Living on board their Beneteau with their two cats, the Lesers have made what many see as a pipe dream into their reality.
In 2020, Rebecca and Paul Leser followed the dream so many of us have when it comes to sailing and cruising – they sold their home, donated their belongings, and moved aboard their Beneteau 473 with their cats, Mac and Joseph. They've since cruised up and down most of the U.S. East Coast, twice, from the Dry Tortugas to Nantucket. They document everything on social media and their blog, from destination reviews to maintenance tricks, from Christmas on board with cats to sail trim tips. We caught up with Rebecca while docked in Virginia, making plans for 2024.
Quantum: Tell me a little bit about what type(s) of sailing you're doing, where, with whom, and of course, about your boat!
Rebecca Leser: Mystic Hearts is a 2005 Beneteau 473. Paul and I bought the boat and moved aboard full-time in 2020 with our cats. We've primarily done coastal cruising up and down the U.S. East Coast and throughout the Chesapeake Bay, logging 8,300 nautical miles in the past three years. In that period, we've cruised as far north as Nantucket and south as Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas.
Q: What made you choose Quantum Sails as your sailmaker?
RL: The boat came with a brand new set of Quantum sails when we purchased it. We've been so pleased with the quality and performance of the sails that when we decided to buy a Code Zero, we knew it had to be a Quantum sail.
Q: Did you work with one of our sail experts, designers, or a team at one of our lofts? How was that experience? Was there anything (or anyone) who stood out?
RL: We had a great experience with Evan Harrell at the Quantum Sails Norfolk loft. He worked with us every step of the way, from the initial quote to coming out to the boat to get measurements, and he personally delivered the new sail to us.
Q: What's your dream cruising destination?
RL: We work remotely from the boat and have some work restrictions that require us to be in the U.S. for now, but our dream is to circumnavigate the Caribbean and visit all of the islands, particularly San Blas in Panama. We'd also love to cruise north to Nova Scotia.
The Lesers maintain an active blog with sailing and cruising stories, tips, and tricks. You can also follow along on social media — and stay tuned to Quantum for more upcoming customer spotlights!