Solo Female Travel Stories: Nicole the Solo Sailor

It’s been a while, but we are finally back on sharing incredible stories of solo female travelers from various backgrounds to inspire you to take that plunge to start traveling alone! Say hi to Nicole, our in-house writer, and a courageous solo sailer:

Tell us about yourself!

I was born in Naples, Florida. When I was four years old, I hopped onto a sailboat with my family and started “cruising.” Until I was eight, we sailed to Maine and in the Bahamas. Because I was so young, sailing and cruising seemed like the normal thing to do. When we moved to North Carolina, I had a really hard time transitioning to land life. Eight-hour days inside a classroom was a stark contrast to spearfishing off the reefs and reading the weather off the water. But, I continued to sail small boats like optis, sunfish, lasers, FJ’s, 420s, and PHRF keelboats like a Moore, a Merit, and an Etchel. I raced up through college with an empty heart because racing is very different from cruising. You only go around the buoys.

I wanted to go to new lands. In high school, I started traveling on my own and went to Costa Rica. In college I visited Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and Poland. After college I dabbled with homesteading on several farms, but eventually found my way back to the sea. It took me several tries, but finally I bought my third boat (the S/V Arta, a 1968 Columbia 26) and kept it, embarking on a journey of my own. I worked on the boat in Fort Pierce, FL for ten months and then sailed to Key West and over to the Bahamas. I hit the Jumentos and Ragged Islands before crossing over to Turks and Caicos and then holed up in the Dominican Republic for Hurricane Season. I’ve now bought a 1981 Bristol Channel Cutter and am picking away at boat projects, hoping to set sail next fall.

What motivated you to solo sail for the first time?

Before I bought Arta, I was living on a boat in my parents’ backyard. A young man sailed into my town on his Cheoy Lee 30, and the same day he asked me to crew, I bought a Cape Dory 25. A few months later I’d sold it and set sail with him. Throughout our 10-month adventure, I learned a lot about my own capabilities and judgments. When it became apparent that we were beginning to hold each other back, I knew in my heart that I had to and could set sail alone.

Though I’ve raced solo many times, I consider my recent journey on Arta to…