Soddy-Daisy couple live aboard a sailboat and island-hop through the Caribbean and Florida Keys
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / A toy parrot has found a home on board the sailboat Caretta, a 40-foot Gulfstar ketch owned by Andrea and Barry Baker. Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / A toy parrot has found a home on board the sailboat Caretta, a 40-foot Gulfstar ketch owned by Andrea and Barry Baker.
Docked, for now, at Gold Point Marina in Hixson, the sailboat Caretta is 10 tons of hull and boom and tightly furled mainsail. For owners Barry and Andrea Baker, this 1973 Gulfstar ketch is not just for weekend outings on Chickamauga Lake; it’s the vessel that’s helping them live their dreams. Since November 8, 2021, the Bakers have been tropical-island-hopping on this 40-foot floating home on the seas.
We recently went aboard for a tour of the boat and a conversation with the Bakers. Here are five takeaways from that visit.
Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / A toy parrot has found a home on board the sailboat Caretta, a 40-foot Gulfstar ketch owned by Andrea and Barry Baker.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The boat’s master quarters.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / An overview of the Caretta’s cabin.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The onboard office has a desktop for spreading out maps, but the Bakers mostly rely on electronic navigation.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The Bakers have added sea-themed decor and other personal touches to the sailboat’s cabin.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / The sailboat’s dining area.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Andrea Baker shows where clothes are stored within the cabin.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Andrea and Barry Baker sold a 2,500-square-foot house in Soddy-Daisy in 2020 and moved onto this 40-foot Gulfstar sailboat.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Barry and Andrea Baker, owners of the Caretta, a 40-foot Gulfstar sailboatStaff Photo by Robin Rudd / Barry and Andrea Baker have temporarily docked their sailboat at Gold Point Marina in Hixson.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Andrea and Barry Baker aboard their sailboat, the CarettaStaff Photo by Robin Rudd / Barry and Andrea Baker stand on their sailboat.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Andrea Baker shows off the sailboat’s laundry and storage area.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Scooters supply transportation on land for Andrea and Barry Baker, who live aboard their sailboat.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / A seating area aboard the sailboatStaff Photo by Robin Rudd / A deep single sink was a must for Andrea Baker.Staff Photo by Robin Rudd / Fish gear hangs from the ceiling of the Caretta.
– They’d never sailed before buying the boat. As improbable as it sounds, the Bakers were mostly landlubbers, with occasional lake outings, before Andrea began watching sailing videos on YouTube and convinced her husband they should be sailing the open seas.
