Interview with Athene Macrae of La Bom swimwear
How long did you work in yachting? Can you tell me about your yachting career – highlights, low points?
I joined my fist boat in 2012. It was a real baptism of fire as I’d had no previous experience and was straight into cooking for a boss trip. I don’t know how I fudged my way through that one but Luckily the captain was brilliant and the owners were lovely, I couldn’t believe I was being paid to sail around Turkey. I was totally hooked from the start and I stayed on with them for a happy 4 years.
I then moved on to bigger boats my favorite of which was Mari Cha 3. Sailing her across the Atlantic and up to the Norwegian fjords was absolutely magic. She’s a very special boat to sail and the Captain at the time loved to push us and taught me so much. It was a very happy time.
The thing I always found difficult about yachting was the missing out on important gatherings back at home. Weddings, festivals, family holidays etc. That never got any easier.
How did you know it was time for you to make the move to land?
It was quite a gradual process. I remember the excitement of returning to land becoming stronger than the excitement of leaving. I just started to become aware of those emotions.
Like the ridiculous amount of pleasure I would get from unpacking my things and putting them in drawers knowing that they would be there for a while. I started really craving a base and stability, I wanted routine. To be the master of my own life and time.
I became a lot better at saying no to jobs and found a sweet freelance gig on a race boat here in Palma that I still work on from time to time.
What was the most difficult thing about the transition?
Getting a handle on life admin after having zero responsibility for all those years. That’s something I still struggle with to be honest. I always have this feeling that I’m going to be in trouble for not filling out some form. It’s stupid but it’s a real fear. Life onboard was so simple when I think about it now.
What was the best thing about it?
There have been so many wonderful moments since but probably the highlight was finding the beautiful house in the countryside where I live now and signing a 5 year contract. Nesting is my favorite thing to do and after 10 years of living a nomadic existence it, to put your own paintings on the walls and plant herbs in the garden, it felt so good. I have also coaxed my Mum and step Dad over here to live in Mallorca and my cousin is here too, having family close by is very special after all those years of being apart. Buying a piano was a great moment too, the most unpractical instrument if you travel, I missed playing a lot when I was on the boats.
What do you miss most about yachting?
I miss the ability to disconnect from the world when you’re at sea. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so at peace as when I was crossing the Atlantic. We didn’t have any wifi like a lot of boats so it was a total switch off. It was like everything was polarised, it’s hard to describe but I felt so completely present all the time. I was really disappointed when we saw Antigua on the horizon. I miss the banter and silliness too with the crew, the random chats on watches and the closeness you get from sharing such intense experiences together.
What do you do now?
I started my own sustainable swimwear company called La Bom Swim a few years ago. I was so frustrated with the bikinis on the market as they never stayed on in the surf. I knew a lot of women shared my frustration so I figured I could design something better.
The product exists for active water women, to help enhance their adventures rather than hinder them. No body wants to be worrying about their bikini when they’re taking huge waves on the head. The brand is also trying to represent women in a more authentic way. I think a lot of us are fed up with the way the media portrays female athletes especially in the water sports domain. The guy will be photographed getting barrelled and the girl will be sitting pretty on the surf board in flat water. It’s pretty depressing when there are so many women pushing boundaries and doing extraordinary things in the world.
Starting a business has been a crazy journey and with a lot of hustling and hard times but I’m happy with the product and they’re getting rave reviews from professional surfers and kite boarders so that feels really satisfying.
I have recently found a workshop in Mallorca too so the product is now made locally from a recycled fabric called Econyl and is created from waste such as fishing nets, fabric scraps, carpet flooring and industrial plastic sourced from landfills and oceans across the globe. It was hugely important to create a sustainable business, especially after witnessing the plague of plastic on the Oceans first hand.
Do you have any advice for fellow yachties about going land-based?
Give it time and don’t beat yourself up if you jump back on a boat. I’ve heard it said that it takes 3 attempts to leave the industry. I think there’s probably some truth in that. It was definitely a long process for me and who knows, I might end up on a boat again some day. It’s a great plan B to have in the wings.
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