On a trip to the Channel Islands a few months ago, a group of friends from Santa Barbara hatched an idea to scratch their traveling itch: Buy a boat, fix it up, and set out to sea. “Big picture, what we’re doing is living out our dreams, but we want to set an example and lend a hand in the remote areas we’re headed to along the way,” said Ryan Smith ( pictured above ) while preparing abalone stew in the ship’s galley. The 42-foot trimaran Aldebaran, meaning “eye of the bull,” is the faithful steed that will carry the crew during their odyssey to protected and remote areas throughout the Pacific.