A Penticton mother has turned a life-changing experience into a new book, chronicling the two years she, her husband, and their three young children spent living aboard a 45-foot sailboat in the Caribbean.
Seeking relief from the stress and grind of running a successful home renovation business near Quebec City, Annie Jomphe and her husband made the bold decision to completely change their lives. They sold most of their possessions, bought a sailboat, and set off on the adventure of a lifetime—thousands of kilometres away from their old routine.
Now living in Penticton since 2018, Jomphe is the author of Sailing Back to Life, a 300-page memoir detailing her family’s two-year journey on the open sea. The book, released last week, is the English version of the same title originally published in French five years ago.
Jomphe and her husband, Martin, both originally from Quebec, lived in Canmore, Alberta for about seven years before finally deciding to pursue a radical lifestyle change. The idea of sailing had been years in the making.
Their journey began in early 2016. When they set sail, their children were just 5, 6, and 7 years old.
“We were super excited—and in my experience, when parents are excited, it’s not hard to get the kids excited too,” she said.
Although they had what many would consider an ideal life—good jobs, financial stability, a beautiful home, and three healthy children—something was missing.
“From the outside, people thought we were absolutely crazy,” Jomphe recalled. “But inside, we were empty. We weren’t living the life we truly wanted—we were living the life we thought we were supposed to live.
After five years of working non-stop, we forgot who we were and what we valued. Our lives felt like a pressure cooker. We needed a reset.”
As lovers of the outdoors, the couple considered many options before deciding that life on a sailboat made the most sense.
“All we were doing in Quebec was working and making money, but we lost sight of ourselves,” she said. “We needed something extraordinary to reconnect—with each other and with life.”
Remarkably, neither Jomphe nor her husband had any sailing experience before embarking on their voyage.
“You can imagine what our parents thought,” she said, laughing. “But we just did it. We were on the boat 24/7 and had to learn as we went.”
They launched just south of Montreal, eventually sailing through Florida and the Bahamas before arriving in Bonaire, off the coast of Venezuela in the southern Caribbean.
“There’s something about the Caribbean islands that’s just so relaxing, caring, and beautiful,” she said.
After years of meticulously scheduled business life, the family embraced the freedom of spontaneity.
“When we left, we had absolutely no plan. We just wanted to breathe,” she said. “We learned quickly to let go. The Bahamas was the only destination we had firmly in mind.”
Living on a sailboat came with its challenges—particularly feeding a family of five. They stocked up on dry goods that could last the entire first year, including rice, beans, and pasta, and later restocked for the second year.
“We learned to be self-sufficient and how to manage our water and resources,” she said. “We made grocery shopping part of the adventure—taking the dinghy to shore and exploring ports with the kids.”
At times, supplies were low, especially on smaller islands that relied on infrequent shipments. But they adapted.
“A few times, there wasn’t much to eat, but we managed,” she said.
Despite the challenges, their children thrived.
“The kids were absolutely amazing,” she said. “They were more resilient than I was. While I struggled with the lack of structure, they embraced the freedom. It was beautiful—they inspired me to let go.”
The voyage was about more than travel. It was a mission to escape the rat race, reconnect as a family, and rediscover what really matters.
“After any trip, you come back on a high, but reality eventually sinks in,” she said. “It took me a long time to settle back into real life. But I was so much happier afterward.”
Not every moment on the water was serene.
“One of the scariest—and most humbling—moments came when we went shark fishing. We were stung by jellyfish, and my son cut his foot badly—there was blood everywhere,” she recalled. “We also weathered some serious storms. It really grounds you and reminds you how small we are in nature.”
The original French version of Sailing Back to Life was published in 2020 and sold well across Quebec and Canada. The English translation, five years in the making, was released on June 10.
While the book primarily focuses on their two-year sailing adventure, it also reflects on the pressures that led them to make such a drastic change.
“Writing the book made me realize how important the trip was for finding true happiness again,” she said. “I’m grateful every single day. That journey helped us regain the freedom to live the life we truly want. It’s the little things that matter—not money or a big raise.”
Today, Jomphe’s three children are teenagers and enjoying life in the Okanagan.
“We chose Penticton for the weather and the beauty—and we love it here. I can’t see us living anywhere else,” she said.
Ironically, the family hasn’t sailed since returning—but they’re hoping to change that.
“It’s on our list,” she said, smiling. “We’re looking at a future trip to French Polynesia.”
Jomphe and her husband now run Sitka Concept Inc., a home renovation business. Sailing Back to Life is self-published and available for purchase on Amazon.
