Sail Far Live Free

"At the end of your life, you're not going to remember all the knick-knacks and gadgets you had around you ... you're going to remember how far you could see when you looked out on the horizon.  - Amy Lukas Have you seen the t-shirt that says "You can't buy happiness, but you can buy a boat and that's just about the same thing"? Best friends Amy Lukas and Mary Catterlin would argue that you don't even have to buy the boat. Instead, you can build one from a single cottonwood tree and sail it on a 1,200 mile 93 day circumnavigation of Lake Michigan that's filled with happiness. I suppose it started with Mary wanting to own a boat but not being able to afford one. So naturally she decided to make one. A downed cottonwood tree provided the materials. She then spent three years carving the hull out of the tree trunk and creating her very own dugout canoe. Makeba (mah-KAY-buh) was born. With Amy's help, outriggers and a sailing rig from a S...

I know what it's like to have a dream that burns inside of you. One that is there whether your body is sleeping or awake. I think many sailors and wannabe cruisers know that feeling. Mait Nilson is a dreamer who, I imagine, also sees the globe as an adventure map and reckons to circle it in his own very unique way. On November 2, 2013, Mait plans to start his circumnavigation in Estonia. His initial sea crossing will be of the Strait of Gibraltar and later he'll attempt an Atlantic crossing from Senegal in Africa to Brazil in South America. While none of that may seem all that notable at first glance, Mait's journey becomes much more interesting when you consider his mode of transportation. He'll be using a Toyota Land Cruiser that he has heavily modified for both terrestrial and water use. He's named his dream machine "Amphibear". Check out the pictures below of Mait's Toyota adorned with foldable pontoons and hydraulically powered stern drives. I...