Adelaide parents Dave and Erin Carey sell house and plan to sail around the world indefinitely

The Carey family only recently returned from a two-year trip sailing the world – now they’ve sold their house to go on an extraordinary new adventure.

Erin and Dave Carey with their kids Hamish, 11, Jack, 10, and Christian, 6, are planning to travel the Atlantic. Picture: Kelly Barnes

A family from Largs Bay has sold their house to sail around the Atlantic Ocean, refusing to allow COVID-19 travel bans to get in their way.

Dave and Erin Carey, along with their three boys Hamish, 11, Jack, 10 and Christian, 6, have set their sights on leaving Australia next month, heading towards Portugal and the nearby Azores Islands.

The Careys have previously spent two years at sea after deciding to ditch their mainstream schedule and put family first.

“We both kind of felt like we weren’t spending enough time with our kids and doing things that were important to us,” Ms Carey said.

“Our life was full of obligatory things that we didn’t necessarily want to do but felt like we had to to be a normal part of the community.”

Before setting sail the first time, both Mr and Ms Carey had never sailed before in their lives.

“We’d never sailed before, hadn’t owned a boat and had no experience whatsoever,” Ms Carey said.

The family was inspired after watching a documentary about Laura Dekker, the youngest person to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe.

They then came across SV Delos, a group of friends who run a YouTube channel that documents their journey sailing around the world.

In February 2018, the Careys packed their bags, bought a boat and headed towards the Caribbean.

They boarded their 47-foot yacht, Roam, and set off for two years around the Caribbean islands, towards the Azores.

Roam is currently sitting in storage in the Azores. Picture: Erin Carey

Roam, the Careys’ 47-foot yacht. Picture: Erin Carey

Comprising of a saloon, bathroom, two toilets, two cabins, washing machine and kitchen, Ms Carey describes Roam as “comfortable”.

She said that family and friends were hesitant at first when hearing of the Careys’ plans to take to the seas.

“Everyone thought we were crazy,” Ms Carey said.

“There were plenty of times where it was really hard to save up the money and make the sacrifices we had to make.”

While the kitty was running dry during their first voyage, Ms Carey established a PR firm, Roam Generation, that manages the publicity of other digital nomads, including SV Delos.

Ms Carey said that although their trip came with challenges, rejecting the norms of everyday life and learning to become resourceful helped her children, husband and herself develop.

“Because the lifestyle is so challenging, you’re constantly getting this feeling of reward by fixing things, making things or arriving somewhere safe.”

The Carey family visited numerous island chains in the Caribbean. Picture: Erin Carey

The view of the Grenadines from the Carey’s yacht. Picture: Erin Carey

“You need to bake bread from scratch and cook recipes from scratch, it’s fulfilling.”

This time around, they have decided to “bite the bullet and go all in”, according to Ms Carey, selling their home at Largs Bay to fund a trip that has no return ticket.

The children will be homeschooled via an American program that comprises of pre-recorded video lessons, at multiple grade levels.

“We can go for as long as it’s fun, whether that’s two years, five years, 10 years, who knows,” she said.

“We’re just gonna keep sailing until it’s no longer fun.”

But it has not come without its challenges, thanks to COVID-19.

The Careys have successfully applied for a travel permit to fly from Adelaide to Portugal in March, via Qatar and Sweden.

Erin and Dave Carey with their kids Hamish, Jack and Christian at North Haven. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Roam is currently sitting in storage in the Azores, where the Careys are aiming to travel to from Portugal.

They will give Roam a two-week shakedown to ensure it is safe to take to the seas.

Ms Carey said she is aware of the risk involved with quarantine and borders, but they have no choice because the boat has been sitting for 18 months.

“It’s a risk, we don’t know if Sweden is going to shut its borders at any moment,” she said.

If Roam were to stay in storage for more that 18 months, they would be forced to import it to Europe, to the tune of $20,000 in taxes.

“Things are just so up in the air at the moment,” Ms Carey said.

Ms Carey said you can only travel the Atlantic when weather permits at certain times of the year, and wants to leave before her children reach high-school age.

The family committed to months of research, having been back in Australia for almost a year-and-a-half.

“It was hard to find a place that allows Australians in at that moment where we don’t have to quarantine.”

Qatar Airways are the only international operator flying out of Adelaide currently, and Sweden is one of the few countries allowing travellers from Australia to enter.

“It’s a risk, we don’t know if Sweden is going to shut its borders at any moment,” Ms Carey said.

Once they arrive in Portugal, the Careys are hoping to get across to the Azores to perform two-week’s worth of shakedowns on the boat, before aiming to sail into the Strait of Gibraltar and through to the Mediterranean.

“The goal is to make it back to Australia, but who knows how long that will take.”