ABSea: Sailing into a Life of Their Own
Sailing wasn’t a sudden awakening. It was a quiet pivot, conversations, steady preparation, and the recognition that life didn’t have to stay fixed.
At-a-Glance:
Web Name: ABSea Sailing
Name: Aannsha & Barry (Baz) Jones
Generation: Generation X
FI Status: In-progress: self-funded, low-cost lifestyle supported by content & craft
Travel Type: Monohull sailing yacht – a Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 45.1ft (1995)
Travel Regions: Mediterranean, including Greece
Media Platforms: Website, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram
Backstory:
The idea of sailing wasn’t born out of crisis. It emerged slowly, over time. Aannsha & Baz were already familiar with long-term travel. They’d toured Europe in a motorhome, living off-grid and savouring the freedom that came with life on the move. Back home in Australia, they lived simply in the countryside, raising their son and holding down steady jobs. It was a life many would call secure. But the taste of life outside the grid stuck with them. They didn’t feel trapped, they just felt pulled toward something different. They talked. A lot. They evaluated options. Sailing was one that ticked more boxes than others. It was challenging but sustainable. Adventurous but structured. And for Baz, with his scuba diving background, the sea was a familiar frontier. So, they sold the house. They downsized. And with no previous boat ownership, they committed to buying a yacht, not for weekends, but for a trip of a lifetime. It wasn’t impulsive, it was deeply considered.
Read about their start: Case Study : How An Aussie Couple Became ‘Sailing AB Sea’
The Shift:
The beginning of liveaboard life was more storm than storybook. They didn’t glide into it. They worked their way into it. Baz and Aannsha documented their learning from the outset, everything from learning to sail in Gibraltar, their newfound skills, sailing techniques to provisioning routines. It was all new. Yet they embraced the newness with openness. In one early chapter, they moored in Kefalonia as Medicane Zorbas roared in; a powerful Mediterranean storm that brought downpours, fierce winds, and nights with little sleep. That wasn’t an anomaly. It was a reminder that sailing is not passive. The sea demands something of you. For Aannsha & Baz, the transition from static home life to this new world was more than a relocation. It was a change in mindset. It meant replacing comfort with competence, replacing control with preparation. Every choice carried weight. Each anchorage came with variables. And the satisfaction came not from scenery, but from solving problems and learning to trust the systems they were building aboard.
How They Made It Work:
ABSea Sailing is as much a creative endeavour as it is a travel project. Their YouTube channel, where they release weekly episodes, is a central part of their life. It keeps them accountable, funded, and in rhythm. The videos aren’t just about sailing, they’re about decision-making, troubleshooting, and transparency. Baz takes on most of the technical roles: he’s filmed reassembling steering chains, repairing gear failures, and managing every boat maintenance job imaginable. Aannsha contributes with editing, writing, and her jewellery business, Mermaid’s Treasures. All of it is done aboard. This wasn’t about creating a brand. It was about creating a life that aligned with their skills and interests. They live on a careful budget, make decisions that favour sustainability over comfort, and manage without external help. Their financial independence isn’t complete, but it’s active: a process of choosing wisely, sharing authentically, and building income without leaving the lifestyle they worked to enter. There’s no hustle culture here just patient progress, one job and one video at a time.
Where They Travel & Why:
Their sailing area is intentional, not sprawling. The Mediterranean suits their style: generous weather windows, close anchorages, and a rhythm that allows for slow travel. Greece has been a major chapter in their journey, offering both beauty and practical logistics. They don’t seek out the postcard-perfect. They seek out the viable and the human. Their blogs describe small harbours, uneven concrete quays, rusty bollards, and the real conditions of tying up in shared spaces. That’s what they prefer: experiences where they have to adapt and engage. They rarely move quickly. They prefer long stays, letting each place sink in. Anchored near a village or tied stern-to in a working harbour, they get to know people and learn the language. Sailing, for them, is not an achievement: it’s a lens. It lets them see the world in layered, tactile ways. It also allows them to test themselves. They aren’t trying to ‘see everything’, they’re trying to live meaningfully wherever they are.
Challenges & Real Talk:
They don’t sell a fantasy; they show how it can be done (decide, learn, do). Their YouTube episodes, blogs, and social posts make this clear. They show things going wrong. They show the exhaustion of endless boat jobs, the reality of being confined during storms, the frustration of faulty parts and shipping delays. Baz has filmed himself handling unexpected damage, wrestling with failing components, and working out solutions from limited resources. Aannsha has written about the emotional impact of those hard days: when movement is impossible, when things break in sequence, when they question their own judgment. But they also talk about how they recover. How they prioritise, communicate, and move forward together. There’s a resilience in the way they tell these stories, not triumphant, but honest. They make space for vulnerability, and that’s rare in sailing media. They show the behind-the-scenes labour, the effort it takes to keep a boat functioning and a life afloat. Their audience doesn’t follow them for escapism. They follow for insight, truth, and solidarity.
What Keeps Them Going:
Their motivations have less to do with bucket lists and more to do with rhythm. What keeps them going is the routine they’ve cultivated aboard. It’s the mornings anchored in calm bays, the process of learning something new, the ability to stop and simply be. There’s joy in fixing what needs fixing. There’s pride in editing a video that captures the nuance of their week. They keep going because this lifestyle challenges and rewards them in equal measure. It gives them structure, flexibility, and autonomy. Sailing makes them observant. It asks them to stay present. And that presence, not the destination is what sustains their interest. They’ve built a life that keeps evolving, one where skills matter, where curiosity is fuel, and where they stay close to what matters: each other, the sea, and the chance to keep learning.
Advice to Readers:
Their advice is refreshingly direct. Baz & Aannsha don’t push people to sail. They suggest watching others, reading, and learning what the lifestyle actually demands. Baz says to know your gear inside out. Test systems. Prepare for things to go wrong. Aannsha reminds readers that relationships are central: the boat might be sound, but you also need to communicate clearly and often. They both urge people not to get caught in the fantasy. Their story is not about escaping problems—it’s about choosing different ones. And if you’re drawn to it, they say, start small. Sail with others. Charter before buying. Spend time near the sea. Learn what it feels like. Then go slowly. The sea rewards the patient, not the fast.
Update:
SV AB Sea has been sold, and they have returned to Australia.
Links to More
Website: https://www.absea.com.au
YouTube: @SailingABSea
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailingabsea
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ABSeaSailing
Disclaimer: Income, income streams and financial independence details & status are drawn exclusively from publicly available sources. No inference, harm, or misrepresentation is intended toward any individual or entity.
