liz clark sailboat

Steer With your Heart: A film from the Voyage of Swell

A raw, touching documentary about Captain Liz Clark ‘s decade-long voyage aboard her sailboat, Swell, in search of remote waves, new friends, and how to live in better harmony with Mother Earth.

“My voyage was born out of passion to surf the world and find a way to live lighter on the planet. And this film was created thanks to collaboration and support from loving friends and companies. I hope it inspires you to hear the callings of your heart.” Liz Clark

About Liz Clark… in her own words

I learned to sail at seven years old in San Diego, California on a little red sailing dinghy. At ten, I completed a 5,000-mile, 6-month cruise in Mexico with my family on our sailboat,  The Endless Summer,  experiencing a different culture, the freedom and beauty of sea travel, and opening my mind to horizons beyond my hometown reality. I credit the origin of my environmental concern to my exposure to the contrasting landscapes of grave pollution and radical natural beauty in Mexico.

Albeit very young, this trip profoundly impacted me. Two things were clear when we returned to San Diego in 1990: I wanted to protect the natural world from human destruction and, one day, I wanted to be the captain of my own sailboat.

At fifteen, my love of the ocean and natural athletic inclination led me to try surfing. Soon after, it was all I wanted to do. Determined to excel in the sport, I spent all my free time in the water and eventually started competing. I surfed in private contests and for the UCSB surf team while studying at UC Santa Barbara. My competitive career culminated in a win at the NSSA Nationals, making me the 2002 College Women’s National Champion. Although I enjoyed pushing my level of surfing through competition, I was more inclined to chasing nature saturated, exploratory surf experiences. I enjoyed surfing most for the adventures leading to remote breaks, the connection with the elements, and the opportunities for self-discovery. I was full of bigger questions that needed answers.

I began taking surf trips during summers and school breaks to Barbados, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, and a ‘study abroad’ trip Australia. As I finished up my degree in Environmental Studies, I remember feeling frustrated by the direction the world seemed headed. Our distance and apathy for the natural world and failure as a country to seek and promote environmentally sustainable living left me disappointed and frustrated. I clung to my dream as a ‘way out’.

My surfing obsession further fueled this fire. The pressures of increasing crowds and urban pollution made the idea of a free-ranging life on the sea seem even more appealing. After graduation, I crewed on different boats to gain experience for about a year, and then spontaneously came upon the chance to become the captain of my own sailboat. Thanks to the generosity of my friend and mentor, Barry Schuyler, along with support from my family, Swell and I were united.

Through this stroke of serendipity, my intense determination, and the generosity and advice of innumerable people in Santa Barbara and beyond, Swell was converted into an ocean-worthy vessel. For almost three years, I worked with local professionals–mechanical, rigging, sail repair, radio, fiberglassing, and others, learning and overhauling each of Swell’s vital systems in order to prepare myself and my ship for sea. Only having sailed the boat a handful of times during this busy preparation period, I honestly didn’t know whether I would be capable of a captain’s tasks and responsibility. Although the uncertainties ahead petrified me, the alternative of not going seemed even more unthinkable. And so in October of 2005, I pointed Swell’s bow south from the Santa Barbara harbor.

Over the 20,000 nautical miles of ocean I’ve sailed since, I’ve discovered that the most important sort of exploration happens within. The enormous sense of fulfillment I’ve gained from following my dream, delving into self-awareness, and living a simple life close to nature motivates me to continue sharing my experiences in hopes of the same for others.

A few powerful lessons I’ve learned along the way:

• We really do have immense inner power to create the life we desire and manifest our dreams.
• By using the challenges and adversities in life as opportunities to grow and learn, something positive can come out of almost any difficult situation.
• We’re all just doing our best, so instead of pointing fingers or placing blame, it’s always more useful to look within for solutions.
• Practicing relentless positivity and loving-kindness has the power to completely change one’s reality.
• WE ARE ONE! Nature, humanity, and all life on Earth are inextricably and fantastically connected. Seeking to understand and participate in this Greatness is not only a path to immense personal fulfillment, but also to healthy, peaceful planet and a populace that could exist in harmony with nature!

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How Liz Clark turned her South Pacific sailing trip into a memoir and visual voyage

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More than 10 years ago Liz Clark left Southern California aboard a 40-foot sailboat. She had recently graduated from UCSB with a degree in environmental studies and was headed south to Panama and then across the Pacific Ocean to Tahiti. She sailed with friends and family at times but was mostly alone — eventually joined by a cat. Once she arrived in the South Pacific she spent several years sailing and surfing among the islands. She met fellow travelers and local families and became increasingly aware of the fragility of the marine environment. Her sailing log became the foundation for a memoir, “Swell: A Sailing Surfer's Voyage of Awakening,” published this year by Patagonia. She also produced a short documentary, “Steer With Your Heart: A Film from the Voyage of Swell.” Clark agreed to discuss her voyage and how she put together a written and visual memoir.

Q: “Steer With Your Heart: A Film from the Voyage of Swell” flows through topics in a stream-of-consciousness fashion. Did you have this film in mind when you set out?

A: Not really; I was more into writing about my experiences than filming them when I set out. I liked the way I could be fully present in an experience and then write about it later, versus having a camera rolling with me all the time. I did capture footage from time to time, but I didn't know how to edit or make films, so I was accumulating this footage for almost nine years until my friend Teva Perrone, who lived on the island where I was writing my book, wanted to help me turn it into a short film.

Q: What were some of the challenges of documenting something so personal?

A: I'm an introvert, so sharing my truest self in front of the rolling camera is not something that comes easily to me, but I tried to see this like any of the other challenges of the voyage and do my best to share my authentic self in hopes of inspiring others to hear their hearts’ calls. But beyond this, the challenges of documenting my voyage are many. As a captain, my first priority is making sure the boat is well-maintained, that we are safe. I must be vigilant at sea, deal with sail changes, navigation, route planning, etc. So film documentation gets a back seat to all of those things. But I realized that visual media touches a different spectrum of people than writing and can spread inspiration in a whole new way. So I did my best to gather footage of these amazing experiences little by little, in hopes of creating something that would convey some of what I was seeing and learning and feeling out there. But it's not like you get to go back to a hotel at night and shower up, charge your camera batteries for the next day, and get a good night's sleep — the adventure is nonstop, sometimes there's not enough power from the solar panels to charge the camera batteries, I'm constantly battling corrosion from being in such a harsh environment, trying to capture cool shots can be dangerous, and it's tough just trying to motivate myself to pick up the camera when I'm super exhausted from overnight passages.

Q: In the film you express being a part of the “wildness and magic” of the world. Was there a moment that sticks out that first helped you connect to that?

A: I think it was more of a gradual understanding that came out of living so close to nature and often at her mercy — frequent encounters with wildlife, the ocean’s moods, being alone out there and learning myself and my truths. And feeling freed from the norms of modern society that often felt constricting. Chasing this dream put me in so many vulnerable situations, but I always found a way through it, and that helped me understand the magic of following your heart.

Q: Do you have any thoughts for people working with video gear on sailboats or in marine environments?

A: For an amateur like me, sticking to simple, rugged equipment was essential to me actually getting the camera out to film. Almost all of the footage for this film was shot with a GoPro camera. The GoPro cameras are easy to work, they take up virtually no space, and they have always endured well in the harsh marine environments I expose them to, plus they produce high-quality images. So I would say going with a compact camera that will be easy to have with you often has its benefits.

Q: You mention in the film how you came to feel very connected to the world as a result of all the help and smiles you got along the way. Were you wary of people at the outset of the voyage? Do you remember a particular point in which you began to feel confident that you would receive the support from people you encountered?

A: Being raised in Southern California I was brought up with a healthy caution of strangers. And when I worked as a bartender in Santa Barbara before leaving on the trip, I heard every sort of horror story and reason that I should not try to go out and live this dream. I was constantly being warned of pirates, thieves, bad men. But right after crossing the border into Mexico, I encountered very friendly, helpful people. Mexican people showed me kindness and generosity and grace at every turn down the west coast. Plus, the boating community is always looking out for one another, and neither of these experiences changed as I moved through Central America and into the South Pacific. I took simple precautions like not going out alone at night in a new place, and dressing like a tomboy so not to attract extra attention, and moving away from any situation that didn't feel “right,” but I quickly realized that the overwhelming majority of people I met were going to be kind and supportive.

Q: Both the book and the film describe an environmental awakening. You had an academic background in science and the environment but it does seem as though your awareness of environmental issues sharpened over the course of the voyage. Can you describe some things you encountered that influenced your perception of the environment?

A: I constantly saw plastic pollution in bays and ports, as well as out at sea. Every sort — bigger items like plastic bottles, balloons, discarded fishing nets and buoys, along with smaller bits of broken down plastics that would swirl in the borders of currents. I saw overfishing and decline of fisheries — from giant tuna purse seiners, to smaller boats poaching in marine protected areas, to disregard for fish size or breeding times by local fishermen. It made me realize how selective we must be as seafood consumers if we want our grandchildren to be able to enjoy seafood. I’ve watched coral reef health decline in the Pacific — drastically in the last five years with the bleaching events from our warmer, more acidic oceans due to climate change. And I’ve witnessed sea levels rising, and island populations having to mitigate higher tides and salt water contaminating their groundwater sources, to facing having to leave altogether. These are all reasons that I’ve chosen to use my voice more and more for activism for our planet and for these people who are being affected, but don't have a voice to influence change. Not everyone can experience what I've seen first-hand, so I feel a responsibility to spread awareness and be a leader in the movement for sustainable, earth-conscious living.

Q: Many coastal sailors consider longer voyages. You actually did it and have faced a multitude of dangerous moments — and mechanical issues. Have your fears eased with experience? Was it helpful to sail with friends and family in the beginning?

A: Yes and no. I’m certainly more confident as a captain and I know the ins and outs of my boat now, which makes going to sea less scary. And I've proven to myself that I will find a way to deal with whatever comes up mechanically or otherwise in terms of equipment. But my sea miles have also taught me that it's important to maintain a sincere respect for the ocean. Without this healthy dose of “fear” I think people can get too comfortable and cut corners. I've seen how quickly things can go wrong, which keeps me on my toes, making sure to prevent problems and prepare as much as possible before leaving safe harbor. And yes it was super helpful to have different friends and family with me at the beginning as I was gaining confidence as a captain.

Q: You sailed to Tahiti, paddled out at Teahupo’o and describe a wonderful session with Raimana. That’s pretty amazing. What was the most surprising thing about Teahupo’o?

A: Yea, having Raimana's encouragement was everything out there. The most surprising thing to me about Teahupo’o was the amount of water that moves through the wave and lineup — it's incredible — and how the swell just seems to spring up like mountains out of nowhere just in front of the break because of the way they hit the reef shelf out of very deep water.

Q: Both the book and the film relate a voyage that is enlivened by personal growth. Was there a point when the narrative became clear to you?

A: Early on in the voyage, I realized that I wouldn’t succeed at my sailing and surfing dream unless I faced the things about myself that I needed to work on, so personal growth became a big focus of the journey. Living on the edge of safety and certainty all the time pushed me to seek to understand my connection to the universe and alignment with my truth. In seeking self-awareness and doing the work on myself, I felt connection to something greater than myself that binds all of us together, and soon intuitively felt that my growth was/is a big part of my “purpose” here on Earth, and everyone's purpose. So it felt right to make this a significant part of the narrative.

Q: Can you describe your writing process?

A: My writing process for the book started with a lot of procrastination, haha ... and by looking back through my blogs and personal journals and chronologically piecing together significant stories that either played into the personal growth theme, or into the adventure, surfing, sailing, love, or the story lines about my relationship with my parents, etc. Thankfully I worked with a fabulous editor, Sharon Avrutick, who really helped me shape and structure the narrative and chapters effectively. Getting going was really a challenge. I had a huge amount of writing that I just squashed together and then had to trim and edit, and fill in here and there to make it connect and flow. I wrote the book mostly on my boat, and at a desk in the forest that my partner built for me. I would surf in the morning, then try to write until I couldn't sit still anymore.

Q: You describe overcoming significant relationship issues and being scared for your physical well-being. You solved it with courage and the support from those around you. How did that experience affect you?

A: That experience affected me enormously. It gave me so much compassion for other women (and men) in that kind of situation, because if someone as independent and capable as me can find myself in that nightmare, anyone can. It helped me stop judging people I cross in everyday situations because I realized that I can never really know what someone is going through. This experience also helped me understand what it really means to love myself, and love someone else too. I also gained a huge amount of compassion for other beings in situations of vulnerability. It was one of the reasons I stopped fishing and became vegan (I only eat fish very rarely now), because I couldn’t bear to put another being through the fear that I experienced in my situation — even a fish. Going vegan is by far the best thing I've ever done for my own heart, for the animals, for the earth, the ocean, and for my health, so I'm grateful this gave me the extra push to stop eating meat just because it “tastes good.” I understand what it's like to feel like I'm at the mercy of someone's violence, and don't wish that upon any being. Eating in alignment with my truth has made my life so much richer!

Q: What are your plans for the future?

A: It’s been a busy, stressful last couple years getting this book finished followed by a fast-paced, 24-stop book tour, so for the moment, my only plan right now is to get back to my boat, slow back down, get back to nature, and put my health and body first. I know I will do more adventure sailing, but I’m not sure when or where yet.

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Living a Life of Harmony at Sea – Q&A with Liz Clark

  March 5, 2021    | By: Amber Stronk

Liz Clark is a passionate conservationist, sailor, surfer and author of Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening , a memoir which details her time sailing in the open sea while developing a profound connection to the earth and committing to a life of sustainability.

Liz learned to sail at seven years old in San Diego, California on a small, red sailing dinghy. When Liz was 10, her family went on a 5,000-mile, 6 month trip down Mexico’s Pacific coast which began her lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship. Liz has lived aboard her sailboat for over a decade writing, photographing her experiences and working as a brand ambassador for eco-conscious organizations. She has gained worldwide recognition as an environmental activist and adventurer.

Sailors for the Sea’s Communication Manager, Amber Stronk, had a chance to talk with Liz about her sailing experience and passion for protecting our oceans. As a Sailors for the Sea Ambassador, Liz  believes Green Boaters can be catalysts for change when it comes to restoring the health of our oceans.

Amber Stronk: Can you tell me a bit about how you began sailing and what was your “aha moment” that turned you into an ocean conservationist?

Liz Clark: When I was a kid, we sailed from San Diego, California to Mexico on our family sailboat. We visited the most incredibly pristine bays and coastlines and witnessed extraordinary wildlife. When we’d sail into busy ports I remember being troubled by the amount of trash and pollution I’d see in the ocean. It was this stark contrast between beautiful ocean wilderness areas versus what I saw in coastal cities that turned me into a passionate environmentalist early on.

AS: What is the history of your sailboat, Swell and what drove your decision to live a life of exploration at sea?

LC: Swell is a Cal 40 built in 1966 in Orange County, California. She was originally bought by someone who lived on the Great Lakes, so that’s where she started her life afloat. Eventually she was purchased by some racers in Seattle, Washington and headed back out to the West Coast. I didn’t find out until well into my voyage that her original name was Maria . I acquired her in Santa Barbara, California in 2003 and we have since voyaged over 20,000 nautical miles together.

AS: What is the biggest challenge living aboard a sailboat and what has been the greatest sense of accomplishment during your time at sea?

LC: The biggest challenge living aboard a sailboat is being constantly vigilant of the weather to be sure you are anchored in a safe place. You also have to conserve water and electricity, and you must enjoy fixing the things that are constantly breaking!

AS: What do you think is the biggest threat that our oceans face?

LC: I think climate change is hands down the biggest threat to our oceans. Plastic pollution and overfishing are close behind.

AS: How do you think a community of Green Boaters dedicated to protecting the ocean can be impactful?

LC: I believe in the power of individual action to influence broader societal and policy change. If people in the boating community commit to changing their own habits and actions to better protect mother ocean, we can lighten our impact and influence the people around us and continue to learn, share ideas, and influence product development. Boaters love to play on the ocean, so we should all participate in protecting our playground. We also have the ability to bring firsthand stories of the challenges the ocean is facing back to land with us to share with those who are less connected to the sea in their everyday lives. No matter how small, I believe every effort matters. We need all hands on deck if we are to have a living thriving ocean for future generations to enjoy.

AS: What commitments have you made towards restoring ocean health and what would you challenge other Green Boaters to do?

LC: I do my best to live a simple, low-impact life and be conscious of my boating habits. I always try to upcycle or repair things before making a new purchase. I make my own cleaning products with white vinegar, biodegradable soaps, and essential oils. I try to eat consciously by choosing local, in-season, and plant-based foods. To reduce my consumption of single-use plastics, I carry reusable wares with me for takeout food or drinks and use a refillable water bottle. I try to use my purchase power to support eco and socially responsible brands and I’m also being more mindful of travel plans by enjoying local accessible places versus taking a plane. And when I do fly, I support the SeaTrees program which plants mangroves and kelp forests to offset carbon emissions from my air travel. Additionally, I just started making “eco-bricks” with all of my soft plastic trash. We don’t have bulk store options here on the island where I live, so I end up with plastic packaging from foods and other items as well as some plastic bottles—for example, when I purchase white vinegar. To build an eco-brick, I stuff the soft plastic wrappers into the plastic bottle until it’s packed tightly and full to the brim. Then this hard brick of plastic can be reused for insulating a house or filler when building a road, and also ensures the plastic won’t blow away and end up in the ocean. It’s awesome for life on a boat because it reduces what would have been an enormous pile of plastic trash into one small bottle.

I would challenge others to evaluate their habits and make small changes where possible for the benefit of our oceans and future generations. Don’t get overwhelmed by the things you can’t change right away. Start with what you can change and commit to learning and doing better as you go.

You can be part of the leading group of sailors and boaters who are taking action to support policy campaigns and changing their behavior on the water to help protect our oceans worldwide. Join the Green Boating community today.

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CAPTAIN LIZ’S SOLO VOYAGE

The story of this woman is really intense. Liz Clark, 34 years old, has been sailing the Pacific on her 40-feet sailboat since 2005. It’s the story of a normal life spent in uncommon way and context but without anything theatrical. It is indeed not the story of a woman who gave up everything to leave. It’s the story of a woman who has decided that it’s better not to have anything to give up.

Liz must have made her decision since she was child, when she dreamt about a boat trip with her parents, but she took things slow: first, she learned to sail, she graduated from university and then she left. She spent the first year and half hugging the coast, from California to Mexico and Panama : she wanted to gain confidence as a captain, know her boat and understand how things really were. Then, she announced her family that she intended to sail to the Pacific, the Galapagos and Marquesas Islands alone: her mother immediately volunteered to accompany her (some things never change, whatever we choose to do) and they sailed together to French Polynesia. Finally alone, Liz spent the next year exploring many atolls and Kribati until she was forced to stop for some maintenance works and general checks.

And over time also a general plan comes . Liz is currently a writer, she collaborates with schools on environmental education projects, she documents her voyage, in the hope of inspiring other people to live their passions, face their fears and discover the advantages of a deeper self-awareness.

Liz gives us four precious tips that can probably help you even though you aren’t going to sail the Pacific. Just few little rules of good sense.

One step at a time – if Liz had thought about her full voyage, how to finance and take it, she would have probably given up immediately. One step at a time is undoubtedly a more efficient strategy.

Face your fears – it doesn’t mean not to be afraid! It means to do things despite your fears and stop your inner voice saying “no” and telling about storms and squalls. After all, it’s good to be scared.

Trust your instinct – that’s a thing easy to learn when you sail. It’s generally sufficient to interprete some few signals to understand that something is getting wrong…

Ask for help: for repairs, to understand courses, for anything else: we are not expected to do everything alone.

Hi I’m Alicia I’m 10 and am about to go on an amazing journey on our Hallberg rassy 352 I’m getting homeschooled and going to live of savings . we are selling up and going were ever the wind takes us… I would like to leave my parents when I’m a bit older and go and sail on my own . thank you …

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Surfer Liz Clark sits by the campfire with her sailboat, Swell , anchored in the distance.

A Surfer's Reflections From a Decade at Sea

Surfer Liz Clark shares insights on our changing oceans (fewer fish, more trash), swimming with dolphins, and why she's 99 percent vegan.

For the last decade, Liz Clark's home has been the ocean. The exploratory surfer-sailor set out on Swell , her 40-foot sailboat, from the coast of Santa Barbara in October 2005 to seek out unknown surf breaks and live a life acutely attuned to weather and the vast blue ocean. Clark now spends most of her time in the waters of French Polynesia and has become a voice for the ocean and how to live a sustainable lifestyle. And while much of her global voyage has been solo, Clark now shares her boat with a co-captain, her feisty, adventurous cat, Amelia.

For World Oceans Day , we asked Clark, a previous Adventurer of the Year , to share insights on our changing oceans, her experience swimming with a dolphin for hours, why she's 99 percent vegan, and how she avoids a sunburn without polluting the ocean.

How have you seen the ocean change in your decade of living on the water?

The horizons are still straight and broad, and the open seas are still that magically bright blue, but I’ve seen a steady decline in fish populations, a rise in floating debris and pollution in bays and on beaches, and this past year I witnessed a frightening amount of coral bleaching on nearby reefs which seemed linked to the extraordinarily warm ocean temperatures. But with these negative changes, I’ve also seen a rising tide of awareness about these issues and more and more people willing to speak up for our oceans.

Swell sails along a reef in French Polynesia.

How have you seen wildlife change? What was your most magical wildlife interaction?

The visual decline that I noticed in fish populations where I was sailing is what finally led me to stop eating fish in areas where I felt that the fisheries need a break from fishing pressures.

I’ve had many magical wildlife moments, but there was a particular dolphin off a remote atoll who leapt out of the sea next to my cockpit and looked me squarely in the eyes as I was heading for sea one afternoon aboard Swell . I turned off the engine and tied a rope to the hull and jumped in with her. She seemed thrilled by my company and we spent the next few hours playing and swimming together near Swell . I’ll never forget how she asked me to join her in the sea with that hovering, horizontal leap and stare.

Since sailing is fundamentally based on weather, you've become your own weather forecaster. Have you seen any notable changes in weather patterns over the last decade?

Weather patterns in the Pacific are seeing significant changes, which makes ocean voyaging even more challenging and unpredictable. The rain and wind and pressure patterns seem to adhere less and less to their normal patterns. This last year was especially hot and windless with the El Niño influence.

Surfer Liz Clark prepared a vegan smoothie for breakfast on her 20-foot sailboat.

Are you vegan? Or do you (and Amelia) eat fish and seafood?

I have been eating 99 percent vegan for about three years, and I feel like it’s the single most important choice I’ve made for my health and the future of our planet. I don’t eat fish unless it is caught by myself or a good friend from an area where I feel like the fish populations are in an abundant state. And even then I try to eat fish that are low on the food chain. For the last two years I’ve eaten fish very rarely because I feel that the reefs in the area where I've been writing my book do not seem healthy enough to support more pressure from fishing. Amelia, on the other hand, eats fish that she’s given or catches baitfish at night with a lamp off the side of a foam surfboard.

Do you ever think about moving back to dry land and living a "normal" life?

Since going vegan, I’ve developed a big desire to grow my own food, so I imagine that one day I would like to have a little land place where I could have that experience. But I don’t imagine that I will ever live a “normal” life!

How do you protect yourself from the sun day in and day out?

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I try to cover up with shirts and hats as best [as] possible, especially since I’ve learned that the chemicals and nanoparticles in most sunscreens are terribly damaging to corals and phytoplankton, which are the base of ocean food chains! Not to mention they probably aren’t that good for us either. But for surfing and ocean activities and long days sailing on the water, I’ve discovered a sunscreen that checks all my boxes. It’s called Avasol. It’s made with non-nanoparticle zinc oxide combined with awesome organic and sustainable ingredients, comes in biodegradable and minimal plastic packaging options, and actually feels like it’s really good for my skin when I put it on. Chris at Avasol is a huge inspiration for me to keep evaluating how I can do better as an individual to educate myself on the impacts of the products I use on my body.

Do you think Swell will last your whole life? How is she doing?

With proper love and maintenance I think she definitely could! She’s doing great, hauled out in the boatyard in Tahiti while I’m touring the U.S. right now. She’s got a few minor blisters on the hull but thankfully nothing too severe going on at the moment!

Do you ever get lonely out there?

Sometimes, but I have Amelia and also an awesome man in my life! My times of great loneliness are really what have pushed me to connect with the ocean, other cultures, and the universe in ways beyond what I knew at the outset of this voyage. This feeling of deeper connection to everything else is the most comforting and awesome feeling I can imagine, so I’m grateful for the loneliness that helped me get to that place of understanding and knowing my oneness with everything else.

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Sailor Profile: Liz Clark

• By Michael Robertson
• Updated: December 28, 2016

We were motoring into a turquoise French Polynesian lagoon when a 1966 Cal 40, already at anchor, caught my eye. Dropping our hook 50 yards away, we were close enough to read the wavy liquid typeface on the stern quarter: Swell .

“I know that boat,” I said to my wife and two girls. A dinghy tugged at its painter behind the Cal, but nobody was topside. My youngest daughter and I jumped in and swam over.

A tanned, smiling face popped up from the companion­way, framed in long, curly blond hair. “Hi!”

I was face to face with the owner of the Cal, and she didn’t know me from Adam. But far away, bathed in fluorescent light and surrounded by the vanilla-colored walls of a Washington, D.C., office, I’d started rooting for Liz Clark upon discovering her blog in 2004. That was a year before she broke free.

At 25 years old, Liz sailed away from a Southern California marina, and she’s been exploring the world ever since. Parts of her story have been told in newspapers, magazines, on her blog and, lately, via social media. It’s a story she’s keen to share.

“I want people to know that I am not some superwoman to whom destiny opened the door to a perfect sailing dream life. Looking back through my diaries and logbooks, I am amazed to see just how far I have come,” Liz told my daughter and me as we chatted in her cockpit. “I now see how all the difficulties appeared so perfectly along my path for my personal growth.”

The challenges Liz faced to get where she is today were both physical and emotional. She overcame them through determination, perseverance and a sweet dose of serendipity.

In her early 20s, Liz was a bartender finishing a degree in environmental science. Up to that point in her life, she’d followed the path, jumped through the hoops. All she could then see on the horizon was convention: career, marriage, house, family, retirement. But she wasn’t after convention. She harbored an unconventional dream.

Liz grew up in a sailing family. As a young teen she’d read Tania Aebi’s Maiden Voyage and decided she also wanted to sail alone around the world. In the years that followed, on sailing trips with her dad between her Southern California home port and the nearby Channel Islands, Liz stood at the helm, pretending nobody else was aboard. Then she found herself suddenly in her 20s, not circumnavigating but tending bar. She’d long passed the point where pretending sufficed.

She didn’t own a boat, but she had a surfboard. For Liz, surfing was a second passion. She’d competed for the University of California and was named the College Women’s National Surfing Champion in 2002. But post-graduation, as she sat on her board outside familiar breaks, her attention was often drawn seaward. She wondered about undiscovered surf spots over the horizon, ones she longed to visit on a boat of her own. As happens to many plans and ambitions on the path to adulthood, Liz’s could have been forgotten. But she stayed focused. There wasn’t anyone in her life at that time who didn’t know about her dream.

Liz was working at yet another catering gig when someone at the party asked her whether she’d ever met professor Barry Schuyler.

“Nope,” Liz replied.

“You should,” the guest said. “He’s over there.”

More than a retired, white-haired academic, Dr. Arent “Barry” Schuyler was a sailor. He quickly invited Liz to join other students and professors for a weekend sailing trip. Sailor Barry and sailor Liz hit it off, and they kept in touch as time passed.

About a year after finishing her degree, Liz ran into Barry again. At 80, he was finding sailing to be more difficult. He saw in his friend Liz a chance for a vicarious sailing adventure. The aging professor offered the young dreamer his Contessa 26 to sail around the world.

For a blissful summer, Liz stole every day she could to sail Freya. Not only was she alone at the helm of this precious gift, but Freya was the same model boat that Aebi, the teen circumnavigator who inspired her, had sailed around the world. Liz enjoyed beam-reach sailing out to Santa Cruz and San Miguel islands. She beat north almost 100 miles from Santa Catalina Island. She got slammed off Point Conception, getting pooped several times over the low transom. Although Liz thought the Contessa was an excellent sailing boat, she found it to be a poor home.

“I couldn’t stand up straight in the cabin, there wasn’t room to host even one friend aboard, and bringing surfboards would have been nearly impossible,” she told us. “At that point I was a total surf rat. My sailing dream was as much about surfing as circumnavigating. Freya wasn’t quite big enough to live that dream. It was really hard to come to realize this. I felt like I was passing up my only chance.”

Regretfully, she returned Freya to her patron. He was understanding, though she was devastated and again a sailor without a boat.

“A couple of weeks later,” Liz said, “Barry called me with a new proposal: Save half the money needed to buy the boat that’s right for me, and he’d match it.”

Ultimately, together Liz and Barry purchased Swell . The seeds of her future were sown — and the 1966 boat needed an extensive refit.

For the next 30 months, Liz bloodied her knuckles and washed dirt and dust from her hair each night. She used all the time she wasn’t waiting tables to prepare for an extended solo voyage. She apprenticed with a sailmaker, an electrician and a rigger. She studied at night for her ham radio license. Word spread through the Southern California sailing scene about the determined 20-something sprite with the 40-foot sailboat and big plans.

A local marine mechanic donated a replacement boom and mentored her on projects. Friends and family donated labor and supplies. Barry became an active member of her ground crew, weighing in on the refit to ensure the boat was prepped for offshore work. He and Liz plotted her voyage together. Every bit as much as the girl who hatched it, he wanted to see this dream realized.

After a local newspaper ran a story about the surfer and the professor, Patagonia contacted Liz and asked her to be one of its brand ambassadors. Liz’s enthusiasm went beyond the sport and the lifestyle; her passion for environmental awareness also aligned with the brand’s focus. More than a source of free products, Patagonia has been one of Liz’s primary sources of income ever since.

Another interest of the sailing and surfing environmentalist is writing. A year into Swell’s refit, Liz had already sold a couple of stories to Surfer magazine. Her blog was garnering a following, and Latitude 38, a West Coast sailing magazine, began reporting on her plans and her refit progress.

Finally, on a mid-October day in 2005, with the sun still working to pierce morning coastal fog, Liz motored out of Santa Barbara Harbor. “I was nervous, overwhelmed, excited, scared, victorious, and wondering whether I’d bitten off more than I could chew,” she said.

She ended up spending another month in a harbor farther south. There she finished projects like reinforcing the bow pulpit, installing an autopilot, and building a cradle and pulley system for a fixed spinnaker pole. “I’d felt pressure to cut the dock lines in Santa Barbara. It was two weeks later than the departure date I’d given the news­papers,” she said, “and I’d found it impossible to get any work done because curious people were always coming up to the boat to chat about my trip.”

Liz spent the next couple of years between California and Panama, learning even more about her boat, sailing and weather. In 2007, she left the Galápagos with her mother as crew and landed 21 days later in the Marquesas. Since that voyage, Liz has made several long passages north of the equator, up the Line Islands, to escape cyclone season. She’s spent all of her time thus far in the Pacific, with plans to move on when it feels right.

Every day Liz dresses in flip-flops and swimwear. She maintains her boat and tends to sundry life chores, but spends the bulk of her time writing, sailing, surfing, hiking and preaching the gospel of environmental awareness and sustainable living.

The organization Women in the World recently profiled Liz for The New York Times. This past year, she was a National Geographic Adventurer of the Year finalist. Throughout the past decade, Liz’s online presence has grown massively. Readers cheered her on when for months she was in and out of a Polynesian boatyard, hot and sweaty, battling a persistent leak that she ultimately determined stemmed from Swell’s corroded bronze shaft tube. Fans from afar donated a headsail when hers could go no more.

Fulfilled dreams are contagious. In 2005, my wife and I were staring hard at the 20 years that remained before we’d realize our post-retirement cruising dream. We watched Liz cast off, and less than six months later, we started a five-year clock on our own cruising dream. Rather than go as a couple with white hair, we would launch as a family. In 2011, we sailed away in Swell’s wake. These days, in part because of Liz, I’m not staring at vanilla-colored office walls; I’m exploring South Pacific reefs with a mask and snorkel, my family around me.

Liz has inspired many of the current generation of young, adventure-seeking cruisers aboard classic-plastic sailboats. More than 1,000 nautical miles after meeting her, I shared an anchorage with Matt and Brittany Erickson, young cruisers aboard an Ericson 35 called Tipsea. Matt smiled when I mentioned that we’d met Liz in French Polynesia. “I would never have known about cruising — I’d never be out here — if it wasn’t for Liz Clark,” he said. “I was a teenage surfer when I first started reading about her. She absolutely inspired me from day one.”

Michael Robertson and his family are cruising the Pacific aboard their Fuji 40, Del Viento. Follow along on the Robertsons’ adventures at www.cruisingworld.com/delviento.

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Women Who Travel Podcast: What It's Like to Solo-Sail the Pacific Ocean

By Lale Arikoglu and Meredith Carey

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Whether we're eating our way around Rome or passing through small towns in the Andes, Traveler editors are major advocates for solo travel . But we can't say we've seen the world, alone, by boat . So we sat down with Liz Clark, a surfer and environmentalist who's been solo-sailing on her 40-foot ride , Swell , since early 2006, going where the wind, quite literally, takes her. Central America. The islands of French Polynesia. Kiribati.

Growing up in San Diego, Clark got a taste of being at sea early on thanks to six-month sailing trip in Mexico with her family, and a mentor who later gave her the opportunity to become the captain of her very own sailboat ( Swell , of course). But she’s far from a country counter , often spending long stints on small, isolated islands in order to take the time “to slow down to and get to know a place.” For this week’s episode, we talked to Clark about her life on the ocean—like how she sailed across the Pacific for 22 days straight with her mother—and other tales from her upcoming book, Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening , published by Patagonia this month.

And while Clark’s Instagram account is filled with images of far-flung Polynesian islands and glowing, burnt orange sunsets taken from the deck of Swell , she also uses her platform to remind us of the importance of being a conscious traveler, posting pictures of plastic straws she collects from beaches and refusing to geo tag the places she visits. “Seeing these places comes with a responsibility,” says Clark. “I need to hold myself accountable to keep them pristine, and help combat climate change.”

Thanks to Liz for stopping by and sharing some of her incredible stories. Plus, a massive thanks to Kerrianne Thomas for engineering and mixing. Check back every Monday for the latest installment of Women Who Travel. To keep up with our podcast each week, subscribe to Women Who Travel on the iTunes store and if you have a minute to spare, leave a review—we’d love to hear from you.

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5 Questions With Captain Liz Clark

It seems that Captain Liz Clark was always destined for a life at sea. She was seven years old when she learned to sail in San Diego, California, aboard a red sailing dinghy. At age ten, she completed a 5,000-mile, six-month cruise in Mexico with her family on their sailboat, The Endless Summer. This trip inspired Clark to become the captain of her own sailboat and to work to protect the natural world from various aspects of human destruction.

Fast forward to today, and Clark is living out her childhood dream. In 2006, she left California aboard her 40-foot sailboat, Swell, in search of waves to surf and a simple life close to nature. Since then, she’s sailed more than 20,000 nautical miles and has written a book about the trip titled Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening (published by Patagonia in 2018).

We managed to reach Captain Liz amidst her on-the-go lifestyle of sailing, surfing, and nonprofit work, and asked her a few questions about life at sea and her favorite beach activities.

1. What is your favorite part about being at sea?

I love the spaciousness, the feeling of intimacy with the ocean, and the beauty of the open sea.

2. What’s something unexpected that you learned while being out at sea?

I learned that adversities, both mental and physical, are our greatest opportunities to grow spiritually.

Every day of my voyage brought unexpected challenges, and if I didn’t learn to see the blessings and opportunities within them, I wouldn’t have been able to find the courage to keep going.

For example in 2008, Swell started taking on water from a mysterious leak. With my small budget, I had to haul her out of the water in a boatyard in French Polynesia and figure out how to fix the leak myself in a place where I did not speak the language and had no idea where to start. During that time I learned to speak French and some Tahitian, and grew my faith in the goodness of humanity. I learned more about boat repair and Swell’s inner workings than I would ever have thought possible, and I pushed past my own perceived limits of what I could handle, both mentally and physically. It took three haul-outs over a year-and-a-half before the boat was repaired, but during that time, the vulnerability, suffering, and hardship broke my heart open to compassion for others and a connection to our inherent oneness that has enriched my life beyond my wildest dreams.

3. What are your top must-have items to take with you to the beach, and what’s your favorite beach activity?

Captain Liz: My favorite beach activities are surfing and sand therapy (laying in the sand). My essential items include a surfboard, Avasol suncare (particularly their 50+ SPF Surfer’s Barrier Stick), a Patagonia hat, a pareo or sarong, and a Mizu stainless steel water bottle full of water.

4. What message or mantra do you live your life by?

Follow your heart, and be kind to all beings along the way.

5. How do you spend your free time?

Captain Liz: I like to think that my work and play blend into one as a surf ambassador for Patagonia, and an activist for the planet, people, and animals. I help run two nonprofit organizations: Changing Tides Foundation, an international organization helping to empower women to save the planet, and A Ti’a Matairea Island Protectors, working on solving critical environmental and animal welfare issues in the Tahitian community where I live.

When I do have a little free time, I’m either surfing, cooking yummy plant-based food, free diving, writing, listening to music, reading, or dancing.

To learn more about Captain Liz, follow her on Instagram @captainlizclark and check out her website swellvoyage.com. You can pick up a copy of her book, Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening, on the Patagonia website or Amazon .

Abigail Abesamis Demarest is a writer, editor and former New Yorker based in sunny Panama City Beach, Florida. Her writing has been featured in HuffPost Food & Drink, Forbes.com, Insider, Business Insider, Apartment Therapy and more. When she’s not writing she’s reading up on the latest wellness trends, teaching Zumba classes, or reading a book on the beach.

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Tahiti, French Polynesia

At seven years old, Liz Clark learned to sail in San Diego, California, on a little red sailing dinghy. At ten, she completed a 5,000-mile, 6-month cruise in Mexico with her family on their sailboat, experiencing a different culture, the freedom and beauty of sea travel, and opening her mind to horizons beyond her hometown reality. She credits the origin of her environmental concern to her exposure to the contrasting landscapes of grave pollution and radical natural beauty in Mexico.

At 25 years old, aboard her 40-ft sailboat, Swell, Clark sailed south from California and spent a decade sailing over 20,000 nautical miles in the Pacific exploring remote surf, learning from different cultures, seeking truth, living simply from the sea, and raising awareness about environmental issues. She kept her nomadic ocean lifestyle going through writing, blogging, photography, representing conscious brands, and earning recognition as a surf adventurer, activist, and captain.

In 2019, Clark dropped the hook more permanently in Tahiti with her partner to expand her activism work, resulting in the creation of A Ti’a Matairea, a non-profit organization in French Polynesia working for environmental protection, animal welfare, and youth empowerment. There is more sailing in her future, but for now, she is enjoying giving back to the planet and learning how to positively impact local environmental issues.

What inspired you to become an 11th Hour Racing ambassador?

The ocean has given and continues to give me so much. It is my playground as a surfer, sailor, freediver, and lover of marine life. It sustains my life not only through the ecosystem services it provides, like producing oxygen to our planet, but also sustains my mental health being in or near the sea. So I feel a natural drive to want to protect it!

Why are you passionate about ocean conservation?

Working for the planet is an endless job, and collaboration with inspired, like-minded people and organizations is super important to stay motivated and connected to the greater goals!

Supporting the mission

Project name: A Ti’a Matairea

Project mission: Advancing environmental protection, animal welfare, and youth empowerment in French Polynesia

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