We have sold all our belongings, quit our jobs, and embarked on a journey around the world to create a life-changing experience with our children. We are setting sail from Denmark with a course set for Gran Canaria. From there, our plan is to spend about a year sailing to French Polynesia through the Panama Canal. We hope to spend a year in Polynesia before making our way back. We have "only" committed to the voyage to Polynesia; beyond that, our plans are still quite flexible, but we are planning to return in 2026.
Our Dream
The dream began more than 10 years ago. Both of us were in our late twenties, had traveled extensively both together and separately, and knew that we wanted to explore more of this vast blue planet. However, we could also sense the hamster wheel of life turning rapidly after completing our education. We are both driven individuals and easily get caught up in making a difference and doing meaningful work, so our careers quickly consumed much of our time. Therefore, more than a decade ago, we made the decision to start saving – we called it a travel fund – where we set aside as much as we could each month. Since then, we've had two children, a mortgage, two cars, busy jobs, and a hectic daily life, but we continued to build our savings. We purchased our first small sailboat in 2015 and experienced great freedom in embarking on weekend trips, where we escaped the hustle and bustle of everyday life, and time almost stood still, allowing us moments of closeness. From there, the dream of a long-term life at sea took shape — a dream of shedding daily responsibilities, simplifying life, and having time to be with our children while they still wanted to be with us.
In 2020, we acquired our 49-foot steel sailboat, Skjoldmøen, and have since spent time getting to know the vessel and preparing it for life aboard.
A New Daily Routine
In 2022, we made the decision to fulfill our dreams. Consequently, we sold everything we owned – our house, furniture, cars, everything – and moved aboard Skjoldmøen. In June 2023, we set sail from Nivå with the dream of a new life at sea. We have now been away for three months, and the new daily routine is beginning to take shape.
It's a daily routine where we are together as a family 24 hours a day, for better or worse. Minimizing our possessions and moving from a house with ample space to a sailboat required making tough decisions about what is essential to have on board. Surprisingly, the process of parting with all our belongings has been relatively easy for both us and the children.
So far, our new daily life has offered plenty of breathtaking natural experiences, beautiful sunsets, a slow-paced mode of travel, an opportunity to introduce our children to new places, and more time for hugs than usual. However, daily life also includes things breaking on the boat, missing spare parts, rolling anchorages, and seasick children. But all in all, we are grateful for having created this opportunity for ourselves – the chance to step out of the hamster wheel and choose freedom.
About Us
Martin (39) is the captain of Skjoldmøen, the one who dreams up all the adventures. He holds a master's degree in sports science and has worked in elite sports and as a sports consultant in the municipal sector. Maiken (40) is Skjoldmøen's admiral, providing structure and realism to the captain's dreams. Maiken originally trained as a physiotherapist but has worked in leadership roles for 12 years. Skjoldmøen's young crew members, Paja (6) and Una (9), are our guarantee that there is never a dull moment on board.
If you'd like to follow our journey, you can find us on Instagram @Skjoldmoen.
