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With Brio

Life is too short to say later. And winters suck.

With Brio
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A project only small-boat folk might appreciate… (in Portland, Maine)

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Leah
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We store our outboard on deck. It’s not pretty. It’s not aerodynamic. It elicits charming comments from strangers like, “all that weight up so high up, tsk, tsk, tsk.” But look, if you live on a 33′ boat and you … Continue reading →

Lofty Summer Goals (on Jewel Island, Maine)

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Leah
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You might’ve figured this out already, but we didn’t actually leave the dock very often last summer. To be precise, we left twice. #dockrats To be fair, the second time was to go explore the Penobscot and we didn’t come … Continue reading →

Shoulda knocked on wood…

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Leah
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Did I say that Spring had come? I was wrong. Mother nature had one more “surprise” snowstorm in store for us, so we got to experience a taste of what winter *without* a bubble would be like… (No thank you!!!) … Continue reading →

Winter Liveaboards: A one-second everyday video review (in Portland, Maine)

Posted on April 20, 2016 by Leah
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I’m terrified of jinxing it, but I think winter is officially over in Maine… So I’d like to share a fun little project we did this winter — a mashup of what it was like to live on the boat … Continue reading →

The Top 5 “Wintering Aboard in Maine” Questions We Get Asked (Portland, Maine)

Posted on February 5, 2016 by Leah
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1. What about heat? This is definitely the #1 question we get asked, and rightly so — it was the number one question I had before this winter, too!! The short answer is “with electricity”. The longer answer is “we … Continue reading →

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Welcome to With Brio!


We've been sharing bits and pieces from our life aboard since we bought our first boat -- Brio, a 1981 Nor'West 33 -- in Mexico in 2011.

After cruising Brio through the Panama Canal and then living aboard through three winters in Maine, we added crew (Zephyr was born in April 2018), changed boats (Brio II is a 1988 Sabre 42 Centerboard), and are currently cruising the Caribbean!

Feel free to poke around, read some of our recent thoughts, or drop us a note -- we'd love to hear from you!

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🏴‍☠️🎃 Happy Halloween! Our little skel 🏴‍☠️🎃 Happy Halloween! Our little skeleton-pirate declared this “the best Halloween ever!” (and decided the boat was a bit too much to actually carry around 🤣). Cruising the trick or treat scene with cozy care bear Auntie Jessie was the icing on the cake! 🎃🏴‍☠️
Can’t help but wear half his costume early 🙃 Can’t help but wear half his costume early 🙃 This little character’s current costume request is a skeleton-pirate-dog, with a boat 🤷🏻‍♀️ #wheresmyhotgluegun
Happy Thanksgiving! 🇨🇦 The good years we do Happy Thanksgiving! 🇨🇦 The good years we do double Thanksgiving (the bad years we accidentally miss them both 🙈) so I’d say we’re off to a good start. Missing some key people (👀 @sailboat25 and @jessicakruger55) but a special family-filled day nonetheless! 💕
Three years ago we moved onto Brio II and started Three years ago we moved onto Brio II and started the next chapter in boat life ✨ In hindsight we kept the little Brio for too long — we’d outgrown her and didn’t want to accept that — but Brio II has been the best. We set out looking for a ready-to-cruise aluminum lifting keel and ended up with a *giant* project centerboard cruiser, but she’s fast, she’s pretty, and three years in I wouldn’t make any different choices. One month until we’re back aboard!
34 was the year that went completely not according 34 was the year that went completely not according to plan 🙃 (Wait… do any of them go to plan?!?) 

But so much ✨living ✨ happened in the last year, my birthday wish was just for more like this. Exploring beautiful parts of this continent with family and friends; finally feeling like the (many, many) months of boatyard life were worthwhile; enjoying the quirky, thoughtful, adventurous little guy that Zephyr is becoming; making plans and then changing them and then changing them again; and then somehow magically finding ourselves living *next door* to my sister in a completely unplanned land break… 🤯 Life is a funny roller-coaster but I am thankful to be here for it all and I won’t even START to guess what the next year might look like 🤣 #reflections
Zephyr’s first camping weekend was a lake-swimmi Zephyr’s first camping weekend was a lake-swimming, marshmallow-roasting, tent-sleeping, bacon-eating, dog-playing, smoky success! 🙌 Thanks Auntie Jess and Uncle Juan for making it possible!
Watching these guys sail away today… 🥹 Jess a Watching these guys sail away today… 🥹 Jess and I won the parental lottery with these two, so while we’re super sad to see the stern of Synchy, we’re also just incredibly proud of their continued pursuit of life over the horizon. It’s been 24 years since they last pulled out of Vancouver and “hung a left”, but you wouldn’t know it looking at this beauty! Travel safely guys, and we’re looking forward to a raft up in Mexico this winter! 💕 #parentswhosail #cruisingfamilies #boatlife #sailingfamily
One million photos that could be shared, but this One million photos that could be shared, but this one is my fav 💕 Just me and my baby sis, before she became a Mrs and I sniffled through the entire ceremony (…okay, and reception 🙃). 

Despite the bee that stung mom’s face and the makeup artist who got covid and had to bail a few days before the wedding, the whole thing was absolute magical perfection. So fun to spend time with people who love you guys as much as I do! #jessfoundthejuan 
@thestubbornbaker @juankcortes
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