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When the opportunity arose to buy back SV Bubbles from its previous owner
in the USVI's, the foundation jumped. And, of course, made it an adventure!
Stay tuned for more on how SV Bubbles is chasing dreams again!
When Opportunity Arrises...
When we tracked down SV Bubbles in the USVI's and met the owner and her daughter last year, we learned that Bubbles had undergone some damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017. The owner was having trouble restoring Bubbles with a new mast and shortly after decided to sell Bubbles for a new liveaboard. This was the perfect chance for the friends and family of Alex, through the Chasing Bubbles Foundation, to take back SV Bubbles for our core mission: to chase dreams!
Buy Back SV Bubbles, and make it an Adventure!
What started as a simple task to purchase a boat, turned into a Bubbles reunion near where Alex finished his great circumnavigation almost exactly 10 years before. Twenty friends and family members gathered on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands to commemorate this journey with some sailing and adventures!
The Chasing Bubbles crew partnered with Stormy Pirates (the best sailing charter in the Caribbean!) for the Foundation’s annual ARR! (Alex Rust Regatta) around the great waters of St. Thomas. The day included some sea shanties, hoisting the colors, and a scavenger hunt!
Then on June 14th, Alex’s birthday, we jumped over to St. John to “commandeer” our lost treasure, the original s/v Bubbles! We crammed all 20 of us onboard the mastless boat that traveled nearly 50,000 miles around our beautiful planet. We conducted a purchase ceremony, with the previous owner, with a bottle of champagne, a few tears, and lots of cheers and beers. Finally, after 10 years of different owners, s/v Bubbles is back on course to chasing horizons and chasing dreams! A special thank you to Kara, the previous owner, for your willingness to graciously sell us Bubbles.
The Future for SV Bubbles
With hurricane season underway, the Foundation needed to make some immediate moves after buying back SV Bubbles. We partnered with a Chasing Bubbles Ambassador to help get SV Bubbles out of the water and secured for the season. Luckily, the boat was safe and sound as Hurricane Fiona rolled by and no damage was incurred.
The plan is to restore SV Bubbles back to her full sailing condition... and restoration is officially underway! Once fully restored, we have several ideas on how to utilize SV Bubbles for the Foundation’s purpose and mission, so stay tuned! For updates on SV Bubbles' restoration and upcoming adventures, sign up for our mailing list!