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: Learning to sail

Learning to Sail describes when Rick and I completed our sail training courses in the Caribbean and invited a skipper aboard for the first few weeks until we gained confidence handling the boat on our own.

June 28, 2016July 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing with Kids: Our First Year Cruising as a Family of Six

Beginner Sailor Departure Checklist: Photo taken under red lights to preserve our night vision on an evening departure
May 25, 2016August 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Beginner Sailor Checklist for Leaving an Anchorage (PDF)

First Ssquall on SV Aphrodite. a St Francis 50 catamaran
August 29, 2015August 16, 2026Lorraine Escher

First Squall at Anchor: Why We Moved Off Egmont Key

August 10, 2015August 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Becoming a Sailor: Discovering an Alien Landscape

May 14, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

VHF DSC Radio: When and How to Send a Distress Call

Sailing snail by esmorc d5szcjf
May 13, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Slow Is Pro: Sailing Lessons From an Antigua Instructor

May 9, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Learning to Sail in Antigua: Helming, Docking and Dinghies

May 8, 2015October 11, 2026Lorraine Escher

Great Bird Island, Antigua: Dinghy Drama Without a Motor

Hungry seabirds near Jolly Harbour, Antigua
May 7, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

RYA Competent Crew Course in Antigua: A Day on the Water

Sunset tonight in Hermitage Bay, Antigua
May 5, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Learning to Sail: Day Skipper vs Competent Crew in Antigua

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From the Archives

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