LIFE AFTER POLICING
only spend 90 days per 180-day period in the Schengen zone and that begins as soon as you enter a country in the zone for the first time, meaning they had to stay onboard a full month after leaving Gibraltar before arriving in Montenegro once storms had passed. They spent a month in Montenegro before sailing over to Paxos to realise their dream of sailing back for their fifth wedding anniversary. When we caught up with Kate and Iain, they were anchored just off the south of France waiting to have their boat lifted for storage while they return to the UK for a wedding. It’s well known that sailing is a complicated endeavour that requires a lot of physical and mental strength and when asked how it compares to policing Kate and Iain explained the similarities.
As a novice sailor, Kate learnt all her sailing skills ‘on the job’. “People undertake this adventure with no experience or with just crewing experience on other boats, or a week’s sailing course to become a ‘day skipper’ and don’t have the luxury of Iain’s qualifications and experience”, she said. “I have no formal qualifications and all
that I have learnt is just from doing it. It certainly helps my confidence knowing Iain has the experience he does but it’s not a
not yet ready or finding something that needs doing first. We didn’t want to sit in an old folks’ home wondering how it might have been if we’d gone so we had to be prepared to take the leap.” The couple also advised it is important
“Sailing is an incredible experience, but it can also be terrifying. I have been more scared on our boat than I ever was when policing.”
“Sailing is an incredible experience, but it can also be terrifying. I have been more scared on our boat than I ever was when policing” Kate said.
“Making rapid decisions under immense pressure is a regular occurrence in policing and sailing, you have to consider all of your options and make a split- second decision that could dictate your safety and the safety of those around you,” Iain added.
“During my time in the marine unit I qualified as a Yachtmaster Examiner. Whilst I could have gained the same qualifications as a civilian, my time in the marine section gave me experience in boat handling and navigation skills that have proved invaluable in helping us believe in, and achieve, this life.”
must have. His time in the marine unit and his qualifications to the highest level are a bonus for us and we can’t imagine setting off without it, but many people do.” ”When asked about the cost of travelling and living full time on a sailing yacht, Kate and Iain said it depends on priorities and living conditions. “It is definitely attainable though - more attainable than people realise,” commented Iain. “For those who want to do something like this we would definitely recommend setting a goal. We had the fact we wanted to sail back to Paxos for our fifth wedding anniversary. “You need to be determined and focus your efforts on it, if you really want it to happen you can make it happen. Committing to a time to go is necessary otherwise you’ll never achieve it and you’ll also never leave the dock, saying you’re
to prepare to re-evaluate goals and allow room for change too if things are not going as planned. “We’ve realised that changing plans is not giving up on them. For instance, we had plans to circumnavigate, or at least sail to Australia, but I began to miss family too much and found that going home once a year wasn’t enough,” explained Kate. “Going forward we
intend to spend winters in the UK, spending time
with family and then spend six to eight months each summer sailing further afield, we would love to explore more of Scotland, France and Scandinavia. We hope this will give us a good balance, but as they say, ‘a sailor’s plans are written in the sand at low tide’.”
Upon purchasing Intrepid Bear, Kate and Iain began sharing their incredible journey on social media.
“It sounds corny but if we can inspire someone to take the plunge then all the effort to share it on social media is worth it. “We would encourage everyone
to make their dreams a reality. Don’t put it off because you may run out of opportunities or time.”
You can follow their adventures on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube by searching ‘Follow Intrepid Bear’.
09 | POLICE | AUGUST | 2023
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