Meet Eric Johnson, 41, a pilot, and Debbie Fields, 51, a COVID triage screening nurse who works for Mayo Clinic via computer and phone. The couple are spending most of their time in Fort Lauderdale due to travel difficulties during the pandemic. They own a 2005 Hunter 420 Passage, center cockpit named Tale Winds. “She doesn’t sail real strong but she gets us from point A to point B comfortably and for a 42-foot boat offers a lot,” says Eric.

Who normally accompanies you on your boat?
It is the two of us and Debbie’s parrot, Tuco, named after the drug lord in “Breaking Bad.” My parents have come for a week at a time here and there before COVID, and some of Debbie’s friends from Colorado have come to join us for a few days.

How did you take up boating?
I’ve been boating since I was 5 or so on my parents’ 470 and a small 18-foot motorboat that my grandfather built in western Massachusetts. That boat, nicknamed the Black Whale, had us water skiing and tubing on lakes in the Berkshires 35 years after it was built.
Debbie had been boating off and on with motorboats in the mountain lakes of Colorado for years before joining the Florida lifestyle.

What do you most enjoy about being on the water?
The real thrill is the hunt for that champagne sailing day when the proper broad reach in a stiff wind with small waves has you rocketing to your destination in record time. Heading back from Miami last year, we had west winds laying the water flat and a good 20 kt wind. Defying physics, we were cooking in the stream north at 10-plus kts across the ground with very little heel. Usually if our boat does better than 5-6 kts, it’s a good day.

Recent outings?
A few weeks ago we went to Bimini to get up close and personal with hammerhead sharks courtesy of Neal Watson’s Bimini Scuba Center. At the time, a negative COVID test and e-mail to Nassau is all it took to check in.

Has the coronavirus changed your boating habits?
We keep our social circle very small and are careful with how we socialize. We have been fortunate in staying healthy with our approach so far while many people we know have not, including our dock space landlord who ended up in the hospital. Thankfully he is home and doing very well now.

Favorite places to go in your boat:
The keys and Bimini of course, but Newport has really been a special place.

Must have item during trips?
Once the passage is complete and the anchor set, we enjoy sundowners. Also, Debbie does love her popcorn. For longer passages a few underway games like magnetic Checkers and Double Shutter can easily be played on a rocking boat. Also, stock the galley well!
Debbie is a wiz in the kitchen!

Farthest distance traveled on your craft?
Key Largo is actually further away than Bimini but takes about the same time due to the stream.

Describe your most challenging experience:
During our last crossing to Bimini, my rookie skills at splicing a continuous line furler failed and we had to make my way forward to crank in the main at the mast, in the dark with rolling seas, life jacket and harness on. Not fun.

What would be your dream boat?
Right now we are looking for the next boat and realizing the space and limited heeling aspects of a catamaran will benefit our dreams the best. Balance Catamarans makes an absolute dream of a boat if not for the price tag. A used Leopard 46 is within reach but is an elusive find right now.

Best advice to new boaters:
Try before you buy but in the end, “Just do it.” Be realistic with your expectations and budget. Learn all you can and remember, the lifestyle of living aboard is not for everyone.
Often the dreams of one partner don’t align with the other and a beautiful boat goes unloved and uncared for, only to end up on the used market in poor shape. I’m very fortunate to have found a partner who reflects my own aspirations and goals.