A story with the power to change lives
My name is Justyna. I'm a trained seamstress but work as a cleaner. Every day, in the quiet rooms of the preschool where I clean, I look out the window at the marina. I see the yachts glistening in the sun and the sailors passionately working on the decks. In those moments, my heart, as if pulled by a magnet, yearns for something more than everyday life—for freedom, for adventure, for a horizon that never ends.
My dream didn't come from nowhere. I was inspired by the Swedish families I met—for them, life at sea is completely natural. But above all, I was inspired by my husband, Piotr. He's much older than me, an experienced sailor who once worked as a boat builder, delivering newly purchased yachts to their owners. Now he can't find work, neither as a boat builder nor as a truck driver with a C license, because employers prefer to hire younger drivers with a CE license.
Piotr, who once ran a sailing business (KABAT Segel & Båt) and has sailed thousands of nautical miles, instilled the love of the sea in me. He told stories from his and others' voyages and shared sailing books that had inspired him many years ago.
Piotr's life wasn't easy from the start. His father moved to the US to work as a civil officer on the USNS, and his mother worked late at a tavern. As a child, he grew up on the streets. Despite these circumstances, he developed into a good person, a person I, as a woman, couldn't live without. As an adult, he had several failed relationships, which led him to decide to spend the rest of his life alone.
When he separated from his partner and his mother died at the same time, Piotr broke down. Everything was too much for one person. He neglected his business, which soon went bankrupt. He couldn't find work in Sweden and decided to look for a job in Norway, where he was successful. He worked, earned good money, and sailed until I suddenly appeared in his life in 2012—a much younger girl who fell boundlessly in love with him. Piotr fought with everything he had against a relationship with such a young woman, but I didn't give up. We started dating and soon moved in together. He took me on a week-long sailing trip in the Mediterranean and one in the Baltic Sea, where he had booked a spot for both of us.
After a while, I started talking to Piotr about having children, about wanting to fulfill myself as a mother too. Piotr still dreamed of the sea, of a sailboat, and of sailing around the world in this beautiful but also terrifying world. For my sake, he decided to give up on himself and his dreams. Despite his mature age, he agreed to give me what I dreamed of—children. He knew that a family with children would rule out the life he dreamed of, but he agreed anyway.
In 2016, Jakob was born; 16 months later, in 2017, David. In 2018, we got married, and a year after we moved to Halland, Simon was born in 2021. Now that our children are 9, 8, and 4 years old, today, after 12 years together, I've realized I have to do something. I want to give him something back that I took away from him. Today, together with our sons Simon, Jakob, and David, I want to do something that seems impossible. I want to arrange a sailboat so we can embark on the voyage Piotr has dreamed of since he was a child. I want Piotr to teach us, and above all our sons, everything he knows about the sea and sailing, and for us, as a family, to set out on a long voyage, perhaps even around the world. I want to show our boys that dreams have no limits.
Our journey toward the dream
I also plan to record a vlog and publish it on YouTube and on our website, which you have just visited.
Unfortunately, my low salary as a cleaner and the fact that Piotr, with age, has stopped believing in this dream, stand in our way. My husband only gets temporary jobs because of his age, and employers prefer to hire younger people. Even if he were to get a permanent job, the time he has left until retirement wouldn't be enough to support the home and save the money needed to realize such a big project. My husband considers it unrealistic and that we won't succeed in raising the necessary funds. Sometimes I look at his face and see a resignation that tears me apart.
As an experienced sailor, Piotr says that for such a journey to be possible and safe for our entire family, we need a sailboat that is no less than 45-50 feet, with a straight transom that gives us enough living space. He says it must have a draft of 2-2.5 meters to achieve the highest possible righting moment. He also mentioned designs by Bruce Roberts and many others that we will never be able to afford.
I can't give up. I can't imagine ending my life without realizing this dream, which is both mine and Piotr's. It would be very, very sad. I believe that even if the path to this goal is long and full of obstacles, anything is possible with the help of other, well-meaning people.
That's why I'm reaching out to you. Every, even the smallest, help is a step forward for us, a brick that helps us buy the necessary equipment, renovate the yacht, and set out on this unique journey. By supporting us, you become a part of our story, the development of which you will be able to follow by watching our vlogs. Help us show that dreams are possible for everyone to realize and that even the smallest gesture can drive great things forward.
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familycruiseofdreams
Justyna Kabat
Iban-nummer: SE4850000000051730124720
Bic-kod: ESSESESSXXX
Bankens Adress: SEB, 106 40 Stockholm
Swisha: 079 018 49 91