These five young friends bought a boat on their own dime to sail around the world. Find out what it’s like onboard an all-girl boat, what they’ve learned so far, and how they jumped headfirst into the adventure of a lifetimePhoto by FatudivaWhat if instead of going straight into a course or a job after finishing school, you set off to sail around the world with your best friends?
\nLisa, Thelma, Eva, Amalie, and Elise, all between 19 and 21, are in a unique position to find out.
\nSince trading textbooks for topsides, they\u2019ve been living onboard a 37ft, 40-year old boat bought on their own dime.
\n\u2018Her name is Fatuhiva, but we call her Fatudiva,\u2019 Thelma says. (The moniker is also the crew\u2019s instagram handle, YouTube channel, and website URL).
\n\u2018We\u2019ve really embraced the femininity of it. It\u2019s a beautiful part of who we are as sailors, and a resource.\u2019
\nWe caught up with some of the crew just before they set off across the Pacific to find out how they jumped headfirst into the adventure of a lifetime, what they\u2019ve learned along the way, and what it\u2019s really like being a young woman in sailing today.
\nGetting off the ground
\nFilm from Fatuhiva\u2018s departure from Oslo in August of 2025. Photo by Fatudiva
\nThe freshly-launched Fatuhiva hit a rough patch right out of the starting gate. Or a rather, a sandbank off of Germany.
\nAfter running aground less than a week into the voyage, \u2018We had to be rescued by the German Coast Guard. There was a TV crew onboard the rescue boat,\u2019 Eva, Fatuhiva\u2019s\u00a0captain,\u00a0recalls. \u2018We\u2019re now part of a documentary series, so that was\u2026 interesting.\u2019
\nWhile the boat was repaired over the next six weeks, three of the crew went sailing on other vessels to get back on the horse.
\n\u2018The first thing the guys at the shipyard had told us was that we wouldn\u2019t be able to cross the Atlantic that same year. They told us to go home and wait. We were, like, no way.\u2019
\nEven encountering a pod of orcas wasn\u2019t enough to put them off. They briefly considered shipping the boat and spoke to other sailors, many of whom said it was too late in the year.
\nBut some advised pressing on anyways.
\n\u2018They said, \u201dGirls, you\u2019re all good. You can do it,\u2019 and that it was just going to be a bit colder. We had a good weather window over the Bay of Biscay. So\u2026 we went.\u2019
\nThought they made it in time, they admit, \u2018It was a very rough start.\u2019
\nFilm from Fatuhiva\u2018s departure from Oslo in August of 2025. Photo by Fatudiva
\nAfter leaving Germany, the Fatudivas sailed towards open ocean via France, then Spain, then Portugal. They stopped in Morocco, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Senegal before crossing the Atlantic.
\nArriving in Brasil, they poked into the Amazon River, saw pink dolphins, danced at Carnival.
\nThen on to French Guiana, Suriname, Tobago, Grenada, Aruba, Panama, and safely across the Panama Canal.
\n\u2018You hear from other sailors that the canals are not built for sailboats, that there are a lot of accidents. We were kind of nervous, because there\u2019s so much that\u2019s out of your control. But in the end that went well, too,\u2019 Eva says.
\nMaking the dream a reality
\nThe Fatuhiva crew met during a Sail Training exchange program onboard the tall ship S\u00f8rlandet. Photo by Fatudiva
\nThe Fatudivas first met on an exchange program onboard the Sail Training tall ship S\u00f8rlandet.
\n\u2018We fell in love with this lifestyle, this type of traveling. We decided to do it on our own.\u2019
\nOnce the seed had been planted, \u2018I felt possessed by the idea,\u2019 Eva says. \u2018I couldn\u2019t think, I couldn\u2019t sleep.\u2019
\nWhile they were studying passage planning, most of their friends were going straight into university programs.
\n\u2018Especially in Norway, that\u2019s what the government wants you to do. Start studying, so you can get in a job, so you can pay taxes.
\nBut we\u2019re going to work until we\u2019re 70, and we have this opportunity right now. We\u2019re never going to have as few responsibilities again.\u2019
\nFatuhiva\u2018s crew obtained their nautical license while working two jobs each, taking shifts in shoe stores and wine bars, schools and kindergartens.
\n\u2018We worked hard to be able to buy the boat ourselves. We wanted it to feel like our project. And we\u2019re here now. We\u2019re stubborn.\u2019
\nFilm from Fatuhiva\u2018s departure from Oslo in August of 2025. Photo by Fatudiva
\nOnce they had purchased Fatuhiva, a 1985 Hero 114 designed by civil engineer Eivind Amble based on reader input gathered by Norwegian sailing magazine Seilas, the girls began noticing a change in how people reacted to their plan.
\n\u2018Before, everyone thought it was just a dream. Once there was a boat they started to believe us. Our parents finally realised we weren\u2019t joking. That we were for real.\u2019
\nOnboard with the Fatudivas
\nFrom their stories and regular video updates, life onboard Fatuhiva seems cozy and well coordinated.
\nThe crew splits tasks, keeps rotas, and assigns repairs according to interest, always making sure that at least two people are working on any one problem.
\n\u2018One of the biggest resources that we have is that we always help each other out. You never feel alone, because there\u2019s always five or six heads to help find a solution.\u2019
\nBeing an all-female crew often proves to be an advantage, they explain.
\n\u2018So much of sailing depends on building community and communicating well together.\u2019
\nThe Hero 114\u00a0 has been described as \u2018a long-distance sailor\u2019s dream\u2019 thanks to its robust construction and space-efficient design. Photo by Fatudiva
\nIn addition to their nautical license, before departure Eva and Lisa had obtained an ICC (International Certificate of Competence); Eva got her Short Range Certificate for radio communication.
\nAmalie and Eva did additional medical courses, while Lisa completed an epoxy course.
\nBut, \u2018The bottom line is that everyone can do everything,\u2019 Eva says.
\nOccasionally, this can even complicate the crew\u2019s decision making: \u2018We all have an opinion about everything.\u2019
\nLearning on the go
\nWhile we at Yachting World would usually advise not putting out to sea unless you have covered every eventuality, the girls choose to adopt more of a learn-on-the-job approach.
\n\u2018When people ask us, how did you actually go through with this? We say, just go for it,\u2019 Eva says.
\n\u2018You can\u2019t leave knowing everything about your world. You just have to start. That\u2019s the only way you actually leave the harbour at all.\u2019
\nPhoto by Fatudiva
\n\u2018Every time something breaks, we learn about a new element of the boat, because you have to understand how the construction works in order to fix it.
\n\u2018For example, we submerged our outboard engine after a rough landing on a beach in Tobago. When we tried to go out, our dinghy flipped and everything floated out. But hey,\u2019 she laughs. \u2018Now we know how to clean the carburetor.\u2019
\nFor technical advice, the girls turn to modern tools like YouTube and ChatGPT, which they consult for everything from repair questions to local advice.
\nPhoto by Fatudiva
\nThey left home with \u2018not the best tools,\u2019 but quickly realised that asking for a loan often leads to conversation, and an offer of help.
\n\u2018That\u2019s been one of the biggest lessons so far,\u2019 Thelma says. \u2018If you need help or advice, just ask someone.\u2019
\nAs most sailors across the Pacific are older, \u2018When they see young people they think what we\u2019re doing is cool, and want to support us. We feel very lucky, in that sense,\u2019 Lisa adds.
\nPhoto by Fatudiva
\nStill, Fatuhiva\u2018s demographic occasionally raises a few eyebrows.
\nIn Morocco, Senegal, and Gambia, \u2018They hadn\u2019t met anyone like us before. That was a really interesting experience.
\nThe further we\u2019ve gotten from home, the more we feel it, how surprised people are when they see us, and how much that reflects a cultural difference. But that\u2019s just what sailing is all about,\u2019 Thelma says. \u2018Connecting people across borders and cultures.\u2019
\nEven in the marina, \u2018Sometimes people underestimate what we know. There\u2019s an idea of jobs that are either \u2018pink\u2019, or they\u2019re \u2018blue\u2019. A lot of times we\u2019re asked, who does the engine?\u2019 Eva laughs.
\n\u2018But yes, most the time other sailors are very nice, and offer their time and knowledge and tools to help us.\u2019
\nGive, don\u2019t gatekeep
\nFilm from Fatuhiva\u2018s departure from Oslo in August of 2025. Photo by Fatudiva
\nAcross their platforms, which they have recently started updating in English, the girls share photos and planning information.
\nDetails like the criteria that guided their choice of vessel, the costs, preparation for, and practicalities of transit through the Panama Canal, and even their choice of insurance.
\nThey offer resources for other young would-be sailors, replying enthusiastically to comments from peers wishing to undertake a similar journey.
\n\u2018We\u2019ve been very inspired by other Norwegian women sailors [@medmotvind and @sistestoppsorgenfri] that left when they were very young,\u2019 Lisa reflects.
\n\u2018The power of seeing other people find their voice and go on an adventure, it can make a lot of impact.\u2019
\nThey want to show that there are pathways into sailing even for those who weren\u2019t raised in it.
\nPhoto by Fatudiva
\n\u2018That\u2019s the biggest motivation to keep sharing. It\u2019s about showing what\u2019s possible, but also showing people the reality, the ups and downs. Not just how perfect it can be.\u2019
\nStill, they don\u2019t want content creation to become a full time job.
\nThey\u2019ll keep doing video updates, \u2018Only as long as it\u2019s fun.\u2019
\nPhoto by Fatudiva
\nIn the meantime, Fatudiva channels double as a fundraising tool on longer crossings.
\n\u2018This journey has opened our eyes,\u2019 they write in an instagram caption. \u2018Freedom is a privilege. In many parts of the world, children are denied the very rights we often take for granted, like safety and education.
\nWe believe in a future where every child has a seat in a classroom and a life free from fear.\u2019
\nHaving raised over 5000 USD for Plan International on their Atlantic crossing, they are now turning their efforts to Save the Children.
\nThe future of Fatudiva
\nIt\u2019s a unique set of circumstances that led to this adventure, and the crew of Fatuhiva knows it.
\n\u2018We\u2019re very lucky to have found each other.\u2019
\nLooking back to the start of the journey, they recall,\u00a0\u2018Our families were a little scared at first, because we didn\u2019t know what we were doing. Now they see how we\u2019ve evolved. We know the boat a lot better and we know each other. We work very well together.
\nThey\u2019re very happy for us. A bit worried, still. And a bit jealous.\u2019
\nFilm from Fatuhiva\u2018s departure from Oslo in August of 2025. Photo by Fatudiva
\nFor now, the Fatudivas are excited to keep sailing, keep learning, and keep building community as they go.
\nSince hearing about another all-female boat along their route, \u2018We\u2019ve been trying to find them.\u2019
\nTheir ambition is to sail all the way around the world and back to Norway over a period of three years, a feat which would make them the youngest Norwegian crew and first all-female crew from Norway to do so.
\nIf the future of sailing is a bunch of twenty year old girls sailing around the world with their best friends, it\u2019s bright.
\nIf they\u2019re even half as spirited, savvy, and self-aware as the Fatudivas, the kids are going to be alright.
\nFilm from Fatuhiva\u2018s departure from Oslo in August of 2025. Photo by Fatudiva
\nTips from the Fatudivas
\nGet real life inspiration to get into sailing
\n\u2018Talking to people is the number one thing you need to do.
\nLooking on Instagram is okay, but for people who don\u2019t sail, getting in contact with somebody who can actually help you and inspire you is fundamental,\u2019 Eva says.
\nGo with the flow
\n\u2018In today\u2019s society, things are very rapid and over-planned. But that\u2019s not sailing at all.
\nYou follow the weather, you follow your projects, you have to be flexible and have patience.
\nWe\u2019ve started to live by the motto that \u2018plans are only suggestions,\u2019 because you can make as many as you\u2019d like, but at the end of the day so many factors are out of your control. You just have to keep adapting to how things turn out.\u2019
\nStay alert\u00a0
\n\u2018We\u2019ve been told, \u2018if you don\u2019t have a project going on, you\u2019ve just missed something. There\u2019s something you haven\u2019t seen.\u2019
\nAnd it\u2019s true, although you can\u2019t take on everything at once. You just have to take it step by step.\u2019<\/p>\n
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The post Seven Seas, Five Girls, One Boat \u2013 These 20-year-old best friends are sailing around the world appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
These five young friends bought a boat on their own dime to sail around the world. Find out what it’s like onboard an all-girl boat, what they’ve learned so far, and how they jumped headfirst into the adventure of a … <\/p>\n