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"The only option for us now is a bigger boat," Laura Colledge told Newsweek, after seeing her cats take to life at sea.
A pet cat's seafaring lifestyle has captured the attention of millions of viewers online.
Ronnie, a resourceful feline affectionately dubbed the "Sailor-Cat," has gone viral on Instagram after delighting viewers with his nautical escapades and adventures. The cat, alongside his feline sibling, Sledge, has demonstrated the unexpected ways in which pets can adapt to life at sea.
The pair reside with their owners on a boat that is often cruising the Ionian Islands, off the shores of Greece. The video, which has garnered more than 1.5 million likes after being shared by owners Ross and Laura Colledge under @sailinghollyblue, offers an intimate look at 3-year-old Ronnie's unconventional routine. The cat's content-creator owners have been documenting his adventures while anchored in the serene Greek islands, letting viewers catch a glimpse at how he often journeys to land by paddleboard to use the bathroom.
"We used to live in Cornwall, England, in a very typical two-up, two-down [four rooms on two floors] house, but Ross and I both had a passion for adventure and the ocean," Laura Colledge, 44, told Newsweek. "Ross was a copartner in a large Cornwall-based fire installation company, and I was working as an online health-and-fitness coach.
"Ronnie's swim to shore isn't just a one-time thing," she added. "He's been paddleboarding, swimming, climbing on the rocks—he just loves it. It's as if the sea is his second home."
Viewers were able to see the feline paddle toward a rocky sun-drenched bay off the coast of the Ionian Islands. Once ashore, Ronnie explores, stretches his legs and attends to nature's call, and after some time on land, paddles back to his floating home—a 42-foot Bavaria yacht. He is then rewarded for his strong swim with a bowl of tuna and fresh water. People from all over the world have expressed their awe at Ronnie's fearless embrace of the open sea in the post's comments section.
The intrigue of internet users in the Colledge family's unconventional lifestyle, which includes their two children living on board and attending online school, has made the family a sensation on social media. The couple have since traded in their day jobs for full-time content creation under the handle @sailinghollyblue.
A Dream Set in Motion
For Ross and Laura, the life they lead now couldn't be further from the one they had in their home country, England.
"Ross used to work 50 hours a week," his wife said. "It was a good life, but it just wasn't fulfilling."
The couple's desire for change started after the premature birth of their first son, Josh, who arrived at just 29 weeks.
"Josh's early birth changed everything for us," Colledge added. "He was in an incubator for nine weeks, and it really hit home how fragile life can be.
"It made us realize that we didn't want to spend our days running on the treadmill of life—we wanted more for ourselves and our children."
That desire to seize the moment only grew after Josh recovered from his early health challenges. The couple, both avid travelers and adventure enthusiasts, found themselves increasingly drawn to the idea of living a life more in tune with their passions.
"We loved surfing, being near the water, and traveling," Colledge said. "Every time we went on holiday, it felt like we found ourselves, only to sink back into the daily grind when we returned home."
It wasn't until Laura's mother fell seriously ill while living in Cyprus that the couple took the leap. Laura left the U.K. for an extended period of time to care for her mother, home schooling their two sons, while Ross stayed behind to manage his work. During that time, Laura found herself thinking about what really mattered.
"I realized I didn't want to go back to England," Laura said. "I didn't want to be apart from my family anymore.
"I told Ross we needed to make a change," she added.
In a bold move, Ross remortgaged their house without telling Laura and used the funds to buy a sailboat. He surprised her by taking her and the boys to see it.
"We walked down the pontoon, and Ross pointed to a boat and asked if I recognized it," she said. "I did—it was the only boat we had visited, and I had loved it.
"I couldn't believe it when he told me he'd bought it; it was such a shock, but an amazing one."
The Big Move to the Sea
In 2019, the family set off on their new adventure. Their original plan was to sail to Cyprus, where Laura's parents still live, but the Colledges fell in love with the Greek islands.
"The moment we arrived in the Ionian Islands, we knew this was where we wanted to be," Colledge said. "There's something about Greece—the calm waters, the endless places to explore—it just felt right for us."
The move wasn't just about geography; it was also about creating a better environment for their children. Their oldest son, Josh, was struggling in the conventional school system due to his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Home schooling him through
Minerva's Virtual Academy, while initially challenging, turned out to be the perfect solution and has given his mother the peace of mind that he was getting the academic support he needed.
"Josh has thrived since we started home schooling," she said. "His online school works so well for him. It's flexible, and he's learning in a way that suits his needs."
The family's life aboard their boat, Holly Blue, is now a mix of home schooling, sailing, forecasting stormy weather and content creation. They document their travels and daily experiences for their YouTube channel, where they have amassed a dedicated following of 40,000-plus fans eager to see more of their unusual lifestyle.
Ross handles much of the video editing and production, while Laura manages the home schooling and the rest of their day-to-day life at sea.
Feline Companions on Deck
Their two cats, Ronnie and Sledge, have become stars of the channel and their social-media accounts, with followers tuning in to watch their life on board. Ronnie, the adventurer, paddles and swims, while Sledge is content to stay on the boat most of the time, enjoying the quieter comforts of life at sea.
The Colledges found both cats during difficult periods, and have since adopted them. Ronnie appeared in Cyprus when Laura was recovering from the loss of a pregnancy.
"He just showed up one day at the window, drenched from the rain," she said. "We took him in, and he's been with us ever since. It felt like he was sent to us at exactly the right time."
Sledge, who is smaller and shyer, was discovered under a weed in Greece a year later, shortly after Laura suffered another miscarriage.
"She was very sick with gastroenteritis," she said. "We nursed her back to health, and now she's our little homebody. She won't go off the boat, but she's such a loving presence."
The cats have become integral members of the family, with Ronnie taking on the role of the boat's unofficial explorer.
"He's fearless," she said. "He's always on the move.
"Sledge is more cautious, but they both bring so much joy to us and the boys."
Life at Sea and the Future
While it may look idyllic online, living on a sailboat isn't without its challenges, but the couple believe the rewards far outweigh any difficulties.
"You have to get used to living in a smaller space, and you learn to respect each other's needs," Colledge said. "But the close quarters have made us a stronger family.
"We're together so much more than we ever would have been living on land."
The family spends most of their time cruising the Ionian Islands, which offer sheltered waters and endless islands to explore. When they expect turbulent weather, they anchor in one of the nation's many marinas, often stepping off board to shelter in touristic towns.
"Greece has over 2,000 islands, and we could spend a lifetime exploring them," she said. "It's a safe and beautiful place to sail, and it's perfect for our lifestyle."
Despite the unpredictability of life at sea, the Colledges are certain about one thing: they are not going back to a conventional life. For their first year at sea, they kept hold of their property in England, thinking that they may need it again sometime soon. They decided to pack up and sell for good during the property boom that shook up the British housing market post-pandemic, and are now set on living at sea long-term, with the healthy profit from their house sale and social-media endeavors keeping them going.
"The only option for us now is a bigger boat," Colledge said. "We've never been happier or healthier.
"This life has given us so much more than we ever expected—it's given us time, freedom, and a closeness we never had before. We're never going back to the way things were."
With their growing social-media presence, a tight-knit family, and two adventurous cats, the Colledges are living their dream. As long as the winds keep blowing, they'll continue to sail—taking life one day, and one island, at a time.
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