About her

A Mended Life is a classic cruising sailboat with a white hull and brightwork, sailed and cared for by Bob and Valerie Amend.

Bob grew up a military brat, moving from base to base, and went on to become a chemical engineer and plant manager. He spent his career keeping complicated things running well, and retirement hasn't slowed him down. These days he builds furniture, makes his own wine, and brings the same patience and craftsmanship to everything on board.

Valerie grew up on a farm in Minnesota and spent many years as a homemaker. She's endlessly creative and loves to sew, and she knows better than anyone that a home is something you make, not something you buy. Afloat, that's exactly what the two of them are doing.

This is their second marriage, and together they've blended two families into one. The boat's name fits them as well as it fits her: a Minnesota farm girl and a military kid who never stayed in one place, bringing all their strengths together for their next big voyage.

The plan is to sail the world, fixing up the boat along the way.

Their best days are the slow ones: coffee in the cockpit, a fair breeze, and nowhere to be until the tide says so.

This site is her home port, a place to keep track of where she's been and where she's pointed next.