{"id":701,"date":"2026-04-03T14:42:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:42:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=701"},"modified":"2026-04-03T14:42:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-03T14:42:47","slug":"two-surfers-take-a-journey-from-the-outback-to-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yachtersworld.com\/?p=701","title":{"rendered":"Two surfers take a journey from the outback to the ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

How two young surfers traded steel-capped boots for barefoot learning to sail in south-east Asia, By Camille MillIgan<\/strong><\/p>\n

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One day we were standing in swirling red dust under the brutal Australian outback sun, steel-capped boots caked in sweat and iron ore. The noise of haul trucks filled the air, and the ground hummed beneath our feet. Next, we were barefoot on the deck of our own yacht in the Andaman Sea, salt spray on our skin, hair tangled from the wind, and a horizon that stretched endlessly.<\/p>\n

But before that shift in worlds, we spent in-between days living out of a van, saving every dollar we could. There were long drives across the Australian coast, parking wherever the surf was, waking up with sand in our sheets with a single goal in our heads: to buy a sailing yacht. Not just any boat, but a home. A home that could carry us across countries, and take us around the world.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d traded diesel and dirt for diesel and dreams. It didn\u2019t happen overnight, but when it did, everything changed.<\/p>\n

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Photos: Camille Milligan & Jesse Verhage\/Stella Overboard<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Leap<\/h2>\n

We met in Byron Bay, chasing waves and sunshine, but neither of us imagined we\u2019d end up in the middle of the outback working in the mines. I\u2019d moved to Australia from Washington DC on a working holiday visa, and Jesse lived near the hostel where I worked. When we met, we instantly clicked over our love for the ocean and the shared dream of owning a sailing boat one day.<\/p>\n

We never wanted to live in one place, so we bought a house on wheels, a beat-up Volkswagen we named Betty. We parked wherever we wanted (usually by the beach) and lived simply. That van became our first taste of freedom, teaching us how little we actually needed, and how much we wanted a different kind of life, one built on movement and possibility.<\/p>\n

Eventually, we took jobs in the remote Australian mines, working two weeks on, one week off, saving every dollar we could. It was hard, dirty work with 12-hour shifts under harsh fluorescent lights, red dust in every pore of our skin \u2013 but every paycheck meant we were one step closer to our dream yacht.<\/p>\n

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Aside from being the perfect learner cruising ground, Jesse Verhage and Camille Milligan found Langkawi in Malaysia the ideal place to buy a yacht and have any remedial work undertaken. Photos: Camille Milligan & Jesse Verhage\/Stella Overboard<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Eighteen months later, we finally had the savings. We spent countless nights scrolling through listings, researching every boat we could afford. Most options in Australia were overpriced or worn out, but one place kept popping up: Langkawi, Malaysia. So we sold everything, packed our lives into bags, and took a flight to Malaysia in search of the yacht that would change everything.<\/p>\n

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John John Florence: The surfing sailor<\/a><\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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Some folk seem to have it all. At 28, John John Florence has already enjoyed a career as one of\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n