Craven - Where the Magic Happens: How a Young Family Changed Their Lives and Sailed Around the World

Contents

The essence of everything we as a family achieved is all about We, Not Me.

None of this would have been possible without an exceptional team where every single person brought their own unique energy, skills, experience and contribution.

The team reaches far and wide. It starts with Nichola, my wife and the center of my world. Our children, our parents, our siblings, and our extended family. The army of friends and colleagues who were part of our story before, during, and as we continue on our journey of making magic happen by stepping beyond our comfort zone.

And last but by no means least, to all those who dream of more and are emboldened by some of the ideas here to make your own magic happen.

Fortune favors the brave

Terence 190159 BC

I use this quote in my book My Heroes: Extraordinary Courage, Exceptional People to describe people who can take on a challenge, survive, have the ability to react with speed not haste when things go wrong, and thrive. Although the quote was penned over 2,000 years ago, it is as appropriate today as it has ever been. The world is changing and we need to be brave and nurture and cherish these skills in our society.

How refreshing then, at a time when these qualities of bravery need to be developed, to find a young husband and wife team in Caspar and Nichola Craven. A team who took on multiple challenges once they had decided to change their lives and sail around the world: the not-insignificant challenge of raising the money to make their expedition happen; the challenge of navigating the highs and lows of a marital relationship; and the challenge of building and leading a team of their three young children, ready to explore the worlds oceans together and really test their limits.

For all those wanting more from life, Caspars message is incredibly motivating, providing plain-speaking practical guidance mixed with an exhilarating tale of adventure. The book goes behind the scenes of how exactly the Craven family made their magical plan happen, and gives clear advice on how we can follow in their footsteps, before taking us on a fantastic voyage around the world in their boat Aretha .

Fortune really does favor the brave.

Ranulph Fiennes
2018

Its pitch black. My hands, the saloon, the cockpiteverything reeks of diesel. The wind is howling outside and we are being thrown around as Aretha , our 53-foot sailboat, slides off one wave into the next, whitewater crashing over the lifelines, filling the cockpit. We are drifting sideways.

Aretha is hove-to, slowed down in a sailing maneuver that lessens the boats motions while we figure things out. The sails are set one on each side of the boat and the steering wheel is lashed down on one side. Nichola and I are physically exhausted. Every 20 minutes one of us wakes and wearily climbs up on deck to make sure no boats are bearing down on us.

We have experienced a power failure. We cant start our generator or engine. And while Aretha is a sailboat, we nevertheless have no electronic navigation, no autopilot to steer the boat, no communications, no navigation lights, no lights down below (except our flashlights), no stove, no marine toilets, no way to pump water from our water tanks.

We are, as they say, dead in the water.

Nichola and I are wearing our foul-weather gear, sleeping in the saloon instead of our bunks. Our three children are in our cabin at the stern where there is less movement with the rise and fall of each wave, and where they will get the most sleep.

The saloon, a space smaller than your average kitchen, looks like it has been ravaged by an intruder. The floorboards are up, tools and spare engine parts are everywhere, and Nichola and I are covered in grease and grime from wrestling with the engine. We still cant determine the cause of our power failure.

We are in one of the remotest parts of the world, deep in the Pacific Ocean, more than 500 miles from the nearest piece of land, which itself is a tiny rock in the vast Pacific. There are no rescue services out here. We truly are on our own. There are three other boats within 100 miles but theres not much they can do to help. Its pretty unfeasible for them to sail 100 miles and come alongside in 30-foot seas. We feel extremely isolated. We have to figure out the solution ourselves.

Its just the five of us: Nichola, my wife, age 43, our three young childrenages 9, 7, and 2and me, age 42.

How did our young family arrive mid-Pacific aboard Aretha , wave-tossed, without navigation instruments or power?

When we planned to sail around the world with our three children to create magical life-changing experiences, this wasnt quite what we had in mind. We had imagined deserted tropical islands and snorkeling beautiful reefs. We had experienced all of that, true enough, and it was magical. What we would discover, though, is that the true magic happens on a much deeper level. We learned in our moments of adversity the power of working together as a team. Our toughest times became some of our most defining moments. We used the skills and tools Ill share with you in these pages when the going got rough. Magic happens when you decide to step beyond your comfort zonewhen you challenge your beliefs, decide what you want, and make it happen by following through with resolute determination.

On that dark Pacific night, we worked together to solve a vexing problem that two years earlier would have frightened and panicked us. Instead we had settled the boat, settled our selves, and were working through the issues. We figured out how to survive and thrive in the face of adversitya skill we all need for dealing with life. The seeds for how we survived were sown five years earlier. This power loss would eventually become one of our proudest experiences working together as a family team.

Along with challenging moments in mountainous seas and wild storms, our journey was filled with countless magical, shared experiences of the world: we explored and delighted in the Galapagos Islands, climbed the Mount Yasur volcano, swam with sharks in the Tuamoto Islands, brought humanitarian aid to a disaster zone in Vanuatu, and were entranced by warm welcomes the world over.

Many people assume you need to be wealthy before you can live your dream. We did it the other way around. We made the decision to put our dream first and then created the wealth to make it happen. The reality is that to live your dreamswhatever they areyou need to make a committed decision, be extremely resourceful, and then, go make things happen.

Where the Magic Happens tells how the spark of an idea developed into a decision that created a full-blown, life-changing adventure that transformed our lives, our relationships, and our fortunes. Nichola and I stepped out of our suburban commuter lifestyle, way beyond our comfort zones, undertaking something that challenged each of us, forcing us to grow in ways that we never imagined. In Part One we chart our course for making the change; in Part Two we take readers around the world with us, sharing a glimpse of the magic we experienced.

The Seeds Are Sown

Fifteen years prior to finding ourselves sea-tossed in the Pacific, back in 2000/2001, Id been fortunate enough to sail around the world for my first time as part of the BT Global Challenge, known as the worlds toughest yacht race. As part of the selection process for the race, I was interviewed by its founder, Sir Chay Blyth, who said something that has stayed with me ever since: