The Dream and the Reality of Blue Spaces: The Search for Freedom in Offshore Sailing

Abstract

Escaping to sea by sailing boat conjures up images of idyllic anchorages and cocktails at sunset. In this paper, the authors reflected on the reality of extended voyaging to highlight how freedom and escape are relative and constantly negotiated. The authors utilize dialogue in the analysis of the data and draw on lived experience informed by immersion in the cruising community. The authors highlight how living at sea requires adherence to an “alternative” set of obligations to land-based life. They argue that blue spaces are important as a setting for a range of experiences that allow the exploration of what is possible and how one might live well. This paper contributes to the research on human–water relationships, that is, reshaping how we conceptualize blue space(s).