboat. We are considering that life for ourselves! I just found your blog today, so I guess I’d better start reading and catch up! Our departure date is sometime in 2016…

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    • It truly is a wonderful life! Even before we started cruising two months ago, we loved living aboard! Not to mention that we could never afford ocean front property in a gated community in Seattle unless we lived in a marina!! Best of luck and excited you are reading our story 🙂 ~Jessie

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