Garrett and Ruth Jolly have completed their seven-year-long dream of building a sailboat.
The couple, who met on vacation with their families in Aruba at 15 years of age, has been together for the last 15 years, 10 of which have been as a married couple.
For the last seven years, the couple has followed their dream of building their boat, Rediviva, from scratch.
“We've kind of developed our partnership and we're just a really good team,” Garrett said.
The couple now plans on taking the boat from the Central Coast to locations around the world.
“I think our whole relationship is sort of founded on just pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zone,” Ruth said.
The Jollys have documented their entire construction process from start to finish with a vlog on their YouTube channel, “Salt and Tar.”
“It’s all worth it because, not only did we build a boat, but we’ve also built a business, and it's getting to grow and change with us,” Ruth said.
The boat itself was constructed from repurposed lumber in Washington state.
After completing testing, the boat has made its way from Washington down the coast past Morro Bay, Garrett Jolly’s hometown.
“I’ve fantasized so often about bringing the boat into Morro Bay and seeing the Morro Rock,” Garrett said. “To have finally accomplished that, it was crazy.”
As the boat has become stronger and more reliable, the couple says their relationship has too.
“Each trip has kind of been more of another milestone and more of a test,” Garrett said.
“We, just as people, have changed and grown so much throughout the process,” Ruth said.
The Jollys currently have more than 71,000 subscribers on their YouTube channel.
“It’s amazing getting people to take a walk with us through our just everyday life, through the boat, with the highs and the lows,” Ruth said.
The Jollys plan on sailing to Southern California for their first official trip in the first week of August.
Following their stop in Southern California, they'll head to Mexico before deciding on their next destination.
“Maybe we will cross over to the South Pacific, go through the Panama Canal,” Garrett said. “We'll see when we get there.”
To follow the Jollys' adventures, visit their YouTube page here.
