Dear Starship,

We write this letter to you with a heavy heart. We have been through so much with you. You have taken us to shores farther than our imaginations could ever have taken us. You have turned our two boys into accomplished, skilful sailors. You have given Jason and I so much happiness as a couple but sadly it’s time for us to part ways with you.

Another girl has caught our eye.

For years you carried us on memorable vacations up Lake Winnipeg. After that, you safely and comfortably took us from Canada, through the US, across the Caribbean Sea and into Central America. Beloved Starship, this is where we part as we have found another girl to continue our journey with. I am sorry to say that we are leaving you but we will never forget you and the incredible experiences and memories you have gifted us. We are different people now from before we met you and we will be forever grateful.

It’s not you, it’s us.

You cannot say that this is coming as a surprise to you. You see full well the growth lines on your mast that we’ve drawn in the main cabin area. You clearly see that Dylan grew an inch in height between June and July this summer. The quarter berth you provided him has kept him comfortable but as his height and interests increase, he needs more space that you just cannot give him. You have also overheard other conversations we have had about us needing more room. As full time liveaboards, you are not only our home. You are also my office for work, workshop for Jason and our school for Dylan. We simply need more space than what your 38 foot length and 12 foot beam can provide us.

There is no denying your beauty Starship. We have always been so proud of you. Your gorgeous navy-blue hull and beautifully finished interior has always made us happy.

You have given us unforgettable sunsets anchored off of soft, sandy beaches. You have connected us with wonderful people on our journey. Many we have sailed away from but will always keep in our hearts and some we will continue to share our lives with.

We will always be thankful to you for keeping us all safe. You did not let us down when big waves crashed on us and the winds tested our resolve and abilities.  

Please know that we are committed to your ongoing happiness and we will do everything we can to help you find new people to love and care for you. At the same time, soon we will be sailing away from you forever and we need you to know that you will always hold a place in our hearts.

We wish you fair winds and following seas, Starship.

All our love,

Jason, Amanda, Alex & Dylan

In my next blog I will introduce y’all to our new home, S/V Morning Star! She’s a Bristol, 45.5 foot cutter centre cockpit monohaul and we are so excited to have made this leap! Like Starship, Morning Star is an older boat so she has her quirks for us to work out. We will be spending time here at the marina working on some of the systems this fall. Morning Star has so much space though for life aboard and we will be so much more comfortable on passages . 🥂