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: 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.

Homeschooling science on a sailboat: Betty learning about pulleys on the SV Aphrodite
June 14, 2015September 2, 2026Lorraine Escher

Homeschooling Science on a Sailboat: Learning About Pulleys

Hiring a skipper comparison: Poster from the 1992 movie, Captain Ron
March 24, 2015August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Hiring a Skipper: Learning to Sail Like Captain Ron

March 19, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Living on a Boat vs Living on Land: A 9-Year-Old’s View

March 14, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Grocery List for a 4-Day Passage: Provisioning From Scratch

Homeschooling or Boatschooling feature image
February 5, 2015August 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Homeschooling or Boatschooling: Can It Lead to University?

Rope burn injury due to sail handling
January 21, 2015October 12, 2026Lorraine Escher

Rope Burn from Sail Handling: How It Happens

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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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