From Mountains to Liveaboard: How Rob and Deanna Found Bella Luna

When Rob and Deanna Piwowarczyk first discussed living on a boat, the conversation nearly sank their marriage. It was 2012, and the newlyweds were settled in the Colorado mountains—Deanna in her early 40s working in software with horses and dogs, Rob five years older and running a tire shop. Until then, a canoe had been the only boat either had owned. Rob casually mentioned a future of living aboard, and Deanna’s blunt reply was: “Either I die or you divorce me.”

That stance softened after a 2015 crewed charter of the 72-foot Irwin Sandcastle in the Virgin Islands. Traveling with Rob’s daughters, Deanna enjoyed the trip so much she and Rob vowed to repeat it without the kids the next year. A 10-night charter in late 2016 cemented their new perspective. By January 2017, Deanna began to imagine a life aboard and the couple developed a Sunday ritual of browsing boats online—fondly calling it “boat porn.”

They traded ideas: Rob favored efficient trawlers with full-displacement hulls and Portuguese bridges; Deanna leaned toward sleek, Italian yachts. Eventually she set out to find a vessel that met Rob’s practical requirements while still offering style and generous outdoor living spaces. Within weeks she discovered the listing for Bella Luna—a 2005 Selene 55—moored near Santa Barbara, California, not far from Deanna’s office.

They called Jeff Merrill Yacht Sales and asked to see the boat, even though they weren’t planning to buy for several years. Merrill arranged a private one-hour tour. Boarding through Bella Luna’s cockpit and stepping into the teak-trimmed salon, Rob and Deanna were instantly smitten. After the visit, Rob asked to take a photo with the boat and posted it on Facebook with the caption “Our new home.” The impulse felt right; that afternoon they called Merrill to begin the process.

Merrill tempered their enthusiasm, reminding them they had said they weren’t ready. He insisted they at least tour a few other trawlers—in person, not just on laptops. The couple flew to Seattle to compare models, but Bella Luna kept calling to them. Three months after that first visit, in August 2017, they conducted a sea trial, hauled the boat for inspection, and within ten days had moved aboard. They sold their house and business in the same three-month window—one sale going over asking price in three days—making the transition swift but decisive.

The name Bella Luna carried personal meaning: one dog named Belle and another Great Dane mix originally named Bella (later renamed Luna). With dogs Belle and Luna aboard, the vessel felt like family. A 90-pound Luna and a 90-pound Golden-Chow mix named Moose adapted quickly to life on the water, surprising Deanna, who had worried about the animals’ adjustment—and about storing her shoes.

The transition wasn’t done entirely on their own. The previous owner invested significant time—some 50 hours—showing the Piwowarczyks the boat’s systems and routines. Merrill also spent a long weekend aboard in the Channel Islands to teach hands-on skills. “It’s easier the first time if somebody shows you,” Merrill says. Practical, supervised experience helped them develop the muscle memory needed to run the boat confidently.

Along with the Selene 55 came a day-charter business. Rob took charge of the charter operations, working with hired captains to learn the ropes and gain confidence; Deanna assisted whenever she could. After nearly a year of guided charters, they felt ready to helm Bella Luna themselves. Their first unassisted cruise was to Catalina Island—about seven hours down and eight hours back—bringing the dogs and learning mooring techniques from online resources before successfully picking up their first mooring ball.

Rob has since passed the written portion of a six-pack captain’s license and is building sea time to meet the remaining requirements. The couple also participated in the CUBAR Odyssey, a roughly 1,000-mile cruise from Southern California to La Paz, Mexico that tested their planning and endurance. Those passages made them mindful of Bella Luna’s impressive 1,500-gallon fuel capacity: “We can go 3,000 miles on a single tank of fuel,” Deanna notes, adding with a smile that the boat could circumnavigate the globe if they ever wished.

When the coronavirus pandemic emerged, Bella Luna was wintering in the Sea of Cortez, where the couple spent the spring under quarantine. Their intended cruise to the Pacific Northwest and Deanna’s planned retirement have been delayed, so for now they’re exploring Mexico’s mainland with hopes of someday returning to the Virgin Islands—the place where their boating dream began.

Looking back, the Piwowarczyks describe their move to full-time cruising as a mix of preparation, mentorship, and willingness to take risks. From a reluctant start to confidently running their own Selene 55, their story is an example of how careful planning and hands-on learning can turn a dream of the liveaboard lifestyle into a practical, rewarding reality. “They’re living proof that anyone can do it if you have the right attitude and you’re not afraid to take a few risks,” Merrill says.

This article originally appeared in the June 2020 issue.