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.

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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

Gill Deck Tech Race Trainer Shoes
April 10, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Shoes: Technical Trainers vs Leather Boat Shoes

April 8, 2015August 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

Making Maple Syrup at Home: A Taste of Canada

Paul at the top of the mast in Auckland, New Zealand, with the Auckland Harbour Bridge behind.
April 5, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Travelling with a Severe Tree Nut Allergy: Our Son’s Story

Cleaning a Used Boat
April 4, 2015September 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Cleaning a Used Boat: 30 Bags of the Last Owner’s Stuff

First night aboard a sailboat
April 3, 2015September 6, 2026Lorraine Escher

Our First Night Aboard a Sailboat at a Florida Marina

April 1, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Our Move Date: 13 Weeks to Pack Up and Move Aboard

Pirate flag 1053085 m
March 30, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Dangers at Sea: Pirates, Storms, Guns and Capsize

Our catamaran SV Aphrodite with the team from St Francis Marine in South Africa.
March 27, 2015September 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

SV Aphrodite: The Family Catamaran with a History of Adventure

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On This Day

  • 11 years ago todayKids and Boredom: The Best Park Had No Playground

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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