Tiger love leads engineering alumni toward a bold new chapter as they sail confidently into retirement

Rochester, New York – For Michael and Suzanne Pail, a simple first-year chemistry course did more than introduce lab techniques and formulas. It sparked a partnership that would weave through engineering classrooms, entrepreneurial experiments, and—eventually—a life spent tracing blue horizons aboard a double-hull catamaran named Mira. What began as two undergraduates navigating problem sets has evolved into a shared, full-scale seafaring life that neither could have imagined during their earliest days on campus.

Their transition from corporate offices and product lines to currents, anchorages, and open-water crossings wasn’t something that happened overnight. Instead, it emerged over decades of steady, deliberate decision-making—combined with an awareness that time is never guaranteed. Their story is less a tale of sudden adventure and more one of calculated liberation, crafted by two engineers who applied their problem-solving instincts to design a life on their own terms.

After graduating in 1998, Suzanne entered the mechanical engineering world with nine solid years at IBM in Raleigh, N.C., managing major projects in a fast-paced technical environment. Michael, with a degree in electrical engineering, began his career at IBM as well before moving to a smaller company nearby. The two followed parallel tracks that seemed poised to continue indefinitely. But beneath the stable routines, a quieter impulse was building—a desire to create something of their own.

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That entrepreneurial energy materialized in 2006 when the pair opened a Closet Factory franchise specializing in custom storage systems. Suzanne recalls the early days with a mix of pride and humor. “It was more Mike’s venture as I was still at IBM at the time,” she said. “But when he started the business, he threw himself into it hard.” After a year of juggling roles, the couple made a strategic switch. Michael returned to engineering in product sales and consulting while Suzanne assumed leadership of the franchise. The change was more than logistical—it was clarifying.

“Sue was much better at juggling tasks,” Michael said. “She was really good at time management and balancing priorities. She was also ready for a change.”

Their roles may have flipped, but their pace did not. Both often found themselves pushing past 60-hour workweeks to keep the business thriving. The economy, fortunately, cooperated. With the company running successfully and a growing sense that they wanted something different out of life, they began discussing early retirement—an idea seeded years earlier by a painful memory. Michael’s father died at age 47, the same age the couple later set as their retirement goal.

“It did give us the awareness that you can put all this time in, save for retirement, work really hard, and sometimes you just don’t get to retirement,” Michael said. “So, for us our goal was to retire by age 47, and we were able to.”

That decision changed the trajectory of their lives. After selling the business, they packed up their essentials—four bags of clothing and a few personal items—and headed to South Africa in early 2022. There, in the coastal town of Knysna, they spent five months watching Mira, their sailing catamaran, come into being. To them, the boat wasn’t simply a vessel; it was a blueprint for the next chapter of their lives.

Practicality guided their choice of a catamaran. The design offered energy efficiency, increased living space, and a selection of modern comforts that engineers naturally appreciate: air conditioning, a washer and dryer, and a desalination system that allows them to produce their own water. The boat’s 3,000-watt solar array feeds a 21-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery bank, giving them a level of energy independence rare even among seasoned sailors. And, of course, connectivity matters—even in the middle of the ocean.

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“And we have Starlink so we can stay connected to the world…and keep an eye on the weather and our routes,” Suzanne said.

But life at sea comes with its share of challenges. Even with engineering expertise, systems can fail, parts can break, and supplies may only be available days or weeks away in a distant port. Yet the Pails have found a rhythm in the unpredictability. Their days are shaped less by schedules and more by wind direction, weather windows, and the quiet routines of life afloat.

Since departing South Africa, the couple has crossed the Atlantic to Grenada—an undertaking that took 38 days—and roamed through the Caribbean islands, from Dominica and Guadeloupe to Puerto Rico and Martinique. They have even traced parts of the northern U.S. coastline, discovering familiar places from a new, ocean-level vantage point. Along the way, they have documented their travels through a vlog called On a New Tack, offering glimpses into a lifestyle many only imagine.

Their future, much like their journey, remains deliberately fluid. They have their eyes set on the Panama Canal and a spring passage into the Pacific to explore the sweeping expanses of French Polynesia. Whether these plans hold or evolve is of little concern. At this stage in their lives, flexibility is part of the design.

Michael and Suzanne both turned 50 in 2025—a milestone that doesn’t seem to have slowed their momentum. Instead, it simply added another line to the logbook of experiences they never expected to gather.

“We do have long-term plans, but we always say, ‘Everything is in pencil.’ There is no rush,” Michael said. “We love the idea of seeing different places this way.”

For two engineers who once met over a chemistry lesson, the equation seems to have balanced out perfectly: a shared life, a floating home, and an ocean that stretches endlessly ahead.