It’s Happy sails for this empty-nester couple who took to the sea

A GLEAMING sailboat named Happy is making a stop at the Port of Edmonds after a speedy sail at 11.2 knots from Bainbridge.

It doesn’t take long for the sleek Moody Decksaloon 45, a German-built vessel owned by Hugh and Lynn Creasy, to draw the attention of a few passersby walking along the waterfront on this windy morning.

Following their lifelong dream of living on and working remotely from a boat full time after their children left for college, the Creasys purchased the Happy in 2019 in Sweden and traded landlocked life outside Portland for a slip at Shilshole Marina last fall. 

I could never imagine myself living on a boat (all that bobbing up and down on the water!), but Hugh and Lynn say the transition into the Happy has not been hard for them, especially when you consider some of the features packed in such a tiny space: three cabin rooms, two bathrooms with separate showers; a kitchen; a washer and dryer; a system that makes drinkable water out of seawater by reverse osmosis; and folding kayaks to paddle to shore when they need to stretch out.

The Creasys and their laid-back chihuahua, Tito, are just starting a six-month sail along the Pacific Northwest and the Canadian coast, the first of what they hope will be many adventures aboard their new home.

“Be right back. Exploring the world,” is our life motto, says Lynn, who is documenting the picture-perfect “Sailing Happy” experience on Instagram.