Krista Swedberg’s Adventurous Sailing Career Aboard Tall Ships

Many people see sailing as an unaffordable luxury, while others get paid to sail all the time. Krista Swedberg of Santa Cruz is one of the latter. Over the past several years, she’s been paid to sail as a mate on tall ships cruising the world.

Latitude 38’s regular cruising section, Changes in Latitudes, features West Coast sailors who are cruising the world on their own boats, or occasionally people like Krista who sail on other people’s boats. In our Cruise Notes section, editor John Riise catches up with Krista, who spent the last Antarctic summer (January through April) as mate aboard the 125-ft Danish ketch Tecla. This included sailing to Puerto Williams, Chile, the Falkland Islands, Cape Town, Cape Horn, Tristan da Cunha and South Georgia.

There are many ways to sail, and Krista Swedberg has found a path that works for her. She’s sailed aboard Tecla in the past and also sailed as bosun aboard the 131-ft bark Europa. She demonstrates that rather than a luxury, sailing can be a career. And you don’t have to be racing!

This month’s Changes in Latitudes also features cruising stories from the South Pacific and singlehanded cruising tips from Ruby Gates. You can see it online here or pick up a September issue of Latitude 38 at a marine business near you.