Fiona McGlynn (29) and Robin Urquhart (34) are two young and salty sailors who recently decided to cast off the dock lines to their 1979 Dufour 35, MonArk, and ride the millennial wave, which they say is rocking people's traditional views of sailing and boat ownership. Together they're discovering and working their way through the unique set of challenges bestowed upon millennial sailors: How do you afford to go sailing? Is there time for boat ownership amidst commitments to family, work and your 2000 Instagram followers? How do you battle with a digruntled diesel engine using only your YouTube search prowess?
Fiona and Robin wanted to help other young sailors experience the sailing-life dream, so they created their website, 'Young & Salty', to share their experiences of the hurdles they faced learning to sail at a young(ish) age. The adventurous couple bought their first sailboat for $3,000 while they were both still in their twenties, and were quickly launched onto a steep learning curve.
“We ran into challenges that were unique to younger cruisers. We didn't have a lot of time or money to put into our boat, so we had to get creative with DIY, side-incomes, and eventually living aboard. There were many times where we wished we'd known more young cruisers with whom we could swap stories, experiences, and ideas for making it all work.” – Fiona McGlynn
Fiona and Robin believe sailing may be experienceing something of a millenial wave, and hope that Young & Salty can help these young newcomers bridge the gap between their bucket lists and boat ownership reality. Young and Salty's aim is to build community, and encourage, inspire and support more young sailors to get out there, through covering practical topics such as buying a boat, the skills required for sailing and maintaining your boat, costs of sailing and boat ownership, what type of gear is available today, and young sailors and their adventures.
Fiona and Robin will be celebrating Summer Sailstice 2017 aboard MonArk, somewhere in the South Pacific -
"We'll be crossing the Pacific this March/April and hope to be basking on some South Pacific atoll come Summer Sailstice."
You can keep up with their adventures online at -
Young & Salty is sponsored by Good Old Boat, a sailing magazine that focuses on affordable (if slightly aging) cruising sailboats and the people that love them.
For further information, please contact:
Fiona McGlynn ahoy@youngandsalty.com
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