Couple Sold Possessions For Sailboat, It Sinks Two Days Into Trip

A Colorado couple, who sold everything they owned with a plan of sailing around the world, found themselves stranded with their pug named Remy, a cellphone, and only a handful of their belongings after their dream came to an abrupt end when their boat sank the very second day of the journey, reports said Sunday.

“We got so tired of that lifestyle, of doing things to make people do the things they don’t want to do,” said Tanner Broadwell, 26, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Broadwell and Nikki Walsh, 24, decided to sell all their belongings to save money to travel the world by sailboat. They set sail from Tarpon Springs for Key West last Tuesday; however, their boat sank Wednesday night at St. John’s Pass.

The couple had spent two years preparing for their dream to sail around the world. They paid $5,000 for a 1969 Columbia sailboat in Alabama, fixed up the vessel with another $5,000, and named it "Lagniappe," which means "bonus" in Creole.

“Like the 13th donut in a dozen,” Broadwell explained. “It’s something extra for you.”

They had learned how to sail from Broadwell’s father and moved to Tarpon Springs, Florida. The couple said they lived at the docks for a while before embarking on their journey.

“We met a bunch of good people. Everybody gave us a nice farewell off the docks,” Broadwell said.

The pair is currently left with only their social security cards, some cash, and their cellphone.

The couple reportedly began their trip at Anclote Key on Tuesday last week. They were said to have passed by Clearwater the next day. By the time they pulled into John’s Pass at the end of the day, the trip came to an end as their boat hit something in about 8 or 9 feet of water, stopping the vessel completely.

The channel leading to the port was dark and foggy when the keel of the Lagniappe hit something underwater. Walsh said she was nearly thrown from the deck as she was helping Broadwell guide the boat with the help of a light. The boat began to flood and destroyed everything the couple owned.

Walsh said they could only grab a few essentials, and put on their life jackets before they called for help.

“I’m just standing there in awe,” she recalled. “I just lost everything I ever owned. I see my things floating away and I can’t get to them.”

A tow boat told the couple they would arrive in around 40 minutes. The Lagniappe was sinking in about 9-feet deep water, due to which the rescue boat had issues reaching the couple’s vessel as the water was too shallow. When the tow boat finally reached them, the pair had to jump into the water abandoning their vessel.

The pair's family helped them get a cheap motel last Thursday after the incident and they have been living there since.

“We have a lot of family helping us, but it’s hard when you’ve lost everything,” Walsh told the New York Post.

The couple have also set up a GoFundMe page to help retrieve their boat.

“I’m not going to give up now. I’m going to get another boat down the road,” Broadwell said.

“We can’t just give up on our dreams,” Walsh added.