Young sailors' connect with raft-ups, parties, and "Floatchella"

The Young Cruisers Association makes waves around the world, from their annual Annapolis meetup each October to the "Floatchella" raft-up that started in The Bahamas and moved to points beyond.

Members host real-world raft-ups, meetups, and even award ceremonies. Many are single while others are raising their kids on boats, and a few even work remotely, relying on Starlink while working aboard. YCA even launched an app, "SeaPeople," featuring a digital logbook and GPS boat tracker to help connect the "floating community" with international friends.

According to their own origin story, the first iteration of YCA started in the 1970s, then was revamped, in quote, "2018, over a bottle (or 3) of rum, chatting by a fire, a few of us decided it was time to make it easier to find, meet, and hang out with other rad people who said f*** it, and took off sailing."

Today, YCA claims 10,000 members who week adventures, and aim to turn sailing from a "later" dream into a "now" experience. While the name suggests 20-somethings – and there are those too– the Association also prides itself on an inclusivity that seems to looks beyond age. Sailing is a sport that skews older, but the YCA sailors flip that notion upside down, when they state their motto: "This is life, not retirement."

Website: https://youngcruisers.org/

Instagram @youngcruisers