When a sailboat is home

There are signs of worry on 49-year-old Capt Gaurav Gautam’s face as he surveys his 42-foot-long crimson and white boat. The family’s one-month Malaysia visa expires the following day, and they need to leave Tioman Island and head to Indonesia, their next destination. But Reeva, the boat that’s been their home since 2022, developed a snag two days earlier. The bilge pump stopped working and they haven’t been able to repair it. Now, they need a new pump, available only on the mainland — at least 30 to 40 nautical miles away from the tiny village where they’ve docked. The next port and connectivity will be a week away.

His wife, Vaidehi Chitnavis (45), who handles all paperwork related to visas and permissions, will email a request to the immigration office for a grace period once she returns from the village market with basic ration supplies for their onward journey.

“Once in a while, we do come across such issues, but there’s nothing that can’t be resolved. When living off-grid for long durations, we try to carry whatever spares we can, but there are times when we get stuck and need to figure out how to get these, especially when we are far from the mainland. It’s a small price for the unusual life we chose… After all, how many people are able to live the life they wished for?” says Capt Gaurav, who took premature retirement from the Navy to follow his calling.

It was while commanding INS Tarangini, Indian Navy’s first sailing ship, on an eight-month voyage for the annual Tall Ships Race in Europe in 2015 that Capt Gaurav came across many European families living on sailboats. He was fascinated by the idea of slow travel and a life free from the grind. “I spoke to some of these families about how they managed life on a boat and found it quite doable. But there was no precedent for us — there are no Indian sailing families. Also, buying a boat is an expensive affair. A basic boat starts at $20,000 and can go up to crores — a budget that was beyond us.”

When Covid-19 brought the world to a standstill, Capt Gaurav was surprised to see a significant dip in prices. “We found a very good boat within our budget — a 38-year-old well-maintained two-room vessel with a salon and living room. Its teak interiors gave it a warm, inviting look. Equipped with an oven, fridge, freezer, and a reverse osmosis feature that generates drinking water from seawater, the boat also harnesses solar and wind energy. I discussed it with Vaidehi and Kaeya (our daughter) and asked them if they were ready for the leap,” he recalls.

Says Vaidehi, a former media professional, “As a Naval officer’s daughter and wife, I’ve had a very cushioned life. We both loved travel but our busy schedules never gave us time for ourselves. I felt that if not now, I might never get to experience a new way of life. Moreover, I had seen Gaurav daydreaming this life for years — so we thought, why not?”

Born in Solan and originally from Nahan, Capt Gaurav had a tough time convincing his parents in Dehradun about his decision. “My father, a true Pahadi, was shocked. But gradually, he has accepted the life we chose. I keep sending him videos — he’s happy to see us having fun.”

It’s now been nearly three years since they started sailing in October 2022, and there are no regrets, says Capt Gaurav.

Their day starts early, at sunrise. “I do all necessary repairs in the morning. We don’t sail continuously. Depending on navigation and weather charts — which are very accurate — we set sail in the morning, reach an island by the evening, and anchor there. If we like the place, we stay for two weeks. If not, we move on the next day. Lunch is usually around 11.30 am or noon — mostly a one-pot dish, though we carry Indian masalas for flavour. Around 3.30-4 pm, as the sun dips, we head out with our gear to snorkel, dive, or visit the beach. If we’re on land, we go hiking or explore a river. Evenings are often spent barbecuing. Sometimes, we get the company of other sailing families — we share meals, stories, experiences. It’s a great stress buster. As a family, sailing has brought us closer.”

The couple also has an Instagram account — The Reeva Project — where they document their experiences. Vaidehi, who’s mostly behind the camera, says, “We’ve made around 100 videos. Our followers are steadily increasing, and we often get requests to share reels. Hopefully, we’ll be able to monetise it soon.”

From downsizing their belongings to the bare minimum, learning skills, adapting to a small living space, and staying prepared for storms, this slow-paced nomadic life has taught them patience, resilience, and understanding. “Sailing has opened our minds. It’s made us more accepting of those around us,” says Capt Gaurav.

“There have been times when total strangers came to our rescue. Since this pump problem arose, seven-eight persons have already offered help. A German woman and her daughter, who also sail a boat, had a dental appointment in the city. They are bringing the pump for us. Once, when we ran out of onions, a fisherman took us to his village on his vehicle, got us onions, and dropped us back — without charging a penny. We’ve been sailing through Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Borneo region, but not once have we felt the need to lock our boat. Not even when we visited India for a month.”

Their daughter Kaeya, who sailed with them in the early years, is now in Class X at a boarding school in Pune. “We homeschooled her for a while, but managing the curriculum became difficult. Now she enjoys boarding school and flies to us during vacation. Last summer, we explored the Andamans and did an advanced diving course together. When she returns to school, she has so many unique stories to share with her friends. While our parents haven’t visited us yet, friends and family do come and stay with us to experience this life,” says Capt Gaurav.

They visit their families twice a year. “Most people make decisions based on ‘what ifs’ — what if this happens, that goes wrong… We chose to remove the ‘what ifs’ from our lives. With experience, our costs have come down. The idea is to keep travelling, make it sustainable, and live the life we want today, not wait for tomorrow,” he adds. Salut, or in their case, sail-ut!

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