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. 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.
10 Ways to Contribute to a BETTER WORLD
See my 10 Simple Ways to Contribute to a Healthier, Happier Earth through Daily Activism and Positive Living!!
Steer With Your Heart
Love Letter to the Ocean
Dear Ocean, Your sparkling afternoon smile is one of my earliest memories. Remember how I would sit up on the bow of our family sailboat, legs dangling over the side, just staring out at you underway? Your immensity, the mystique of your movements, your ever changing surface, the chance to catch a […]
Land-Lubbing, Do-Gooding, & Dirt-Dabbling
It’s been a while since I wrote a personal update. It’s taken me a long time to process all my feelings surrounding this big life transition from more than a decade as a permanently nomadic sailor, to a land-lubber living on a small island in the South Pacific … It’s no surprise that after […]
Swell Posters for a Good Cause
Swell Posters for a Good Cause: Limited Edition, Signed Photo Posters! In an effort to raise funds for my non-profit here in the South Pacific, A Ti’a Matairea, I’ve printed & signed some limited edition, fine art posters. They are 20″ by 16″ and ready to add some dream-chasing inspiration to any wall in your […]
Brand Collaborations
About The Voyage
Captain Liz Clark
The Boat, Swell
Swell was built in 1966—the 68th Cal-40 to come out of Jansen Marine. At purchase, Swell was in decent condition, but her light coastal use and relatively old age left her in need of more work than we’d originally presumed necessary to prepare her for offshore voyaging. I worked with local marine professionals to overhaul Swell and simultaneously learn about safety equipment, mechanics, electrical systems, rigging, sail and fiberglass repair. The 18,000 miles of safe sailing behind me are a testament to the quality of work and profound expertise of those who helped me along the way.
The Voyage
I left California aboard Swell in early 2006 with the hope of succeeding at my life-long dream of surf exploration via sailboat. Since then, the voyage has presented more fantastic friends, waves, adventures, natural beauty, opportunities for personal growth and insights than I dreamed possible. Swell serves as my floating home and transportation. I travel at a pace not much faster than you can run. Weather, swell, and tides dictate my days. This isn’t just a surf trip–it’s a lifestyle, passion, and search for better ways for humanity to inhabit our shared planet.