Every post on the blog, chapter by chapter, in the order the story happened. Looking for something in particular? Use Search at the top of the page.
Before We Moved Aboard113 posts
Deciding to sail
15 posts
- From House to Sailboat: How a Family Road Trip Changed Us
- Sailing around the World With Kids — Could it be Us?
- Our Plan to Sail Away Before We Even Owned a Boat
- Sailing Self-Doubt: When Doubt Becomes an Irresistible Hook
- Family Sailing Transition: Preparation and Chaos
- Diane Stuemer: Sailed 6 Times, Then Went Around the World
- Boating in the 1970s: Navigation Was Simpler
- Winterized Sailboats on the Frozen Ottawa River
- Boat Kid Perspective: Why a 9-Year-Old Wanted to Sail
- Why living on a boat is different from living on land
- Scary things that can happen at sea
- Announcing Our Sailing Adventure: Family Reactions
- Cruising Doubts: Can We Really Manage Life Afloat?
- Sailing Family: From Corporate Suits to Hippies?
- Becoming a Sailor: Discovering an Alien Landscape
Learning to sail
14 posts
- Sailing Navigation Without GPS: Charting a Course by Hand
- Annapolis Boat Show: 4 Things Beginners Will Want to Know
- Docking a Sailboat: Is it a Relationship Builder?
- Hiking in Sailing: Why Sail Racers Sit on the High Side
- Removing Rats on a Sailboat: How they Get Aboard
- Now watching in real-time: Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race
- Sailing Knots: A Boring Exhibit Made Them Feel Like Crafts
- Marina Etiquette: Good Sailing Knots Make Good Neighbours
- Sailing Terms for Beginners: Shrouds, Reefing and Twiddly Bits
- RYA Day Skipper Anchoring —Navigating Namely Harbour Safely
- Trail markers of the sea
- RYA sailing training – it’s not child’s play
- VHF DSC radio: what everyone should know
- Learning to Sail From Scratch: Our First Six Months
Antigua: Sailing Week and RYA training
19 posts
- Sailing Crew Packing List: 5 Weeks With Carry-On Only
- Leaving for Antigua Sailing Week – parting is such sweet sorrow
- She was a Day Skipper, one way ticket yeah
- Newbie Sailor Arrives at Antigua Sailing Week
- Antigua Sailing Week – a little nightlife
- First sail – starts well, ends with misfortune
- Round Antigua Race: Are We Sail Racing or Are We Lounging?
- All the gear, give me a year
- Antigua Sailing Week – got myself a jib job
- Antigua Sailing Week – a day to celebrate
- Antigua Sailing Week – last day!
- Standing on the podium abuzz with delight
- Antigua: signs that peak season is over
- RYA Day Skipper civilized sailing
- Not exactly smooth sailing…
- Sailing: becoming more competent in Antigua
- Dinghy drama reaps rich rewards on Great Bird Island
- Gaining awareness on my best sailing day yet in Antigua
- Antigua sailing where slow is pro
Buying SV Aphrodite
10 posts
- Buying Our St Francis 50 Catamaran, SV Aphrodite
- Transferring Boat Ownership: Why We Hired a Specialist
- We bought our first boat: SV Aphrodite is ours
- First Days with Our St. Francis 50 Catamaran: Repairs, Refits, and Reality
- Sailing Subculture: Buying a Catamaran Came with Stereotypes
- Hiring a Skipper: Learning to Sail Like Captain Ron
- SV Aphrodite: The Family Catamaran with a History of Adventure
- Our First Night Aboard a Sailboat
- Choosing a Catamaran Color Scheme for SV Aphrodite
- Mermaid Boat Logo: A Canadian Twist on the Original Design
Refitting and outfitting the boat
13 posts
- Outfitting a boat for the first time
- Taking inventory of our sail boat
- Planning and budgeting for sail boat refits
- Cleaning a Used Boat, Sanctimoniously: What to Expect
- Catamaran Trampoline Replacement: Our Trampoline Facelift
- Top 10 sexiest refits we’ve made – so far
- Catamaran Refit: Preparing Our Boat for Cruising
- St Francis 50 Refit Update (2015) | SV Aphrodite
- Galley refits on our St Francis 50 catamaran
- Successful haul-out in Tampa
- Our First Boat Haul Out: Everything Is New
- Boat Organization: Getting Ready for Cruising
- Catamaran Test Sail: Putting SV Aphrodite Through Her Paces
Downsizing and renting out the house
14 posts
- Renting Out Our House to Sail: Suddenly It Felt Real
- Downsizing for a Sailing Life: But Keeping the Piano
- Move date June 30, 2015
- Downsizing Before Moving Aboard: 6 Weeks to Make It Happen
- Decluttering Before Moving Aboard: Finding What Matters
- Creating Curb Appeal in a Forest: A 5-Acre Woodland Retreat
- Thrift Store Shopping: Was the Adrenaline Rush Worth It?
- Downsizing Room by Room: A Simple Strategy for a Big Task
- Moving Out Before Sailing: Our Final House Checklist
- Preparing to Move Aboard: Getting Our House Ready for Tenants
- 2 Long-Term Basement Storage Solutions for Travelers
- Packing Up to Sail: Shipping Gear from Canada to the USA
- House to Boat: Downsizing When the Pressure Is On
- Moving Aboard a Sailboat: The 4 Checklists We Wish We’d Had
Our camping gap month
8 posts
- Before Moving Aboard: With House Rented, Where Will We Live?
- Transitioning to a Boat: House Rented, Sailboat Not Ready
- Moving from House to Boat: Our Family Camping Gap Month
- Canada Day in Ottawa: Celebrating in a Campground
- Camping Solo With 4 Kids: Mama Bear Mode
- A visit from CBC Radio’s Stu Mills
- Living in a Campground Before Sailing Away
- Audio clip from our first CBC Radio interview
Medical and safety preparation
10 posts
- Food Allergies on a Sailboat: Preparing for Life at Sea
- Medical Emergencies at Sea: Preparing to Be Self-Sufficient
- Child Safety While Traveling: Teaching Our Kids to “Heel”
- Rope Burn from Sail Handling: How It Happens
- A Boy Who Travels – Severe Food Allergies Limit Options But Not Opportunities
- Scopolamine Side Effects at Sea: My Blurry Vision Experience
- Medical Provisioning for Cruising: A Year’s Supply of Medication—Then What?
- Life Raft Servicing: What’s Inside a Life Raft?
- Child Safety on a Sailboat: Our Kids’ First Day Aboard
- First Squall: Finding a Safe Anchorage
Imagining life aboard: kids, food and everyday life
10 posts
- Low-Maintenance Hair for Sailing: Cutting Back Before We Go
- Outsourcing Household Chores: The Gift of Me Time
- Homeschooling or Boatschooling: Can It Lead to University?
- Sailing Hair, Don’t Care: Goodbye Hair Dye
- Grocery list for passage planning – starting with a bare fridge and pantry
- Making Maple Syrup at Home: A Taste of Canada
- Sail naked if you want, but wear your shoes
- Pressure Cooker on a Sailboat: Learning to Cook Aboard
- Homeschooling Science on a Sailboat: Learning About Pulleys
- Living on a Sailboat in the Tropics: Keeping Cool Without AC
Florida and the Bahamas43 posts
Learning the ropes in Florida
19 posts
- Living on a Sailboat With Kids: Freedom or Confinement?
- Meal planning and provisioning for a family afloat: six suggestions for cruisers
- Family Life on a Sailboat: Finding Our New Rhythm Under Sail
- Homeschooling on hold
- Growing Up Canadian: Winter, Canoes and Sailing South
- Sailing Around the World: Our Family Adventure Begins
- Books are treasures forever (by Betty)
- Making Ice Cream on a Sailboat: Off-Grid Luxury
- Educating Kids on a Sailboat: Finding Our Groove
- Kids and Boredom: The Best Park Had No Playground
- Florida Keys Sailing with Our 4 Boat Kids & a Dockside Party
- Halloween in Tavernier: Trick-or-Treat Carnival in the Keys
- Building an Offshore Medical Kit for a Cruising Family
- Rain Sounds: One Minute of a Florida Downpour on a Sailboat
- First Dinghy Drive: Grocery Shopping Becomes a Sport
- Handwashing Laundry on a Boat: 4 Lessons & The True Cost
- International Medical Insurance for a Sailing Family
- Offshore Medical Kit List: What We Used After 10 Years
- Christmas on a Sailboat: Cards, Storms and the Bahamas
Across the Gulf Stream to the Bahamas
24 posts
- First Sailing Passage: Fear, Seasickness and Bahamas Plans
- Boat Battery Testing: When Load Tests Get It Wrong
- Victron Boat Batteries: Installing Our New Battery Bank
- Storm at Anchor: Our First Taste of Rough Weather
- Waiting to Cross the Gulf Stream: Excitement Builds
- Sailing From Florida to the Bahamas: Our First Crossing
- Buying a Mattress for a Boat: When Delivery Means Dinghy
- Nassau Jitney Bus: Discovering the Real Bahamas
- Allen Cay, Bahamas — Our First Isolated Anchorage
- What Goes Wrong on a Sailboat: When the Watermaker Breaks
- Cruising Life With Kids: Finding Our Rhythm Aboard
- Shroud Cay, Bahamas: Exploring the Labryinth of Tidal Creeks
- Pigs, Sharks, and Thunderball Grotto — Exploring the Exumas with Kids
- George Town, Bahamas — Summer Camp for Cruisers
- Jumentos, Bahamas — Leaving Chicken Habour
- George Town Dock Drama
- Hurricane Season in the Caribbean: Why We Chose Luperón
- Swimming With a Wild Dolphin in the Bahamas — With Video
- Ragged Islands, Bahamas: Duncan Town and Buena Vista Cay
- Mayaguana, Bahamas: The Generosity in Abraham’s Bay
- Off the Beaten Track Bahamas: Sailing Beyond the Exumas
- Bahamas Long Reads — Exumas Stories
- Beginner Sailor Departure Checklist: Leaving an Anchorage
- How to Avoid Seasickness While Sailing: Ditching Dramamine
The Caribbean66 posts
A hurricane hole in Luperón
22 posts
- Luperón Long Reads — Waiting Out Hurricane Season
- Common Cruiser Complaints About Luperón, Dominican Republic
- Baseball in the Dominican Republic: A Field of Dreams
- Kindness Ashore: A Fisherman in Luperón
- Sailing with Kids: Our First Year Cruising as a Family of Six
- Beans: Going Meatless While Cruising the Dominican Republic
- La Isabela, Dominican Republic: Columbus Comes Alive
- Another interview with CBC Reporter, Stu Mills (with audio)
- Luperón Long Reads — Designing and Building a Mooring for Our 50-foot Catamaran
- Bruce Van Sant: Unforgettable Lunch with a Cruising Legend
- The saga of Leo’s helm
- Our kids feature in a CruiserTV episode
- Sailing Life Culture Shock: Questioning the Dream
- Canadian Boat Kids Go Shopping for School Uniforms in Luperón
- Boat Chores for Kids: Learning Through Real Work
- Canadian Boat Kids Go to School in Luperón
- Paul’s Eye and the Power of Facebook — How News of an Allergic Reaction Reached Six Countries Before Mom and Dad
- The Orange Wagon That Forged Friendships in Luperón, Dominican Republic
- Eye Doctor in the Dominican Republic: Betty Gets Glasses
- Heavy Rain Closes School in Luperón, and Our Kids Vote, “Yay!”
- Leaving Luperón: A Story of Red Tape
- Luperón Long Reads — Boat Kids Go Local
Down the island chain
23 posts
- Mona Passage Mutiny: Sailing with a Seasick NYC Cop
- Easy Dairy-Free Mint Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream (No-Churn)
- Caframo’s Sirocco II marine fans
- Reverse Culture Shock: From Luperón to St Thomas, USVI
- Anchoring in the USVI: Meeting the ‘Mayors’ of the Harbour
- Hosting Guests on a Sailboat: What 18 Visitors Taught Us
- Mr. Bricolage Martinique: French Caribbean Hardware Is Chic
- DIY Catamaran Safety: Our Pool Noodle Swim Enclosure
- Sailing the Caribbean? Don’t Miss Montserrat!
- Grenada Hash House Harriers – a walk or a run for everyone
- Interviewing Crew: How Our Pacific Crossing Ad Went Wrong
- Sights to See (and Unsee) at Grenada Carnival 2017
- Drama on the Bus in Grenada
- Dominica Travel: If Outside Magazine Visited the Caribbean
- Fishing in Bequia: A Boy Learns From a Local Fisherman
- Cruising the BVIs: Marina Cay & Trellis Bay Full Moon Party
- Trinidad Oil Spill: A Mess on Our Sailboat in Chaguaramas
- Living with Four Kids in a Trinidad Boatyard
- Boat Repairs in Trinidad: How Will We Ever Leave?
- Boat Spares, Storage Bins & a Label Maker: Taking Stock
- Christmas in Trinidad: A Glorious Night with a Local Family
- Leaving a Trinidad Boatyard: Final Boat Preparation
- Grade 6 Essay Sample: Effects of the Soufrière Hills Volcano
The zigzag years
12 posts
- Rough Offshore Sailing: A Rite of Passage in a Gale
- Destination Île-à-Vache, Haiti: Voodoo, Fear and Fascination
- Christian Missionaries in Haiti: Joy in a Concrete Church
- Summer in Canada 2018: Back to Life on the Boat
- Ditch Bag Contents: Preparing for a Pacific Crossing
- Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1: Our 7-Year-Old Gets Us Started
- Catamaran Washing Machine: A Surprising Space Solution
- Wintering Afloat: -2°C at Fort McAllister Marina, Georgia
- Amazon Packages We Did Not Order: A Secret Santa Surprise
- Why the Caribbean Has Virtually No Tides
- Washing Machine Retrofit on a Catamaran: The Messy Work
- Boatyard Project Management: Set Expectations Early
The COVID years in Grenada
9 posts
- Boat Schooling: Academics and University Readiness
- World History for Kids: A Captivating Homeschool Series
- Preparing for a Tropical Storm: 4 Methods Sailors Used
- Splendide 7100XC Review: Not Built for Sailboats
- Sailboat Washing Machine: Capacity & Dimensions for a Family
- COVID Arrives in Grenada
- Long Reads Grenada
- Card Game Illustration: A Boat Kid’s First Job at 10
- Authentic Grenadian Rum Punch Recipe Made From Scratch
Panama and the Pacific11 posts
Through the Panama Canal
1 post
Swimming at the Equator
1 post
An unplanned stop in the Galápagos
5 posts
- Galapagos Animals Up Close: Feet, Claws and Flippers
- Jumping into the Water of the Galapagos Was Like the Best Exhibits in the Zoo Had Thrown the Doors Wide Open
- Sierra Negra: Hiking in Darwin’s Footsteps on a Galapagos Volcano
- What Lies Beneath? Barnacle Busting Outside the Galapagos at 2,000 Meters Deep
- Long Reads Galapagos
Three weeks of open Pacific
3 posts
A New Zealand summer
1 post
Melanesia18 posts
Onto Fiji, through a gale
10 posts
- Heavy Weather Sailing: Force 8–10 from New Zealand to Fiji
- Losing a Rudder at Sea: Offshore Discovery 500 nm from Fiji
- Fiji Biosecurity: Meat, Dairy & Produce Rules for Sailors
- Fiorentino Para Anchor Overnight: 60 NM from Savusavu
- Sevusevu Ceremony in Fiji: Reluctant First-Time Kava Drinker
- Savusavu Hot Springs: Cooking Stew in a Geothermal Vent
- Dropping Rudders in the Water: No Haul-Out Needed
- Breadfruit History: Captain Bligh, Colonialism and Fiji
- Malaria Prevention for Sailors: Getting the Right Medication
- Ethical Tourism in Fiji: 8 Women, Unequal Worlds
Vanuatu
3 posts
The Solomon Islands
3 posts
Micronesia to Southeast Asia25 posts
North to Micronesia
3 posts
Thailand, and an anchor lost and found
3 posts
322 days in a Langkawi boatyard
11 posts
- FedEx Shipping to Malaysia for a Yacht in Transit
- Getting Fit After 50: 30 Pounds Lost and Trigger Finger
- Boat Woodwork Refit in Malaysia: A Full-On Transformation
- Ultraleather Boat Upholstery: Our Honest 9-Year Review
- Brother Lim Cushion: A Fresh Start for our Marine Upholstery
- Measuring with Accuracy: The Skill I Never Learned
- Boat Interior Painting: Teaching My Teen A Useful Skill
- Leaving for an Epic Adventure: Crewing on a Sailboat at 18
- Keel Art: Whale Sharks on a Moving Canvas by a Teen Artist
- Hypalon Dinghy Repair — the Real Reason for Boat Work
- Catamaran Haul-Out in Malaysia: 322 Days for a Refit
Back to Thailand, then Malaysia
8 posts
- Homeschooling on a Sailboat: Betty is Accepted to University
- 2nd Pacific Puddle Jump: Boat Kid Becomes Skilled Crew at 18
- Paul’s Curry and Coconut Rice Recipe
- Job Jar for Kids: How Real Boat Chores Build Grit
- Bangla Road Phuket: A Family Outing Takes an Unexpected Turn
- The Queen’s Housing Lottery: Choosing a Uni Residence
- Long-Term Storage While Traveling: Is It Worth the Cost?
- Pulau Indah Marina: A Guide for Cruisers
Also on the blog13 posts
Crew, press and other writing
13 posts
- Sailing Poetry: Did John Donne Know More Than Coleridge?
- All About Me, Betty!!!!!
- Short Fiction Example: Chicken Dinner Delight, 219 words
- What is a .cat Domain? Why Our Catamaran Blog Uses One
- Technical writer turned cruiser
- Cycling the Pacific Coast Highway — Camping with a Parrot
- Family Living on a Catamaran: Multihull Sailor Magazine, September 2017
- Two articles Published in All at Sea Magazine, December 2017
- Bluewater Catamaran: A Detailed St Francis 50 Equipment List
- About Our Boat
- Alfred Escher remembered
- MedGemma Impact Challenge: Offline Triage App for Sailors
- Our Sailing Familect: 1 Unique Word Drops Every Hour