The Hardest Part of Sailing Away? Going Home! | Sailing Telos | Three Sheets Ep. 35

What if the hardest part of sailing away wasn't leaving everything behind, but realizing you never wanted to go back? Joe and Jada Smith of Sailing Telos spent four years preparing to trade their life on land for a cruising adventure with their four daughters. They sold their belongings, said goodbye to friends and family, and moved aboard a Lagoon 450 catamaran with a plan to spend two years exploring the world together. But somewhere between homeschooling at anchor, exploring the Caribbean, navigating the challenges of boat life, and finding an incredible community of cruising families, something unexpected happened. They fell in love with a life they weren't ready to leave. In Episode 35 of the Three Sheets Podcast, Latitudes & Attitudes Publisher Erik Kyle and Eddietor-in-Cheef David Levesque sit down with Joe and Jada to talk about the realities of raising four daughters aboard a sailboat, the challenges of their first cruising season, and the unexpected opportunities that are allowing them to keep their adventure going. From a frightening encounter with a tangled propeller to the friendships that turned fellow cruisers into family, the Smiths share the highs, lows, and everything in between of making a life on the water. And when their original two-year plan came to an end, the entire family had one thing in common: nobody was ready to go home. IN THIS EPISODE: ⛵ Trading life on land for a 45-foot catamaran with four daughters ⛵ Preparing for full-time cruising with little sailing experience ⛵ Homeschooling, family routines, and adjusting to life aboard ⛵ The challenges of their first cruising season and why they kept going ⛵ Finding an incredible community of cruising families throughout the Caribbean ⛵ The unexpected opportunities that are helping them continue their sailing adventure ⛵ Why leaving the cruising lifestyle behind turned out to be harder than leaving home in the first place Whether you're dreaming of cruising with your family, preparing to untie the dock lines, or already living the cruising lifestyle, Joe and Jada's story is a reminder that sometimes the life you set out to experience becomes the life you never want to leave. 👇🏼 MORE FROM THIS EPISODE Read Joe and Jada's article, "The Life We Didn't Mean to Love This Much," in the September/October 2026 issue of Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine. 🔗 Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine: https://latsatts.com/ FOLLOW THE SAILING TELOS FAMILY Follow Joe, Jada, and their four daughters as they continue their sailing adventures! ⛵ Sailing Telos on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailingtelos/ ⛵ Captain Joe on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/captain_joe_multihull/ ⛵ Sailing Telos on TikTok: tiktok.com/@sailingtelos 🎥 Sailing Telos | A Smith Family Adventure on YouTube: [www.youtube.com/@sailingtelos](http://www.youtube.com/@sailingtelos) 🌊 ABOUT THREE SHEETS Three Sheets is the official podcast of Latitudes & Attitudes Magazine, hosted by Publisher Erik Kyle and Eddietor-in-Cheef David Levesque. From offshore adventures and unforgettable cruising stories to the people, places, and experiences that make life on the water extraordinary, Three Sheets brings the cruising community together one conversation at a time. Subscribe for more stories from the sailors, adventurers, and dreamers living a life less ordinary. 🔗 Latitudes & Attitudes: https://www.latsatts.com/ 🔗 Subscribe to the channel: http://www.youtube.com/@ThreeSheetsPodcast-ui6jv 👍🏼 Enjoyed this episode? Give it a thumbs up, leave a comment, and subscribe for more cruising stories and conversations. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Hardest Part? Going Home! 00:35 Welcome to Three Sheets 02:15 How the Sailing Dream Began 05:45 Finding the Right Boat 09:15 Homeschooling Four Daughters 11:00 Learning to Sail and Preparing for Cruising 13:45 Raising a Family on a Catamaran 16:00 The Challenges of Their First Year 18:00 Finding Their Cruising Community 19:15 A Typical Day Aboard Telos 22:00 The Two-Year Plan Comes to an End 23:15 An Unexpected Opportunity to Keep Sailing 26:00 Boat Mamas and Supporting Cruising Families 30:55 When Things Go Wrong on the Water 34:20 The Moments That Make It All Worthwhile 35:50 Making the Transition Back to Land 38:30 Unforgettable Family Adventures 42:00 Balancing Work, Family, and Cruising 45:00 Advice for Future Cruisers 47:40 Final Thoughts and Farewell #threesheetspodcast #sailingtelos #latitudesandattitudes