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 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: Refits, Haul-Outs and Buying Gear

Refits, Haul-Outs and Buying Gear takes us out of the water and into the dusty world of boatyards, marinas, and anchorages with a twist of cultural differences and communication gaps roped in — all in pursuit of repairs, upgrades, and the endless quest to improve our boat.

Logo big
July 25, 2015August 14, 2026Lorraine Escher

Mermaid Boat Logo: A Canadian Twist on the Original Design

Damaged flooring locker appears to the left of the photo along with tools
July 8, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Galley refits on our St Francis 50 catamaran

June 16, 2015September 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

St Francis 50 Refit 2015: Alternators, Rigging and Interior

June 6, 2015September 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

10 Refits on Our St Francis 50 Catamaran (2015)

May 23, 2015August 7, 2026Lorraine Escher

Catamaran Trampoline Replacement: Weave, Colour and Weight

Catamaran color scheme: We toyed with Pacific Blue, but eventually picked Dark Blue
April 13, 2015September 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Choosing a Catamaran Color Scheme: Trampoline, Canvas, Art

Passage plan: Fort Lauderdale to Bradenton
March 5, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Outfitting a Boat: Our Checklist Before the First Passage

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On This Day

  • 9 years ago todayTrinidad Oil Spill: Our Boat in Chaguaramas Harbour

Worth Reading

Managing Food Allergies at Sea
Checklist for the Big Move

From the Archives

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