Local man sells everything, sails to Caribbean
By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
Townshipper Jay Caunter has sold all his possessions and is sailing down the east coast to the Carribbean. Following his dreams, he is more than halfway there – on pace to reach his destination by Christmas. Keeping as safe as possible, he maintains contact with friends over the phone and internet.
“I lived in Toronto for about 25 years,” Caunter explained, then moved back to his hometown of North Hatley in 2011 to look after his father. His father passed away a few years ago. At that point, he realized he had no family left and there was nothing holding him back, “so I decided to follow a dream.” Caunter sold everything he owned and bought a bigger boat up in Sarnia, Ontario – a 1979 Sabre 34.
“I hated sailing when I was a kid,” Caunter said; his father used to own the marina in North Hatley. He was a fan of the powerboats, sailboats being “totally foreign” to him. When he was 25 years old, he learned how to sail. “You couldn’t get me back on a powerboat if you tried, now.”
Caunter has sailed over 2,500 kilometers so far, traversing, from Sarnia, through the Great Lakes and the Eerie Canal down to New York City. He then sailed up Delaware Bay and back down Chesapeake Bay. He continued down the east coast and is currently approaching Georgetown South Carolina. He sails when he can and motors when he must.
Caunter’s day begins by checking three different weather apps. He is not in a hurry, if the wind is blowing over 25 knots he will stay where he is. He recently spent three days at a marina because the wind was too strong.
