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: Packing up and moving

Packing Up and Moving describes how we transitioned from life in a house to a life on a St Francis 50 catamaran. The blog posts in this sub-category covers the pure chaos of downsizing to being able to reflect back and provide some lessons learned and checklists.

Transitioning to a boat: Our REI Kingdom 8 tent is bigger than our minivan.
June 23, 2015August 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

Transitioning to a Boat: House Rented, Sailboat Not Ready

June 21, 2015September 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Long-Term Basement Storage While You Travel: 2 DIY Options

Before-moving-aboard
June 19, 2015August 15, 2026Lorraine Escher

Before Moving Aboard: With House Rented, Where Will We Live?

Catamaran Refit: SV Aphrodite a St Francis 50 catamaran in Palmetto Florida
June 11, 2015August 24, 2026Lorraine Escher

Catamaran Refit: Preparing Our St Francis 50 for Cruising

Begonias in front of one of our planters just before they were planted
June 4, 2015September 14, 2026Lorraine Escher

Preparing to Move Aboard: Getting Our House Ready to Rent

Moving out before sailing: June 1st, Our living room
June 2, 2015September 2, 2026Lorraine Escher

Moving Out Before Sailing: Our Final House Checklist

Downsizing room by room
May 31, 2015September 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Downsizing Room by Room: A Simple Strategy for a Big Task

Thrift Store Shopping: A tureen purchased in Ottawa
May 21, 2015September 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Thrift Store Shopping: Was the Adrenaline Rush Worth It?

Creating Curb Appeal in A Forest: a Child walks down a path in a forested property in Carp, Ontario
May 19, 2015September 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Creating Curb Appeal in a Forest: A 5-Acre Woodland Retreat

Decluttering before moving aboard: First run to the thrift store
May 15, 2015September 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Decluttering Before Moving Aboard: 200 Boxes and a Minivan

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On This Day

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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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