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: Life Afloat

Life Afloat captures what everyday living is like aboard our catamaran, SV Aphrodite. This category explores the challenges of our early years afloat with four young children and the routines we’ve settled into a decade later. Here you’ll find how we manage practical things like laundry, provisioning, medical emergencies at sea, homeschooling on the move, and welcoming guests—while celebrating milestones and reflecting on life along the way.

March 25, 2016July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

George Town, Bahamas: Summer Camp for Cruisers

Our son Paul jumping into the sea in the Bahamas with the safety of our DIY swim enclosure.
February 28, 2016August 14, 2026Lorraine Escher

Cruising Life With Kids: Busy Days Anchored in the Bahamas

Storm-at-anchor
January 17, 2016August 20, 2026Lorraine Escher

Storm at Anchor: 35-Knot Winds in the Florida Keys

January 2, 2016August 4, 2026Lorraine Escher

First Sailing Passage: Fear, Seasickness and Bahamas Plans

Christmas on a sailboat
December 20, 2015August 14, 2026Lorraine Escher

Christmas on a Sailboat: Cards by Dinghy and a Florida Storm

December 4, 2015August 4, 2026Lorraine Escher

Handwashing Laundry on a Boat: 4 Lessons & The True Cost

November 29, 2015August 16, 2026Lorraine Escher

First Dinghy Drive: Grocery Shopping Without a Car

Halloween in Tavernier: Our kids with my husband, Rick. Tavernier, Florida 2015.
November 1, 2015September 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Halloween in Tavernier, Florida Keys: A Street Carnival

Florida Keys Sailing: Paul enjoys a dockside supper outside the Island Grill at Mandalay, Key Largo.
October 28, 2015August 1, 2026Lorraine Escher

Florida Keys Sailing with Kids: Rodriguez Key and Key Largo

kids and boredom
October 24, 2015August 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Kids and Boredom: The Best Park Had No Playground

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On This Day

  • 10 years ago todayAllergic Reaction at School: How Facebook Found Us First

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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