From a failed inverter to a fresh Code Zero halyard splice — plus an osprey’s fish mess and our new pet lettuce — boat life delivered everything this week. This week aboard Chasing Serenity we deal with several unexpected problems — and a few hilarious surprises. One of our Victron inverters fails, so I tear it apart and attempt a partial repair to keep our electrical system running. We also splice a brand-new halyard for our Code Zero to replace the one I cut. While working on deck, we discover an osprey left behind a mess of fish parts… and somewhere along the way we end up with a family “pet lettuce.” Boat life is unpredictable. The biggest concern this week: we find water inside our saildrive oil, meaning more repairs are ahead. We talk through what we found and what our plan is for diagnosing and fixing the problem. ⚓ In this episode: • Victron Multiplus Inverter failure + partial internal repair • Code Zero halyard splice • Osprey “gift” on deck • Our new pet lettuce • Water in saildrive oil (Volvo Penta 150S-C) • Real liveaboard life with a sailing family 📍 Location: St. Augustine, FL, sailing south aboard our Royal Cape 500 catamaran We’re a family of four living aboard full-time, sharing the real highs and lows of catamaran life — maintenance, repairs, upgrades, and everyday family moments at sea.

This week aboard Chasing Serenity we hit a huge milestone—1,000 miles traveled on our 50-foot Royal Cape catamaran as we sail from Charleston, SC to St. Augustine, FL. Along the way we’re joined by dolphins day and night. We also get our damaged sail prepped to bring to the sail loft for repair, and I fix the alignment on one of our batten cars and a batten that’s been giving us trouble. For homeschool science, the kids help catch a few jellyfish to study onboard. And in the middle of all the sailing, we celebrate Laurie and Kaylee’s birthdays! 📍 This episode includes: • Sailing from Charleston to St. Augustine • 1,000-mile milestone on our liveaboard catamaran • Dolphins during the day, night… and at sunset • Prepping our torn sail for repair • Batten car and batten alignment fix (Royal Cape 500) • Jellyfish science lesson for the kids • Birthday celebrations onboard • Everyday family life while cruising the East Coast ⛵ We’re a full-time sailing family living aboard our 50-ft Royal Cape catamaran, documenting our journey as new cruisers, handling repairs, learning the ropes, and exploring the world one anchorage at a time. Join our crew on Patreon!: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

This week aboard Chasing Serenity was a perfect mix of cruising chaos and family fun. After plugging into a shore power pedestal wired incorrectly, part of our electrical system fried, forcing us to chase down faults and rebuild the connection. We also fixed our boom-crane lift for the dinghy and straightened the bent side rail from last week’s sail disaster. Between repairs, we slow down to enjoy boat-life moments with the kids — cooking, fishing, and celebrating Halloween in Charleston! 🎃⚓ Join us for another week of real liveaboard life — a mix of maintenance, parenting, and the magic that comes with raising a family on the water. Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity 🧰 Projects this week: • Boom-crane repair • Bent rail straightening • Electrical fault from bad shore power (Metasol MC-75a Contactor Repair) 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Crew: Jeff & Laurie with kids Anastasia and Kaylee aboard our 50-ft Royal Cape catamaran. 📍 Charleston, South Carolina | ICW Sailing | Family Boat Life

Our most terrifying and brutal day of sailing so far. While entering a jetty in high winds, the endless furler snapped, the spinnaker halyard tangled, and we had to cut the halyard to drop the sail. The result: major damage to the sail, rigging, and not to mention the PTSD. In this episode, we break down what went wrong — the conditions, the sequence of failures, and how we handled them. We also discuss what this means for our sailing future, how we’ll repair the boat, and what we’re changing to prevent a repeat. ⚓ Follow our family aboard a 50-foot Royal Cape catamaran as we share the highs, the lows, and the raw reality of sailing full time. If you’ve ever wondered what happens when everything breaks at once, this is the story. Topics: furler failure, spinnaker halyard snag, sail damage, catamaran crisis management, high-wind sailing dangers, live-aboard sailing family. Join our crew on patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity 📍 Location: U.S. East Coast / Coastal Catamaran Sailing

Big upgrades this week aboard Chasing Serenity! After a couple weeks without hot water, we finally get a new generator and make major improvements to our battery bank and electrical system aboard our 50-foot Royal Cape catamaran. With our new setup, we can finally enjoy hot showers, better power reliability, and quieter nights at anchor. Along the way, we also upgrade our bus bars to handle higher current, fix an air leak in our paddleboard, and enjoy fishing from the back of the boat with the kids — a rare calm moment between refit projects. Join our sailing family as we keep pushing toward a more self-sufficient, comfortable life afloat. Whether it’s rewiring systems, troubleshooting generator issues, or making family memories under sail, every week brings a new challenge and a new reason to smile. ⚓ Topics Covered: – Installing and wiring a new generator aboard a catamaran – Expanding our Lifepo4 battery bank and upgrading bus bars – Fixing leaks and keeping boat gear working – Fishing and family life aboard a liveaboard catamaran – Life upgrades for long-term cruising 📍 Location: North Carolina, U.S. East Coast 💡 About Us: We’re a family of four living aboard a 50-foot Royal Cape sailing catamaran, sharing the highs and lows of refitting, sailing, and family life at sea. Subscribe to follow our adventure as we keep Chasing Serenity!

It’s a big milestone week aboard Chasing Serenity! We finally apply the new name decals to our Royal Cape 500 sailing catamaran — a moment we’ve been looking forward to since the start of our journey! But boat life isn’t all celebrations. We also face a major setback when we discover that our Fischer Panda generator is a total loss. In this episode, we discuss our plans for upgrading to a new generator and making future improvements to our battery and electrical system to better support our liveaboard lifestyle. In the spirit of preparedness, we also test an expired inflatable life raft to see how it performs after years of storage. And amidst the chaos, the kids get some time to relax and play at the park. ⚓ Join our family sailing vlog as we continue our journey toward a self-sufficient, ocean-ready catamaran. From milestones like naming our boat to major repair decisions and safety tests, this episode shows the real highs and lows of liveaboard catamaran life. 📍 Location: Wrightsville Beach, NC / U.S. East Coast / Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway 🔧 Topics: sailing family, catamaran name reveal, generator failure, electrical upgrades, battery system planning, life raft testing, Royal Cape 500

Our Volvo Penta D2-75F started smoking just days before an approaching tropical storm — we had to tear it down and re-machine a part ourselves. This episode shows the real side of liveaboard catamaran life: hands-on DIY marine diesel repair, sailing storm prep, and keeping kids busy in tight quarters (Laurie gets a full makeover courtesy of the crew!). We also talk through other engine problems we’ve been chasing and what’s next. Boat/Region: Royal Cape 500 • U.S. East Coast / Atlantic Topics: Volvo Penta D2-75F oil leak, smoking diesel, re-machining engine parts, storm preparation, catamaran maintenance, family sailing. 🔔 Subscribe for weekly sailing, catamaran upgrades, and real boat life episodes.

We’ve finally reached the Atlantic Ocean! After weeks of traveling down the Intracoastal Waterway, our sailing family aboard Chasing Serenity is celebrating this big milestone. This episode is filled with the beauty and challenges of life aboard our Royal Cape 500 catamaran as we continue our journey south. We take time to relax at the beach, where we spot wild horses roaming along the shoreline and dolphins playing in the waves. These magical moments remind us why we chose the sailing lifestyle — even as repairs, storms, and daily boat work are never far away. Back on the water, we try our luck at fishing directly from the catamaran. I share the trolling gear and technique that work for us while cruising, from lure choice to how we set up lines while under sail. It’s a simple but effective setup for catching fresh fish during our passages. Join our family of four as we sail, repair, explore, and adjust to full-time liveaboard life. From the Chesapeake Bay to the Atlantic Ocean, every week brings new lessons, unexpected challenges, and unforgettable experiences. ⚓ About us: We’re sailing full time aboard a Royal Cape catamaran with our two kids, sharing the highs and lows of cruising life. Subscribe for weekly sailing episodes that include boat projects, family adventures, wildlife encounters, storms, and the daily reality of living at sea.

This week on Chasing Serenity starts with an update you never want to give: our engine broke just as a tropical storm was heading our way. Liveaboard life continues and our family finds a way to make life work. The rest of the episode takes you with us down the Intracoastal Waterway, traveling from Virginia into North Carolina. Our ICW mast barely made it under so many bridges! It’s a shorter episode, but full of the beauty (and challenges) of ICW cruising. ⚓ Join our family aboard our 50-foot Royal Cape catamaran as we share the ups, downs, and everyday reality of life on the water.

This week aboard aboard our family sailing vlog, we tackle a big catamaran repair: fixing our broken main halyard at the masthead. Using what was left of the broken halyard, we went up the mast and replace it. It was nerve-wracking but it worked — and we’re back sailing! I was a satisfying DIY catamaran repair win! Between repairs, we explored a tiny shack on a remote Chesapeake beach and were greeted by dolphins on our way into Norfolk, VA. First dolphins we've seen on the boat!!! I also share an issue I’ve been tackling with our boom crane, and the fix I’m trying to make it work reliably. ⚓ Join our family aboard our 50-foot Royal Cape catamaran as we take on repairs, adventures, and everyday life while cruising. 🔧 Boat Work: Replacing the main halyard on a Royal Cape 500 catamaran, boom crane troubleshooting on a Royal Cape 500 catamaran. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Crew: Liveaboard family of 4, emotional support dolphins Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

This week we sail as a family from Solomons to Norfolk with the kids enjoying some time on the water. Jeff tackles one of our biggest projects yet — upgrading our electrical system from a single Victron Multiplus to a dual inverter setup in parallel. It’s a huge step forward for powering our off-grid liveaboard life. Check out the last phase of our DIY project catamaran refit. ⛵ Sailing Route: Solomons, MD → Norfolk, VA 🔧 Boat Work: Converting single Victron Multiplus system to dual Victron Multuplus in parallel, wiring, fuses, breakers, Marine AC and DC wiring 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Crew: Liveaboard family of 4 on our Royal Cape 500 catamaran Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

This week we sail from Annapolis to Solomons, but DIY catamaran engine fixes are dampened by a major fail. While tackling some painting and boat projects, we take apart our engine… only to ruin the part completely while cleaning it. Thankfully, we manage to replace it and keep our sailing vlog moving! ⛵ Sailing Route: Annapolis → Solomons, Chesapeake Bay 🔧 Boat Work: Painting + Engine Repairs (and mistakes!) - Volvo D2-75F raw water impeller change, tubo wastegate valve carbon cleaning, exhaust mixing elbow over cleaning and replacement. Raymarine fluxgate compass location change. 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧 Crew: Liveaboard family of 4 on our Royal Cape 500 catamaran Have you ever made a repair mistake that cost more time or money than expected? Tell us in the comments!

Sailing to Annapolis was a milestone for us, but life afloat brings new challenges. This week we arrive in Annapolis, wrestle with how power and water are limiting our cruising plans, and take on a few boat projects like repairing a leaky hatch. We also face two big weather events: a wild summer storm, and hurricane Erin which ended up being surprisingly uneventful. 📍 Chesapeake Bay → Annapolis ⛵ Royal Cape 500 Catamaran 🔔 Subscribe for weekly sailing family episodes. Join our crew on Patreon!: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

From calm Chesapeake sailing to big life changes, this episode has it all. We enjoy some peaceful sailing time, fix our alternator, make friends with a few curious ducks, and even sell our car. We also share what’s next for our family and launch our Patreon! patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity 📍 Chesapeake Bay ⛵ Boat: Royal Cape 500 Catamaran 🔔 Subscribe for weekly sailing family episodes

This episode marks two big firsts for us. We take our Royal Cape 500 catamaran out for our first sail without our training captain on board — and then spend our first night on anchor away from the dock. It’s both exciting and a little nerve-wracking, but these are the milestones that make boat life real. 📍 Chesapeake Bay ⛵ Boat: Royal Cape 500 Catamaran Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity 🔔 Subscribe for weekly sailing family episodes as we learn, fix, and explore. 💬 Do you remember your first night on anchor? How did it go?

This week is all about sailing. We take our Royal Cape 500 catamaran out for our final sailing training, sail around a historic Chesapeake lighthouse, and once again find ourselves fighting with our stubborn autopilot. Repairs aren’t easy, but we’re determined to get it working before our next big trip. 📍 Chesapeake Bay ⛵ Royal Cape 500 Catamaran 🔔 Subscribe for weekly sailing family adventures 💬 What’s your favorite landmark you’ve sailed past? Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

Life aboard isn’t always predictable. This week, we cook up a special treat with the kids, share a glimpse of what lunch looks like on a boat, do a bit of engine maintenance… and end up swimming with jellyfish after the boat gets tangled during a man overboard drill. Just another week chasing serenity in our floating home. 📍 Chesapeake Bay ⛵ Boat: Royal Cape 500 Catamaran 🔔 Subscribe for weekly sailing family episodes Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

From storm clouds to sandy beaches, Episode 5 has a little bit of everything. We take the kids sailing, explore a quiet beach on the Chesapeake, and experience a gorgeous (and slightly intense) thunderstorm. Kaylee gets her first-ever haircut onboard, we clean our speed sensor, and replace the mainsheet line. It’s the kind of week that reminds us why we chose this life — and how much work it takes to keep it going. 📍 Chesapeake Bay ⛵ Royal Cape 500 Catamaran 🔔 Subscribe for more sailing family episodes Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

Living on a boat with your family is not a vacation — it’s a full-time job. This week we: 🧗 Go up the mast to repair our wind vane 🖌️ Sand and paint parts of the boat 🛁 Clean mold from inside 💩 Replace the toilet macerator 🧼 Laurie walks us through our laundry routine Oh — and we say goodbye to our boat’s old logo in preparation for the Chasing Serenity logo! 📍 Filmed in: Solomons, MD ⛵ Boat: Royal Cape 500 Catamaran 🔔 Subscribe for weekly family sailing adventures 💬 Would you live full-time on a project boat? Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity

It's 100ºF and our boat AC dies. Cue Heat, sweat, and stress. While trying to survive a brutal heat wave aboard our Royal Cape 500, we scramble to fix our broken air conditioner and finally get our second engine running. Meanwhile, Laurie and Ana captain the dinghy for the first time ever. Subscribe for new episodes every week as we fix up our project catamaran and chase serenity at sea. Ever had a system fail at the worst possible time? Let us know in the comments! Featured in this episode: -Marine AC repair -Engine troubleshooting success -Dinghy driving for the first time -Surviving a summer heat wave aboard Filmed in Solomons, MD Patreon: patreon.com/SVChasingSerenity