Sailing Cita
There’s a lot to learn from our oceans. From seaworthy adventures to the aquaculture industry, the Atlantic fuels much of our world here in Maine. We’re lucky that these waters run deep and the wafts of salty air linger in the coastal towns, giving Maine a certain essence we all know and love.
Best friends Lauren and Tegan have taken their relationship with the ocean to the next level as they pursue their dreams of sailing around the world. These Maine natives have dedicated themselves to these waters from an early age — from driving boat launches to island overnights with friends. With college graduation on the horizon, these fearless women batten down the hatches in pursuit of a life of adventure, tacking as necessary to fill their sails with curiosity. In a new short film, produced by Anna Burns, they share their inspiration to embark on uncharted waters, leaving the conventional trajectory on shore.
We recently connected with Lauren and Tegan from Sailing Cita to hear more about their adventure to come, what inspires them, and life on the water. Enjoy the video and our Q&A!
Maine the Way — Introduce yourselves!
Lauren Topchik — My name is Lauren Topchik and I am 21 years old. I’ve grown up on the coast of Maine and was lucky enough to be exposed to adventure at a young age. I absolutely love spending time on the water and sharing the experience with my friends and family.
Tegan Tanner — Hi! I am Tegan Tanner and I’m 19 years old. I have grown in Maine my whole life and feel lucky to have experienced everything it has to offer.
MTW — What is your first memory sailing on the open ocean?
Lauren — I grew up sailing with family here and there, but didn’t become totally involved until three or four years ago. I remember joining my uncle for a race in Friendship, Maine — it totally sparked my love for sailing. Since then, I have logged thousands of miles on the Maine coast and done everything I can to learn more and gain experience!
Tegan — My first memory sailing on the open ocean was when I was around eight years old. My dad was delivering a sailboat down the coast and my family decided to join him. I remember it was super foggy and we couldn't see the horizon yet the fog had no impact on how much fun we had. We were jumping off the bow and swimming and never once did I feel like I didn’t want to be out there!
MTW — How do you think growing up in Maine has shaped you?
Tegan — Growing up in Maine has shaped me into the person I am. As a kid, I was fortunate enough to have parents who exposed me to a lot of experiences that Maine had to offer. I grew up looking up to my dad who was a commercial fisherman and I saw how hard he worked and how prosperous the ocean could be. From diving with my dad to surfing and fishing I saw not only how much the ocean has to offer physically, but I also felt the effects the ocean had on me mentally. After a good day of surfing, no matter how many waves I caught or how pounded I got, I was always happier. The ocean is always teaching me lessons that I try to take with me with everything I do.
Lauren — Growing up in Maine has 100% shaped me into the person I am today. Thinking back on my childhood and the opportunities I had to explore the nooks and crannies of the coast was the biggest gift. I never have taken living in Maine for granted and I am so thankful for the beautiful coast that is my home.
MTW — What are mornings like on the boat?
Lauren — There is nothing better than waking up on the boat. If the weather cooperates, I wake up naturally to the sunlight on my face and the subtle movement of the ocean. I’m lucky enough to keep my boat at the yacht club where Tegan and I work, so I dingy into shore for my shift as a launch driver, or, if I’m not working, I take my time waking up before riding my bike to get some coffee — shout out to CIA in South Portland, my go-to coffee destination. One of my favorite parts of living on the boat is cooking. We have a one-burner portable stove that is the best for heating up toast or cooking eggs. Trader Joe’s stir fry is also a Cita staple.
Tegan — Mornings on the boat can be peaceful. Although, I remember one day around 5 in the morning, a big lobster boat came by and woke us with the roar of its engine and wake. I am pretty sure Cita’s rails were almost in the water and the pots and pans went flying, waking us up. Although, most days it’s pretty peaceful, I usually walk up really early because Cita’s homemade curtains don’t block the sun. After I wake up, I will go above and read and start to make breakfast before Lauren gets up.
MTW — Where is your favorite spot you’ve sailed to?
Tegan — My favorite spot we go to is Cliff Island. Although it is not off the beaten path, I've always had my best memories with Lauren there. One time we wanted to go for a walk so we motored in on the dingy. We picked the path to the point which had a sign warning us of poison ivy. Lauren and I thought “it’s so beautiful we’ll be fine” so we went. Half way through we realized we were completely surrounded by poison ivy. Henry, Lauren’s dog, was trampling through it. We realized that we were out of luck, and accepted the fact we were probably going to get poison ivy. We went all the way to the point in our flip flops and shorts. The view of Halfway Rock and Jewell Island in the golden hour made it all worth it. So, after bushwacking our way through poison ivy, we walked back and dingy and made our way out to Cita where we scrubbed our legs with weird soap that Lauren found in the bilge. We decided to go for a swim and accept our fate. We woke up the next day, and had no poison ivy! We got pretty lucky but also thought that it was just Cliff Island being good to us.
MTW — And spot you’re most hoping to go?
Lauren — There are so many places we are dying to bring Cita. Because Tegan and I both work, it is often hard for both of us to get enough time off to go too far! Although I have spent time sailing there on other sailboats, it would certainly be amazing to sail Cita up to Mount Desert Island and have a couple weeks to explore all it has to offer. Of course, there are many islands and countries we look forward to visiting once we leave Maine for our circumnavigation.
Tegan — I hope to sail to Greece one day. It's always drawn me in as a destination to travel to. The food, the people, and the lifestyle make me excited to sail there with Lauren.
MTW — What kind of challenges do you think might arise, and how are you prepared for them?
Tegan — Lauren and I know that will be faced with a lot of challenges. Although, right now, the biggest challenge is how we are going to finance our journey as college students. There is also the fear of the ocean and what it is capable of along with things we don’t even know we’re scared of yet. But, we have our health and a heart full of adventure and excitement. If we face every challenge with determination and passion, we will overcome anything.
MTW — Is there a story of a time you truly felt scared?
Lauren — Yes! Cita is a humble enough platform that when you go out in the elements your mind can’t help but wander to the what-if’s. I remember one day at the end of May; Tegan and I were sailing from the Goslings to Jewell Island. We decided to stop at the Dolphin for warm blueberry muffins before continuing across Broad Sound. During our pit stop, the weather picked up and when we departed the Dolphin, Cita found herself in the elements pretty quickly with little warning. I do tend to worry about the rigging and structural elements of the boat when the weather picks up because owning a boat is still new to me and I am learning more every day! Luckily, Tegan and I tend to balance each other out in that regard, and we work well together to get through experiences like these. We made it safe and sound, but it did spook me a bit.
MTW — What are you most looking forward to?
Lauren — Tegan and I always dream about our future adventures. I cannot wait to see the world in such a wonderful way and live day-to-day. I love the sailing lifestyle so to be able to learn new cultures and experience new things this way with my best friend is going to continue to be a dream come true. I hope we can inspire other young people to write their own stories and seek out their passions.
Tegan — I am most looking forward to living a simple lifestyle with my best friend. The simple life allows you to focus on what really matters, like friendship and experiences rather than the material things that may seem important on land. I am excited to be immersed in cultures and meet new people with different perspectives than me. I can’t wait for the adventures we will find.
MTW — What is your “luxury item” — something that may be unnecessary, but enhances your quality of life on the boat?
Lauren — There are a couple things that always make the time aboard more fun… if I had to choose one thing, it would definitely be the harmonica…
Tegan — Our luxury item is the guitar. Lauren knows a good amount of songs and I know a handful. When the guitar comes out, it’s always the funniest time of the night because me and Lauren both don’t have the best singing voices but that never stops us from signing shamelessly.
MTW — Do you have a piece of advice for aspiring adventurers?
Lauren — Do what you love!! Life is too short to settle into an existence that doesn’t interest you. Tegan and I became friends because we had similar outlooks on life and realized together that we had more potential in this world than working a 9-5 job right out of college. If you don’t follow your dreams now, when will you? GO FOR IT!
Tegan — In the future, I am scared of the unknown. I know some things on the boat will not go our way. I am fearful of what we might face, however, I am more scared to not go for our dreams than feeling safe. I feel so incredibly lucky to have found one of the best people in my life that I can share the same values, adventures and experiences with. If I had to give advice to someone who is scared to make a change in their life, it would be, if you're not doing something that scares you, because it is uncertain or you might face challenges, it probably isn't worth doing in the first place. The best choices are some of the hardest and most uncertain because those hold the most opportunities. Take a chance, don’t let your life ties or a person hold you back. Because that person, if they love you, will be there when you get back. And that job you left, well... there's always more of those!
