Sail Home Surprise: We Left Our Anchorage & Had a Sea Snake Visitor Liveaboard Sailing Life Ep 108

Hi and welcome aboard @SailingAstridTheWombat We are Gav and Shezz and two and a half years ago we bought our Beneteau Oceanis 430 sailboat with absolutely no sailing experience and jumped straight into the deep end of liveaboard sailing. Our very first passage was just over 700 nautical miles, launching us headfirst into the world of bluewater cruising, learning to sail, and real life at sea. Since that moment, we’ve been fully immersed in boat life, documenting the journey of turning a production cruising sailboat into a capable, self-sufficient home as we prepare for full-time liveaboard life. From major sailboat upgrades and off-grid power systems to everyday maintenance and skills building, we’re learning what it truly takes to own, sail, and live on a boat while working toward our goal of sailing around the world. If you’re into sailing adventures, beginner sailing, sailboat ownership, cruising lifestyle, and traveling the world by sailboat, our journey is all about real-time learning, ocean freedom, and building the confidence to chase long-term world cruising under sail. After spending three unforgettable days at an incredible anchorage, it’s time to pull up anchor and sail back across the bay — and this passage turns out to be anything but ordinary. In this episode of our liveaboard sailing adventure, we say goodbye to crystal-clear waters, peaceful anchor life, and off-grid living before setting sail once again aboard our home on the water. Life as liveaboard sailors preparing to sail around the world is never predictable, and this sail proves exactly why. On our way back, we encounter an unexpected visitor — a large sea snake swimming alongside the boat — a reminder of just how wild and alive the ocean can be when you choose the sailing lifestyle and slow travel by sailboat. As full-time sailors, every trip teaches us something new about comfort, safety, and making life onboard more practical. During this passage, we also tackle a real-world sailing challenge: improving visibility at the helm. Sitting comfortably while maintaining proper visibility and control is essential for long passages, so we work on a clever helm solution that makes steering easier and safer — a small upgrade that makes a big difference for everyday sailboat living. This episode captures the true rhythm of liveaboard boat life — peaceful anchorages, unexpected wildlife encounters, problem-solving at sea, and the constant learning that comes with preparing for long-distance cruising. Whether you’re a beginner sailor dreaming of ocean travel, a sailboat owner looking for practical ideas, or someone inspired by the idea of travelling the world by sailboat, this is real sailing life behind the scenes. Join us as we continue documenting our journey toward full-time world cruising, sharing honest moments of off-grid sailing, boat upgrades, sailing adventures, and life afloat. Subscribe and follow along as we prepare our sailboat for global adventures, learn new sailing skills, and embrace the freedom of slow sailing and liveaboard life. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:47 Dinner Onboard 02:48 Incoming Storm 04:00 Sail Plan 05:38 Anchor Up 08:40 No Wind 09:11 Boat Jobs Underway 10:22 Weird Clouds 12:34 Helm Solution 13:42 Sea Snake 15:43 Back to the Marina Please leave a comment, like and subscribe to follow our journey. Join us now as we settle into liveaboard life and get our boat ready to take off and sail around the world. As new sailors we want to share all of our learnings and keep it real in our videos. We want to show step by step what it takes to choose a boat, buy the boat and learn how to sail. Our sailing learning curve is steep so come along with us as we learn and grow as liveaboard sailors. We promise you will have a laugh! Welcome aboard Astrid The Wombat Gav and Shezz You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook: Sailing Astrid the Wombat #sailing #liveaboard #sailingaustralia #sailingadventures #sailboat