SV Canis Major

🌊 Breaking Barriers & Dreaming Big 🌊

Sailing has always been a male-dominated world, but more and more women are charting new courses, breaking down barriers, and showing that the sea belongs to ALL of us. 🌍⛵️

As someone who started sailing just 7 years ago, I’ve learned that the biggest obstacles aren’t always the technical skills—but the confidence to believe you can do it. Every repair, every solo sail, every time I push beyond my comfort zone, I remind myself that no dream is too big. 💪✨

From restoring my own boat, Canis Major, to becoming an ASA-certified instructor and serving as first mate on charter boats, I’ve built my career on my terms. And I'm here to say—there’s space for all of us on the water. 🚢🌅

I’m constantly inspired by the women sailors who’ve come before me—Tania Aebi, Isabelle Autissier, Pip Hare, and many others. They’ve proven that with resilience, determination, and passion, the ocean is ours to explore. 🌊💙

So here’s to breaking down barriers, dreaming big, and chasing those horizon lines. Whether you're just starting out or deep into your sailing journey, remember: YOU BELONG HERE. 🏝️⚓️

Read more at my new blog post. Link in Bio.

Check out our website often for our blog with updates, and new projects! corahtheexplora.com

A huge misconceptions that I get often is that I come from money and that I was a yacht club sailing kid. Both things couldn’t be further from the truth! With both my PhD and sailing, I am the first in my family to enter into these worlds and move 3,000 miles away! I’ve had to learn and find opportunities for myself and fight to stay in these spaces. I wouldn’t change my journey for anything! I’ve worked very hard to live this life. More sailing and adventures are on the horizon. The lesson is to chase after your dreams, because if you hold fast, things do work out!

Some things people may not know about me, do we have anything in common?:
1. I was in foster care and was adopted by my younger sister’s grandparents. 2. I am the first person to go to college in my family 3. I love olives 🫒 4. I make my own kombucha 🫙5. My favorite color is deep purple 6. I was a tomboy growing up 7. My favorite food is pasta 🍝 8. I’ve had 4 knee surgeries (all on the same knee) 9. My favorite knot is a becket bend 🪢 10. I started sailing 5 years ago⛵️

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1pvfj6jKbdTSo6xDeqDqdk0gst9G2V5JW6dd27NiCjB4/edit

Littlefoot and I will be starting full-time life aboard in just under 3 months!
I've had this dream since I was 7 years old. It's wild that the start of this adventure is on the horizon. There's still so much to do, like downsizing, finding a marina, and more work to prep CMa.

We got a bimini frame! Perfect for adding some shade and a place for solar panels. So excited to be another step closer to liveaboard and cruising 🤙⛵️

Couple of updates. I started working on the floor! The white is a little bit bright but nothing a runner rug can’t tone down. I’ve also started building the floor for the v-berth and head as they are straight fiber glass and curved (it’s the hull). So I am building floors and substrate to create a level surface.

We have to replace our standing rigging this month too, and then we are off to the islands! 🤙⛵️

Update: we are at $3,000! I am so thankful to those that have gotten me this far. Please know this comes from the bottom of my heart, and I will never forget your generosity. If you’d like a Canis Major t-shirt please message me your size and I’ll get one to you!

If 125 of you donate $20, the goal will be achieved! Please help if you can. Even sharing this post is huge.

SV Canis Major Needs Help, organized by Corah Walker As a woman, it has been a difficult journey making my way into sailing. Since I was 7 years… Corah Walker needs your support for SV Canis Major Needs Help

She finally has a name! I made this design, traced and hand cut the exterior vinyl lettering, and free-hand-painted the Littlefoot/Canis Major constellation. I was quoted $900 for this to be done professionally. I did it myself for $10! More than that, she finally feels like mine. I am at a loss for words. The gratitude, blood, sweat, tears, learning, leaps of faith taken, pride, and vision that it has taken to get her this far is overwhelming at times. This life long dream is inching closer by the day, and I’m so looking forward to all the adventures and memories to be made on S/V (sailing vessel) Canis Major 🐾🌌⛵️

Some progress on work I'm getting done while in the boat yard! I've installed a solar panel, and a windlass for my anchor, painted and mostly removed the v-berth, fiberglassed part on the rudder, and added some faux teak padding. The remaining projects include bottom paint, putting up her name, polishing the hull, sealing up the anchor locker, and hopefully getting her standing rigging up! The yard is working to put in my new propeller shaft and coupler, as well as the upgraded dripless packing seal.

It's been a ton of fun and hard work to bring this boat back to life. There isn't a single part of her that I haven't touched or made better in some way. She has a few bigger projects left (like the electrical system). I can't wait to live on her fulltime with Littlefoot

First time up the mast!

Blue prints

Follow along as we restore and sail my "new-to-me" 1982 Newport 30 MKIII!