Welcome. I’m Nuno Bettencourt, and this page is the story of how a fantasy I saw from the shores of the Azores became a non-negotiable retirement plan two decades later.

The Problem: A Deferred Dream

My story starts not in London, but on Pico Island, surrounded by the constant, raw presence of the Atlantic. At 15, I worked briefly as a helper instructor at the Clube Naval da Madalena in the harbor. I sailed a dinghy three or four times—a handful of hours that imprinted the wind and the sea in my memory, but left me with virtually no practical experience.

From that vantage point, I watched the true sailing vessels—the mighty yachts on their Atlantic crossings—stop and refuel. They seemed impossibly remote, reserved only for the very wealthy or those living entirely off-grid. I filed the dream away, convinced it wasn’t for me.

Life then took the practical route: University in Lisbon, and then a twenty-year career as a Software Developer based in London. I achieved success, but my world became the structured, digital reality of code, deadlines, and, most painfully, sitting the whole day in a chair, staring at a screen, seeing the exact same people and the exact same place. That stark, repetitive certainty was the contrast that finally forced the question: Is this my only ride?

The Pivot: Our Distant Horizon

Now, at 47, as I look toward retirement, my partner Filipa and I have made a clear decision: our second chapter will be lived on the water, sailing and cruising the Mediterranean.

The gap between my software skills and my sailing skills is immense. I am a beginner. My goal is to use the analytical, problem-solving mindset I honed as a developer—the Distant Horizon Project—to methodically close that gap. This is about learning not just how to sail, but how to be a safe, competent skipper before we buy the boat.

The Project: Documentation of a Life Pivot

This blog is the transparent, honest logbook of that entire learning process. Here, I document the failures, the gear choices, the costs, and the gradual progress required to make this radical career and lifestyle change.

My sailing baseline is those few hours in a dinghy at the Clube Naval da Madalena. I am trading the predictable office chair for the rewarding unpredictability of the wind and the sea.

I hope this journey proves that the “impossible” dreams we defer as teenagers are worth chasing when it’s time for the second act.

Thank you for being part of this transition.

Nuno Bettencourt