Becoming a Sailor

Becoming a Sailor

More Than a Decade Afloat • Raising Sailors • Stories from SV Aphrodite

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  • Our story in six chapters, in the order we sailed it.

    See the story-map →See our entire route →

    Before We Moved Aboard

    • From House to Sailboat: How a Road Trip Changed Us
    • Buying Our St Francis 50 Catamaran
    • Learning to Sail From Scratch
    • Our Family Camping Gap Month
    • Browse all 113 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Florida and the Bahamas

    • Living on a Sailboat With Kids: Freedom or Confinement?
    • Crossing the Gulf Stream
    • Off the Beaten Track Bahamas
    • Bahamas Long Reads: Exumas Stories
    • Browse all 43 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    The Caribbean

    • Luperón Long Reads: Boat Kids Go Local
    • Dominica Travel: If Outside Magazine Visited
    • Rough Offshore Sailing in a Gale
    • Long Reads Grenada: 6 Stories From Our Sailboat
    • Browse all 66 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Panama and the Pacific

    • Crossing the Panama Canal
    • Shellback Ceremony at the Equator
    • Long Reads: Galápagos
    • Sleep Deprivation at Sea
    • Browse all 11 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Melanesia

    • Heavy Weather Sailing: NZ to Fiji
    • Sevusevu Ceremony in Fiji
    • Land Diving on Pentecost Island
    • Shallow Water Blackout
    • Browse all 19 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    Micronesia to Southeast Asia

    • Lagoon to Table: Subsistence Fishing
    • Losing an Anchor in Thailand
    • 322 Days in a Malaysian Boatyard
    • Bangla Road Phuket
    • Browse all 26 posts →
    • This chapter on the map →

    By Topic

    • Learning to Sail
    • Downsizing & Moving Aboard
    • Sailing With Kids & Homeschooling
    • Boat Projects & Gear
    • Health & Safety at Sea
    • Food & Provisioning
    • Family, Crew & Guests
    • Writing & Creative
    • Browse all 291 posts →
  • About the CrewMeet our family of six from OttawaSt Francis 50 Catamaran Specs: SV Aphrodite, a Bluewater CatSV Aphrodite, our St Francis 50 catamaran
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Category: About our Boat

About our Boat covers our gear, projects, haul-outs, and refits. I share what worked, what didn’t, and how we’ve adapted our St Francis 50 to best suit our needs afloat. It’s about the ongoing work, and equipment that keeps SV Aphrodite safe and seaworthy on bluewater passages.

Kids on a St Francis 50 catamaran with a Splendide washing machine in the saloon.
November 22, 2018August 4, 2026Lorraine Escher

Catamaran Washing Machine: A Surprising Space Solution

Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1 setup by 7-year-old Henry
November 11, 2018July 31, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ-1: Our 7-Year-Old Gets Us Started

December 23, 2017July 31, 2026Lorraine Escher

Boat Spares Inventory: How We Organize Our Spare Parts

Paul in Power Boat Boatyard, Chaguaramas, Trinidad with our Mantus Anchor 2017 below SV Aphrodite, our St Francis 50 catamaran.
November 5, 2017July 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Living with Four Kids in a Trinidad Boatyard

June 16, 2017August 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Catamaran Safety for Kids: DIY Pool Noodle Swim Enclosure

December 12, 2016July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Caframo Sirocco II Fan Review: 17 Fans on Our Catamaran

Paul with a toilet motor he installed in 2016 at the age of 8.
September 18, 2016August 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Boat Chores for Kids: Fixing Marine Toilets at 8 and 10

A Nalgene bottle being filled directly from our watermaker
February 16, 2016August 19, 2026Lorraine Escher

When the Watermaker Breaks: What Goes Wrong on a Sailboat

mattress for a boat
January 28, 2016August 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Buying a Mattress for a Boat: When Delivery Means Dinghy

The hoist, being careful not to drop a battery into the water.
January 15, 2016September 1, 2026Lorraine Escher

Our Victron Boat Batteries: From Install to Thermal Runaway

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From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
  • Homeschooling Four Kids
  • Early Years of Cruising
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