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.

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April 20, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Leaving My Family for Antigua Sailing Week: Mixed Feelings

April 17, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

RYA Day Skipper Theory Online: It’s Not Child’s Play

February 25, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

In Transit or In Range: Trail Markers of the Sea

February 14, 2015August 16, 2026Lorraine Escher

RYA Day Skipper Anchoring —Navigating Namely Harbour Safely

Sailing Terms for Beginners: Line drawing by Pearson Scott Foresman [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
February 13, 2015October 15, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Terms for Beginners: Shrouds, Reefing and Twiddly Bits

My little man awaiting stiches
February 2, 2015August 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Family Sailing Transition: Preparation and Chaos

January 19, 2015July 19, 2026Lorraine Escher

Rats on a Boat: How They Get Aboard and How to Remove Them

Hiking in Sailing
January 18, 2015August 22, 2026Lorraine Escher

Hiking in Sailing: Why Sail Racers Sit on the High Side

Annapolis Boat Show for Beginners: Photo of Shoes at the Annapolis Boat Shoes. All of the shoes are slip-ons except those of the first-time attendee, and writer.
January 3, 2015August 22, 2026Lorraine Escher

Annapolis Boat Show for Beginners: 4 Things to Know

sailing-navigation-without-GPS
December 31, 2014October 15, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Navigation Without GPS: Charting a Course by Hand

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