Who is Sailing Uma?
Dan and Kika met in college. They started a successful architectural design-consulting business soon after graduation, but they quickly realized that the rat race was not for them. One thing was certain they both imagined a larger universe existed than the one they grew up with and yearned to discover for themselves.
They boldly chose to sell all they possessed in quest of something greater and go on their sailing voyage after realizing that material things had little meaning in their lives and with a burning desire to travel the globe. They put everything they had into the 1972 Pearson 36 christened "Uma."
Dan didn't grow up sailing, so being on a sailboat didn't appeal to him at first. But, both knew that they wanted to see new countries, see new sights, learn about different cultures, eat new foods, and observe how people live. They considered numerous options for travel (including RVs and backpacking), but their major aim was to live sustainably and travel on their own terms, so living aboard a boat seemed like a natural choice.
Both had no prior experience with sailing or boats, so they figured they could 'architect' their way in by installing a bed and a sink. Then they looked up "sailboat interiors" on Google and realized that, indeed, you could live aboard a sailboat. With time and a lot of effort, the two have turned their sailing yacht into their home.
Knowing where you are in the world is only one aspect of navigation. That's a solid start, but you can't define your route and therefore know where you're headed until you know where you were a few minutes, hours, or days before. This is exemplified by the GPS chart plotter seen on many boats—at any given time, a half-dozen or more satellites are telling you exactly where you are on the planet. This position is remembered and used to create a predicted route on the screen. You can change the predicted destination by changing your current position.
In life, we frequently dwell on worries about tomorrow, next week, a five-year plan, or retirement. But perhaps the most accurate approach to predict our future is to look back at our history and compare it to the thoughtful contemplation of today. A future forecast can be obtained by connecting these theoretical dots. The trip becomes more important as a result of this process, which shifts our focus from the future to the present.
What Does Uma Mean?
The name of Dan and Kika’s boat is Uma. The name was inspired by the Portuguese number “one,” which translates to Uma. The reason behind this name choice is that it was their first attempt to sail a boat. We've learned that UMA has many diverse connotations in various cultures, each translation being awesome and unique in its own way.
During the years of living and traveling onboard their small home: the couple found out that Uma is also a name for Pavarti, the Hindu Goddess of fertility, beauty, and strength. The name also symbolizes Hope in Inuit and Nation in Hebrew and translates to Tranquility in Sanskrit. If you were wondering what the word Uma means in Japanese, well, don't get your hopes up because it's a horse.
What Boat do they Sail?
It is said that a thousand-mile trip begins with a single step. Dan and Kika's trip began with a leap instead of just a step. The two made everything they owned, including vehicles, laptops, motorbikes, and furniture. They sold all of their belongings so that they could invest in a yacht that they could sail around the world.
"However, why a sailboat?" The basic answer is that they wanted to live simply and travel eternally, and a yacht seemed the best solution. Their yacht, "Uma," was built in 1972. She is neither showy nor fragile, which is what made the boat ideal for the job. The two wanted a name that reflected their passion and reasoning for purchasing Uma in the first place, so her name came from a poem.
Of course, the cost is a big deciding element. The best boat is the one you already possess, as it has been said. The issue was that they did not initially own a boat. Their post-grad budgets would not enable them to purchase a new boat, and they had no intention of going into debt to do so.
So, when the notion of buying a sailboat came up, they went straight to www.yachtworld.com to look at several options. The larger the boat, the more expensive it is, not only in terms of the purchase price but also in terms of maintenance and marina fees. As a result, they began small and worked their way to a larger boat.
The one factor that they considered when buying a boat is that they were looking for something that was easy for them to navigate and maintain but also roomy enough for the two to live in comfortably (Uma being their only home).
With that in mind, the duo estimated the entire length to be between 32 and 40 feet. They then began looking for a decent blue water-capable boat in their price range. They used the internet to read books, blogs, and forums. In the interim, they contacted a handful of guys and paid visits to their 36-40' boats.
