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.

International Medical Insurance Feature Image
December 10, 2015August 10, 2026Lorraine Escher

International Medical Insurance: An Ontario Sailing Family

Building an offshore medical kit
November 4, 2015August 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Building an Offshore Medical Kit for a Family With Kids

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 22, 2015August 31, 2026Lorraine Escher

Life Raft Servicing: What’s Inside a Life Raft?

Catamaran Test Sailing: SV Aphrodite in Florida
August 21, 2015September 21, 2026Lorraine Escher

Catamaran Test Sail: Putting SV Aphrodite Through Her Paces

August 17, 2015August 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

Boat Organization: Finding Anything Aboard in 30 Seconds

August 10, 2015August 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Becoming a Sailor: Discovering an Alien Landscape

August 2, 2015September 19, 2026Lorraine Escher

Medical Provisioning for Cruising: A Year’s Supply of Medication—Then What?

Ottawa on a hot day
July 28, 2015September 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

Living on a Sailboat in the Tropics Without Air Conditioning

Sailing family transitioning from corporate life to life aboard a sailboat
July 22, 2015August 29, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Family: From Corporate Suits to Hippies?

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From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
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