For Saanich police officer Janis Carmena, the ocean has always been a sanctuary.
Diagnosed with PTSD, Janis found solace and healing in the waters surrounding her Brentwood Bay home, where she has resided for the past five years within the close-knit liveaboard community.
香蕉视频直播淚 got diagnosed about four years ago, which is why I live out here on this little oasis, and I'm just getting retrained,香蕉视频直播� she said.
香蕉视频直播淚 get so overwhelmed and overstimulated on shore and I'm always on a constant watch for danger香蕉视频直播t香蕉视频直播檚 just exhausting. My central nervous system is always in fight or flight. When I come out here (on the water), as soon as I step on the boat, I almost want to cry. I can breathe; my whole central nervous system just relaxes.香蕉视频直播�
Now, she, her husband Blaine and their 18-year-old daughter Izzy, who just graduated from Stelly香蕉视频直播檚 Secondary School, are leaving the community for an 香蕉视频直播榚pic香蕉视频直播� adventure aboard Tangaroa, their 1969, 78-foot aluminum boat 香蕉视频直播� rebuilt from the hull up with their own hands and a lot of heart. Their 22-year-old son Josh will remain on shore to finish his education.
Leaving Brentwood Bay on July 7 at 11 a.m., the Carmenas are setting off on what they香蕉视频直播檙e calling "The Great Siberian Sushi Run," a journey that will take them through the waters of Alaska, Siberia and Japan.
This isn't their first foray into life at sea.
Janis and Blaine met while working as professional crew aboard luxury mega-yachts, the kind familiar to viewers of the reality series Below Deck. Janis served as first mate, while Blaine was the engineer.
Before embarking on their sea adventure, the couple sat down with Peninsula News Review aboard the Tangaroa, sharing their excitement and anxieties about the long voyage ahead.
"Our first leg is going to be from here to Port Hardy, where we香蕉视频直播檙e picking up a friend who will help us fill our freezers with fish," Janis explained. "You know how expensive groceries are, so we try to eat sustainably from the water.香蕉视频直播�
From Port Hardy, they plan to reach Wrangell, Alaska by Christmas, where they will spend the winter before heading north in April 2026.
The journey is documented through their , which has already garnered over 33,000 subscribers and counting.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播婽hree days before the start of their voyage, Blaine admits there香蕉视频直播檚 a 香蕉视频直播渘ever-ending amount of logistical stuff香蕉视频直播� they have to think about.
"I'm always figuring out what we're going to need for fuel to get where we're going," he said. "And making sure that our fuelling stops are well laid out so we never have an issue where we're running low, safe routes to get places, currents tide to make sure we're not spending more time than we have to burning fuel."
The couple acknowledged that some have expressed concerns about their readiness for such an ambitious undertaking.
"We香蕉视频直播檝e done what we could to get the boat ready," Blaine said. "We香蕉视频直播檝e been on a refit for the last five years and there are always going to be things that are not going to be finished.香蕉视频直播�
Janis remains resolute.
"We are going to make it on July 7, whether we're ready or not,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎nd trust me, we're not going to be ready. We are just bringing parts on board and stuff to fix the boat as we go, because your boat's never gonna be perfect when you leave on adventure."
Janis believes waiting for perfection can be a major obstacle.
"If you always wait for your boat to be perfect, you never leave," she added. 香蕉视频直播淪o, right now, it's just taking that big book of life and turning the page and heading north.香蕉视频直播�
The Carmenas emphasize The Great Siberian Sushi Run isn't a leisurely cruise. It's an expedition into the unknown, complete with remote ports, challenging seas, language barriers and extended crossings.
"I've always wanted to see Siberia 香蕉视频直播� it's untouched country," Janis mused. "Our dream is to pull into a cove, with no other boats there and take in an absolutely stunning view. With my PTSD, I don't have to be hyper-vigilant of everything around me. I can go, oh, now I can just look for bears and eagles.香蕉视频直播�
For Janis, embarking on The Great Siberian Sushi Run is also a mission of healing 香蕉视频直播� one nautical mile at a time.
