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.

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

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

SV Aphrodite docked in the Florida Keys
May 11, 2015September 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Downsizing Before Moving Aboard: 6 Weeks to Make It Happen

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

My berth, aft starboard
May 4, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

RYA Day Skipper Course in Antigua: A Relaxed First Day

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Checklist for the Big Move

From the Archives

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