1984 Catalina 36 Mk I
Big Trouble is the planned boat for all four missions and the circumnavigation. The name may change before launch.
THE LONG WAY HOME · MISSION 01
THE TEXAS BBQ RUN.
Rebuild the boat. Build the sailor. Go find some barbecue.
THE FIRST EXTENDED FIELD EXERCISE
A serious proving trip. A very good excuse.
The Texas BBQ Run is the first extended real-world training mission in The Long Way Home Challenge. I’ll refit and learn our 1984 Catalina 36 Mk I, currently named Big Trouble, and use the preparation and voyage to turn sailing fundamentals into experience.
The barbecue gives the trip its name. The real objective is to practice planning, navigation, boat handling, maintenance, and decision-making—and come home with a clearer understanding of what I need to improve before the next mission.
$505,000 cumulative net
$440,000 establishes the debt-free family foundation and $65,000 provides the upper-end allowance for the Catalina refit and core upgrades.
Florida → Texas → home
The working voyage concept. Specific ports, passage legs, timing, and weather windows will be developed during preparation.
BUILD THE SAILOR AND THE BOAT
Earn the departure.
The preparation follows the same principle I carry into the larger challenge: learn the fundamentals, practice repeatedly, find weaknesses, correct them, and then increase the difficulty.
01 · LEARN & PRACTICE
Build competence
Formal sailing education and repeated practice aboard the Catalina will build the foundation. Preparation will include boat handling, navigation, weather awareness, emergency procedures, and knowing when to stop or change the plan.
02 · REFIT & EQUIP
Reset the Catalina
Assess the boat, rerig and reseal as required, establish the refit scope, and address the work needed for the voyage. The working allowance includes core upgrades such as an autopilot and Hydrovane. Final choices follow inspection and real-world testing.
03 · TEST & CORRECT
Prove the preparation
Use local practice and shakedown trips to test the boat, equipment, and procedures. Record problems, make corrections, and repeat the checks before taking on the extended voyage.
04 · PLAN & REVIEW
Prepare for the unexpected
Develop passage plans, provisioning, reserves, communications, and contingency options. Weather windows, safe stopping points, and abort and recovery plans will shape the final route.
MISSION 1 FUNDING
$505,000 to start the journey.
This cumulative milestone combines the $440,000 household debt foundation with a $65,000 upper-end allowance for the Catalina refit and core upgrades. The foundation covers the mortgage and consumer debt so those obligations do not burden the family during the challenges.
Our family is already cutting unnecessary expenses, taking additional work where possible, and directing freed-up money toward the remaining obligations. The campaign works alongside that effort.
These are conservative planning estimates, not a claim that every dollar will be required. Actual costs may be lower. Refit assessments, equipment decisions, and real operating experience will make the budget more precise.
The campaign’s verified net total accounts for processing fees, refunds, dispute adjustments, and the provisional 25% reserve. The reserve is a planning allowance, not a final tax calculation. View live campaign progress.
Projected costs and actual spending will be identified separately as details become available. A detailed itemized Mission 1 budget has not yet been published.
MONEY UNLOCKS THE MISSION
Readiness gives the green light.
FinancialCompetenceOperationalVesselExpeditionPassage
Reaching the milestone funds the mission. Departure still depends on skipper competence, a sound vessel, safety and communications equipment, reserves, passage planning, and a suitable weather window.
Current published plan: preparation requirements and the voyage concept are outlined here. A departure date, final route, and completed readiness checks have not yet been announced.
THE MISSION LOG
Share the work. Keep the lessons.
This page will grow with the mission: refit updates, training notes, equipment decisions, route planning, photos, and voyage reports. No completed voyage or spending report is being presented yet.
After the Texas run, the mission report will cover the actual route, distance, duration, costs, repairs, and lessons learned. Completing Mission 1 advances the same Catalina toward Mission 2: electronics, solar, and the Mexico Tequila Run.