Local couple sold their home, lived on sailboat for two years

In 2017, a Lake Country couple embarked on an adventure of a lifetime, after they sold most of their possessions – including their home – to buy a boat and hit the open waters, travelling to Mexico.

Neither Lyndon nor Tiffany Walde knew how to operate a sailboat before they hit the open waters though. 

“We knew we loved the water and we did a sailing dinghy course on Okanagan Lake and then we just wanted to go ahead and do it so we just bought the boat,” explains Tiffany. 

They spoke with others around the marina and learned about sailing, like how to anchor a boat. 

The couple moved onto the boat on Aug. 1, 2017 and lived on it for just under two years together. 

“In 2011, when we backpacked, that was a trial period of how long we can spend together without wanting to kill each other and so it went well," said Tiffany laughing. 

She said the first trip instilled in them the confidence that they could do it. Being married for ten years also helped. 

“It was also interesting because we both didn’t know how to sail, it wasn’t like one person was taking the other person along - often we were both like, 'oh I don’t know what to do,'” adds Lyndon. 

“We would just figure things out together, it was just a really equal footing for both of us.”

They sailed around Vancouver Island for a year before making the leap to Mexico in search of warmer waters.

“I think through the whole sailing thing, we realized that we were doing things that such a small percentage of people actually get to experience and seeing places, even in Canada, that such a small percentage of people get to see,” she said. 

Tiffany says her highlight was sailing under the iconic Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, where she’d never been. But as Lyndon explains, in sailing the highs are really high and the lows are really low.  

“Our worst weather day, we were off the coast of the Baja in Mexico and it was 3 a.m. in the morning and the winds were crazy and the waves were huge and I remembered just thinking, 'how did I get here?' I haven’t seen anyone in a long time, I don’t see any boats out here, I’m scared,” said Lyndon. 

Tiffany said they sort of regret their decision in that moment but they both agreed pushing through is always the best option. 

“It was the only time we were like, we’ll pack a bag because if the boat goes down we've got to have something ready to go but we made it through and the sun was shining the next day and we were in Cabo so it was wonderful,” said Lyndon. 

The couple stayed on the boat for the majority of the two years, typically anchoring the boat and enjoying each others' company.  

She recommends that people travel to expand their perception of life through other cultures and experiences. For sailing, they suggest crewing first to learn the ropes from an experienced team. 

“In the end, it was an awesome adventure and lots of fun and we don’t regret it at all,” he said.

“It was hard to get to the point of just doing it and I think you just have to make the decision of doing it and not think about all the steps involved,” she said. 

The couple sold their boat in Mexico last year to plan their next adventure. What that entails has yet to be determined, but for now they’re enjoying life back in the Okanagan. 

To watch their full journey check out Walde Sailing on YouTube where the pair documented their travels from the start.