T
he Morse family from Idaho traded in their ordinary life for a high-seas adventure, selling everything they owned to live on a catamaran in the Caribbean. Brandon and Amber Morse, along with their four children, made the bold decision after feeling suffocated by their 9-to-5 routine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We felt like we were kissing our kids goodnight only to send them out the door in the morning without really seeing them until bedtime again," Amber recalls. The family's eldest daughter, Jadyn, sparked the idea of sailing after learning about a friend's family who had done it for a few weeks. They spent hours researching and watching YouTube videos about families living on sailboats.
The Morses' journey began with an RV trip across the country, which eventually led them to consider buying a sailboat. They sold their Idaho home, which they had purchased just nine months prior, using the equity to buy a used catamaran that could fit their family of six comfortably. Brandon attended sailing school before they set off on their new life.
Their boat, a Lagoon 450, features four cabins with private bathrooms and showers, as well as a main saloon area with a galley, navigation desk, and living room. The family has adapted to their new lifestyle by being entrepreneurial and sustainable. They use solar power to charge their batteries and live off the grid, rarely needing to run their generator.
To make ends meet, they rent out a duplex they own and have started earning money through content creation work on social media platforms like Instagram and YouTube. Amber has even taken up making sourdough bread, which she never thought she'd enjoy.
While life on the boat can be challenging, with complex operating systems and weather issues to contend with, the Morses say it's been a transformative experience for their family. They've had magical moments, such as snorkeling with dolphins, and have made friends from all over the world. After four years at sea, they've seen their children grow and develop character in ways they never would have if they'd stayed on land.
"It's hard work maintaining and managing a self-sustaining, floating city," Brandon acknowledges. "But the coolest thing is that our kids have grown so much and built character in ways they never would have if we'd just stayed in our little cul-de-sac."
