Victoria

Interviewed by Abigail U

Imagine living aboard a boat out on the choppy waters of the worlds daring oceans. For Victoria, this is reality. “The boat is your entire world,” she told us, “Whatever you pack when you set off is all you have.” If you run out of a necessity the grocery store isn’t around the corner. She loves living on a boat because everything is self-contained. She longs for that feeling of being isolated from the rest of the world. Before cell phones were around she really liked the fact that you didn’t have that connection with the outside.
Victoria was born and raised just outside of Oxford, England. During her early adult-hood she lived and worked aboard several different ships. These ships toured many exotic oceans, including The Red Sea, The Mediterranean, and the South China Sea. She really enjoys being out on the water and having the opportunity to view the wildlife everyday.
Upon Victoria’s first visit to Alaska, she was really taken by the vastness of the state. She fell in love with the land, and returned several years later to live here. By the time she had settled down with a husband, she believed it was too late to have children, although her husband had four of his own from a previous marriage. “I have the best of both worlds,” claims Victoria, “I am able to care for his children and be an active member in their lives while still having the freedom to travel.”
Victoria now works on the Rainbow Connection tour boat where we met her on a whale watch. Her days of living on a boat have come to an end. In the evenings she returns home to her own bed in Homer, Alaska. She prefers this lifestyle, and has now worked on the boat for four seasons. She hopes to stay and work aboard the boat for many years to come.