The Decision
Society Said
Have The
Mortgage
When Brendan and Sarah Ovens first announced their plans to sell up everything, buy a boat, and set sail on an indefinite adventure with their two kids, they were met with stunned disbelief from friends and family.
"So many people were just looking at us like we were crazy," Brendan says. "Are you seriously going to sell your house and do this?"
After years of struggling to buy a big, beautiful house in Redcliffe overlooking the water, they realised they were no happier than when they were broke. "I think we were honestly more stressed and almost miserable — but we had everything that society said we should have. It was just so hard. You had to keep it up. It was exhausting."
There was a wobbly moment when it came time to sign the sale contract. "We had this wave of emotion or anxiety that just overcame both of us," Brendan says. "We looked at each other and went, 'Holy shit, this is just insane.'" But underpinning all of it was an irrevocable thirst for change.
"We just got to a point where we felt like we were missing out. We weren't spending much time with our kids."
— Brendan Ovens, Nine News
The Vessel
A Luxury
Catamaran,
Mortgage Free
In January 2021, after first testing the waters by sailing up the Queensland coast in a small monohull, the family took the big plunge — buying a luxury five-bedroom, four-bathroom Privilege catamaran, mortgage-free thanks to the sale of their home.
The catamaran is fully equipped with solar power, its own diesel generator, and a desalination plant — the family live completely off-grid. "Once we settled into the boat and we started sailing and moving, honestly it's been the best decision we've ever made," Brendan says.
In August 2022, they departed Brisbane. They haven't looked back.
The Crew
Four People,
One Ocean
The Voyage
High Highs,
Very Low Lows
"This is one of the big problems with YouTube and Instagram," Brendan says. "You sort of get the picture that it's all beer and Skittles, you're just snorkelling on these beautiful reefs all day. It's not the case at all."
"This is probably one of the more challenging lifestyles we've ever had a crack at, and that's saying a lot considering I'm ex-military."
They've been struck by lightning, dealt with a snake bite mid-ocean, been boarded by armed individuals, and pounded in a Madagascar compression zone with waves rolling straight over the bimini. They've also swum with whale sharks, hiked into an active volcano, and watched meteor showers from the middle of the Pacific.
"In sailing it's incredibly high highs and very low lows."
— Brendan Ovens
As Seen In
Featured in
Latitudes &
Attitudes
Latitudes & Attitudes — the iconic magazine for the global cruising community — featured Sailing Excelsior in their Tag-A-Cruiser series, calling them "an Aussie family who didn't just dream about circumnavigating… they're out there actually doing it."
"Some people talk about 'one day'… and then there are the ones who sell everything, load up the family, and just go."
The feature highlighted the family's grit — struck by lightning, snake bites at sea, boarded by armed individuals — and their extraordinary encounters: swimming with whale sharks, freediving with Bajau sea gypsies, and raising two resilient, ocean-loving humans along the way.
"They've only got ONE ocean left to go. Casual."
— Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine
One Ocean Left
Onwards &
Upwards
Follow the journey as Sailing Excelsior completes the final ocean of their circumnavigation. Subscribe on YouTube, follow on Instagram, or leave a message in the guestbook.