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In Salty Podcast #91, I sit down with Bill and Katherine of Mi Salida Sailing in Black Point Settlement, Exumas, Bahamas. They share how they met on a dating site for sailors, bought an Island Packet 465, and made the leap into full-time cruising.

We talk about their origin story, why they chose this boat, what it’s really like cruising full-time as a couple, and the balance between caution, experience, and learning as you go. Katherine brings decades of sailing experience, Bill brings the dream and determination, and together they’ve built a life afloat with their dog Gracie.

This episode also gets into the real side of cruising life — expensive repairs, boatyard time, breakdowns, heat, stress, and those moments where you wonder why you’re doing it — along with the freedom, beauty, community, and unforgettable memories that make it all worth it.

If you’ve ever thought about living aboard, retiring to sail, or chasing a dream later in life, this one is for you.

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SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!

SALTY PODCAST SAILOR SHIRTS: https://saltypodcast.myshopify.com/
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: https://saltyabandon/SaltyPodcastPlaylist
Wanna create a Livestream?: Https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608

GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7

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The Bahamas looks effortless on Instagram until you’re the one staring at a forecast that says 25 knots and realizing your entire plan depends on a weather window. From a sandy hangout at Big Majors Cay, we sit down with Roger and Kristen, liveaboards on their 1995 Island Packet 40 Shamala, to talk through the real decisions that shape a cruising day: when to stay put, who to trust for weather, and how to move south without turning a passage into a grind.

Their path to full-time cruising is a decade-long build from sailing classes and smaller boats in California to relocating to Florida, moving aboard, and taking a first Bahamas attempt that didn’t go as planned. We get into the practical side of liveaboard life and Bahamas cruising in the Exumas, including anchor choice by wind direction, why Thunderball Grotto is a low-tide mission, and the kind of hyper-specific local intel you only learn from other cruisers on the beach.

We also unpack the tools and community that make the lifestyle work. Roger and Kristen explain how they use the NoForeignLand app for anchorage reviews, dinghy docks, and messaging new friends without sharing phone numbers, plus how remote connectivity like Starlink changes what’s possible afloat. Then we go deeper into the moments that test you, from a scary shoal encounter near Charleston to the confidence that comes from a safe, comfortable boat and the prep that helped them ride out Hurricane Ian.

If you’re into Bahamas sailing, weather routing, liveaboard cruising, or Island Packet ownership, this one is packed with firsthand lessons. Subscribe for more dock talk and passages, share this with a cruising friend, and leave a review. What’s the one tool or habit you refuse to sail without?

Support the show

SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!

SALTY PODCAST SAILOR SHIRTS: https://saltypodcast.myshopify.com/
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: https://saltyabandon/SaltyPodcastPlaylist
Wanna create a Livestream?: Https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608

GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7

Send us Fan Mail

I haven't had a chance to do any interviews lately but I DO appreciate the feedback from the audio podcast followers as well as the social media followers...asking for more interviews! I should be in Georgetown by this weekend and there will be all kinds of sailors to interview there! I'm looking forward to it.

In the meantime, please follow Salty Abandon on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Tiktok and see my clips of my journey.

Thank you!

Capt Tinsley

Support the show

SALTY ABANDON: Cap'n Tinsley, Orange Beach, AL:
Oct 2020 to Present - 1998 Island Packet 320;
Nov 2015-Oct 2020; 1988 Island Packet 27
Feb-Oct 2015 - 1982 Catalina 25

SALTY PODCAST is LIVE every Wed at 6pm Central and is all about the love of sailing!

SALTY PODCAST SAILOR SHIRTS: https://saltypodcast.myshopify.com/
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST: https://saltyabandon/SaltyPodcastPlaylist
Wanna create a Livestream?: Https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5430067749060608

GEAR FEATURED IN MY UPCOMING VIDEOS:
🛟 Boat Fenders → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08S1PXKKR
⚓ Dock Lines → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS4BNYR9
🧽 Exterior Cleaning Kit → https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL533KR7