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: Preparing for Cruising Life

Preparing for Cruising Life begins right from the start when we thought about buying a boat, and living afloat seemed like a dream. This category describes the moving parts we lashed together to pack up our house, learn to sail, shop for a bluewater catamaran, refit our St Francis 50, and launch our family circumnavigation adventure.

Race 'big picture' view
January 21, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race: Following It Live

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

Child Safety While Traveling
January 17, 2015August 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Child Safety While Traveling: Keeping Four Kids Together

medical emergencies at sea
January 15, 2015August 10, 2026Lorraine Escher

Medical Emergencies at Sea: Preparing to Be Self-Sufficient

Sailing Crew Packing List: My husband's gear for crewing in Antigua laid-out and ready to be packed
January 11, 2015August 23, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Crew Packing List: 5 Weeks With Carry-On Only

Sailing self-doubt
January 10, 2015August 15, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Self-Doubt: Fears Before Our Family Set Sail

January 9, 2015August 23, 2026Lorraine Escher

Planning to Sail Away Before We Even Owned a Boat

Food allergies on a sailboat
January 8, 2015August 23, 2026Lorraine Escher

Food Allergies on a Sailboat: Planning for a Child at Sea

Docking a sailboat at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, Malaysia
January 7, 2015August 2, 2026Lorraine Escher

Docking a Sailboat: Is it a Relationship Builder?

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On This Day

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From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
  • Homeschooling Four Kids
  • Early Years of Cruising
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