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: Pacific Passage Crossing

Pacific Passage Crossing takes you across the world’s largest ocean, scattered with palm-lined islands and coral beaches surrounded by warm, clear water. We experienced the hospitality of subsistence farmers in remote island communities — sometimes in countries I had never heard of — nestled in lush volcanic landscapes, and we swam with penguins, sharks, seals, dolphins, and fish as large as people.

A graphical representation of Paul's trip across the Pacific from Bahamas to French Polynesia
June 8, 2026July 20, 2026Lorraine Escher

Pacific Puddle Jump at 18: Our Boat Kid Crews a Catana 50

Paul leaving SV Aphrodite and his family for the first time at the Langkawi International Airport
March 16, 2026July 21, 2026Lorraine Escher

Leaving for an Epic Adventure: Crewing on a Sailboat at 18

Margaret from Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, sitting outdoors with Karen and a local village boy under a large tree
February 4, 2024August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Provisioning in the Pacific Islands: Markets and Groceries

Karen and Henry inspect the octopus
January 5, 2024July 24, 2026Lorraine Escher

Lagoon to Table: Subsistence Fishing in Micronesia

Teen independence run amok on the dock in Chuuk, Micronesia as we head to shore to buy diesel.
January 2, 2024August 25, 2026Lorraine Escher

Teen Independence on a Sailboat: A Diesel Run in Micronesia

Sailing from Fiji to Vanuatu: Here is a link to our live tracking page as we inch closer to Vanuatu. On the tracking page you will also find blog posts I wrote as we crossed from Panama, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Tonga and New Zealand. This link updates as we travel. See where we are now at: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/AphroditeCanada/Aphrodite’s current position as I write this blog post.
June 23, 2023August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Fiji to Vanuatu: Where Is SV Aphrodite Now?

Heavy weather sailing: Paul on the deck of SV Aphrodite
May 19, 2023October 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Heavy Weather Sailing at Night: New Zealand to Fiji

Fear at Sea: looking up through a hatch on SV Aphrodite
May 18, 2023October 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Fear at Sea: Finding Calm in Heavy Weather

Sleep deprivation at sea: Spectacular sky underway on SV Aphrodite, a St. Francis 50 catamaran, during Our Pacific Crossing from Panama to New Zealand.
June 18, 2022July 27, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sleep Deprivation at Sea: 4 Watch Methods We Tried

Betty from St Francis 50 catamaran Aphrodite swimming in Chuuk Lagoon.
June 11, 2022July 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

What Lies Beneath? Barnacle Busting Outside the Galapagos at 2,000 Meters Deep

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