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round 2013, Thomas Kessler knew he wanted a change in his life. Sleeping only a few hours each night because of a high-stress job was no way to enjoy life. “First, Thomas explains, “I had the idea to travel around the world by bicycle.” His wife, Claudia, encouraged him to come up with another solution.

But they both agreed they wanted a change, and they wanted to travel.

Claudia and Thomas Kessler

Thomas explains his lifelong wanderlust. “My life dream was to sail around the world. I’ve had that dream since I was ten.” While they were still living in Switzerland, the Kesslers “collected sea miles” for several years. At one point, they had the opportunity to join the crew on a boat in the Mediterranean Sea in southern Spain. They sailed to Ibiza, Mallorca, and Corsica. “That was our worst experience sailing.” We were 40 hours in a storm, on the Beaufort scale, it was a 9 out of 12. We were seasick.”

That experience was sobering. The Kesslers decided that maybe they were not going to sail around the world. Instead, they would get a camper.

After looking at several options for campers, a Swiss military truck was acquired. It took five years to convert it into a camper van. They named it Dubu for the type of truck it is, a Bucher Duro. In 2018, Thomas and Claudia became “overlanders.” Their journeys took them all over Europe, Morocco, and North and Central America.

“All the years when we were traveling with the truck,” Thomas explains, “when we came to a marina, we were just attracted to all the boats. When we were in Guatamala, in 2021, we were for two months at a marina. We parked next to all the boats and we were working with the sailors.” They looked for people to help and “We were also looking for a boat, to buy one. In total, we were on 20+ boats. We almost bought two of them, but it didn’t work out.”

“Then we were boat sitting in May in the Bahamas for a month. It was our first time on a Nautitech. It was a newer boat, but just 40 feet. We were addicted to that build quality.” Shortly after, Claudia went home to Switzerland to meet her first grandson, and while she was there, she saw an ad in Yachtworld for a Nautitech catamaran in North Carolina. “I looked for the ad and saw it, 44 feet, and the owners were cool.” says Thomas. If they didn’t go see it, they agreed, ‘probably, we will regret it.”

It was for sale in Oriental. The boat had circumnavigated. Thomas booked a flight to Raleigh.

Thomas checks out the anchor

“We met the owners on the boat. They had this boat for eleven years. They knew every single screw.” From the first time stepping in the cockpit of Naia, “we had the feeling, this feels like home.”

The Kessler’s converted Swiss army truck, Dubu.

By comparison, on Dubu, they were living in 7 square meters (about 75 square feet) for six years. Catamaran Naia, 44 ft, provides many times that space.

SV Naia has two spacious berths. Mosquito netting was added so they could survive in North Carolina.

The ‘dolphin effect’ helped them decide to buy the sailboat.

Dolphin door to Naia

First, they saw the graphic of the dolphins on the door. Nice touch.

“We sailed out on the next day. And probably about 20 minutes after we set sail, a school of dolphins, probably 20-30 animals, diving around us. That was just…wow. I got tears.”

“The next day, Claudia and I went down to Beaufort. Down there is the Maritime Museum. There is a huge library in the back.” Thomas explains, “There was a shelf for animals in the sea, whales, dolphins. I took out just one specific book. I took it out, saw the front page, opened it, and it was exactly the same book I first read in my life about dolphins. It was from Jacques Cousteau.”

Thomas summarizes, “We had three reasons to name this boat Naia. Naia is the Hawaiian word for dolphin. Dolphins on the window, dolphins out in the Neuse river, and the book.”

They are making Naia their home and preparing for departure. “I am both excited and anxious, but mostly excited.” explains Claudia.

The navigation desk (top). Space for a workroom (bottom left), and adding European style outlets (bottom right).

They added a 230-circuit system so they can use some European devices, like a Thermomix (a European food processor).

They are excited about the big gallery area compared to the truck.

Claudia in the galley (top). Claudia’s cookbook (bottom left), and Thomas at the table (bottom right).

Claudia, who enjoys cooking, authored a cookbook for the traveling life: Der rollende Ofen: Schmackhafte Rezepte aus dem OMNIA Ofen mit praktischem System für unterwegs

Yes, it is in German. Google translates that to: The rolling oven: tasty recipes from the OMNIA oven with a practical system for on the go.

At the helm

Where are the Kesslers headed?

“First, (we) are heading down to the Caribbean because it’s warmer there. We want to discover the islands for a year, maybe two years. There’s a lot to see down there.” They plan to reunite with the sailors they met in Guatemala. “Our plan is to cross the Panama Canal and go up the west coast of Mexico to the Sea of Cortez because this is one of the most beautiful areas for sailing. We were there with our truck for a year, and we discovered so many remote places. We are going to discover it by boat.”

S/V Naia

Related Links

• You can follow their journey at youtube.com/@SeaWindandNaia

• You can read about their overlander adventures here: dubu-and-more.ch

• The boat’s previous life: SV Misto Circumnavigates

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Story & photos by Christa Martin

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Posted Wednesday November 20, 2024 by Christa Martin Kreutz

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