Hi, we're Kaylee and Ian. Originally from Kentucky, we moved to Gulfport, Florida with a lifelong dream: to live on a sailboat. Life in Kentucky had been difficult for us with various financial and medical struggles, but we took what little money we had and decided to take a chance on the life we wanted so badly. With limited funds, we poured our hearts and souls into making it happen. Unbridled Spirit, our beloved 35ft Columbia sailboat, was neglected and needed many repairs. We fell in love with her the minute we saw her and wanted her as our own anyway. She wasn't livable, but we were determined to make her our home. We sacrificed everything for her; we lived out of our vehicle to save money, spent every dime of our paycheck on the things she needed, and worked every night and weekend after our day jobs. We even worked while sick or injured, then went back to sleep in our vehicle every night.

Living in our truck was grueling. The Florida heat, without AC, was unbearable. Even a simple bathroom trip meant a 20-minute journey to a gas station. But we were determined, channeling every penny into the boat.

We began by tackling the infestation of palmetto bugs and layers of mold and rot. Scrubbing every inch, often wearing masks to protect ourselves, we transformed the boat. Ian tirelessly worked on the engine, finally bringing it to life—a moment of pure joy.

We dedicated ourselves to the process, engaging in weeks of back-breaking labor, replacing the interior piece by piece. Despite the busted fingers and sore hands, we created a livable space. Though far from finished, we no longer had to endure life in our truck.

Sunday night shattered our dreams at the hands of Debby. The storm's ferocity caught us off guard. Flooding was expected, and we didn’t have a way to evacuate. Our only options were to stay in our boat, which was attached to a mooring ball, or to stay in our truck, which seemed dangerous with the flash flooding. We reinforced our boat with extra lines and did all we could to secure our home.

Winds and waves became too strong, and our dinghy was swept away, solar panels were torn off, and we were violently tossed around inside. Water surged in, and the standing rigging began to tear out.

Petrified and helpless, we attempted to anchor, but it quickly snapped. With no motor keys due to the storm's chaos, we secured essential belongings in a dry bag. The boat spun out of control, narrowly avoiding a collision before a wave pushed us toward the seawall.

Just before impact, we jumped into chest-deep water and swam to shore. We watched in horror as our boat slammed into the seawall, creating a gaping hole and accelerating the flooding.

Now, we face an uncertain future. Our beloved Unbridled Spirit is likely totaled, and we're back to sleeping in our vehicle. We lost our home, memories, belongings, and months of labor. We had plans and dreams for our future on that boat, and it's heartbreaking to see it all washed away.

Reluctantly, we created a GoFundMe after numerous suggestions. We don’t expect anything, but any support, even a share, means the world to us. We could use help with securing housing, replacing our personal belongings such as toiletries and clothing, and with food since we are unfortunately living in our truck again. Updates will be posted on Facebook.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this storm. Many suffered severe damage, and you are all in our prayers. Much love to you all.

https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-after-debby-took-unbridled-spirit-our-home?lang=en_US&utm_campaign=fp_sharesheet&utm_medium=customer&utm_source=facebook