Chapter 1 of 6 · 113 posts
Before We Moved Aboard
A blog post in December 2014 started it all. By August 2015 we had learned to sail, bought SV Aphrodite, packed up our house and moved aboard.
Deciding to sail15 posts
- From House to Sailboat: How a Family Road Trip Changed Us
- Sailing Around the World with Kids: Where Our Dream Began
- Planning to Sail Away Before We Even Owned a Boat
- Sailing Self-Doubt: Fears Before Our Family Set Sail
- Family Sailing Transition: Preparation and Chaos
- Diane Stuemer: Sailed 6 Times, Then Went Around the World
- Boating in the 1970s: Navigation Was Simpler
- Winterized Sailboats and Winter Liveaboard Marinas in Canada
- Boat Kid Perspective: Why a 9-Year-Old Wanted to Sail
- Living on a Boat vs Living on Land: A 9-Year-Old’s View
- Dangers at Sea: Pirates, Storms, Guns and Capsize
- Telling Family You’re Sailing Away: How Ours Reacted
- Laundry on a Boat: Cruising Doubts Before Moving Aboard
- Sailing Family: From Corporate Suits to Hippies?
- Becoming a Sailor: Discovering an Alien Landscape
Learning to sail14 posts
- Sailing Navigation Without GPS: Charting a Course by Hand
- Annapolis Boat Show for Beginners: 4 Things to Know
- Docking a Sailboat: Is it a Relationship Builder?
- Hiking in Sailing: Why Sail Racers Sit on the High Side
- Rats on a Boat: How They Get Aboard and How to Remove Them
- Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race: Following It Live
- Sailing Knots: A Boring Exhibit Made Them Feel Like Crafts
- Marina Etiquette: Good Sailing Knots Make Good Neighbours
- Sailing Terms for Beginners: Shrouds, Reefing and Twiddly Bits
- RYA Day Skipper Anchoring —Navigating Namely Harbour Safely
- In Transit or In Range: Trail Markers of the Sea
- RYA Day Skipper Theory Online: It’s Not Child’s Play
- VHF DSC Radio: When and How to Send a Distress Call
- Learning to Sail From Scratch: Our First Six Months
Antigua: Sailing Week and RYA training19 posts
- Sailing Crew Packing List: 5 Weeks With Carry-On Only
- Leaving My Family for Antigua Sailing Week: Mixed Feelings
- RYA Day Skipper Theory: How I Passed Online With Navathome
- Antigua Sailing Week as a Newbie Sailor: Arrival Day
- Antigua Sailing Week: Meeting My Race Crew Before the Start
- My First Sail: Seasickness and a Ripped Mainsail in Antigua
- Round Antigua Race as a Beginner: Racing or Lounging?
- Learning to Sail at Antigua Sailing Week: A Humbling Start
- What Is a Jib? Grinding Winches at Antigua Sailing Week
- Antigua Sailing Week: Racing Spirit of Juno to 2nd in Class
- Antigua Sailing Week: Last Day of Racing on a Farr 65
- Antigua Sailing Week: Our Underdog Crew’s Podium Finish
- Antigua in Hurricane Season: Signs Peak Season Is Over
- RYA Day Skipper Course in Antigua: A Relaxed First Day
- Learning to Sail: Day Skipper vs Competent Crew in Antigua
- RYA Competent Crew Course in Antigua: A Day on the Water
- Great Bird Island, Antigua: Dinghy Drama Without a Motor
- Learning to Sail in Antigua: Helming, Docking and Dinghies
- Slow Is Pro: Sailing Lessons From an Antigua Instructor
Buying SV Aphrodite10 posts
- Buying a St Francis 50 Catamaran: Why We Chose SV Aphrodite
- Transferring Boat Ownership With a Documentation Specialist
- Buying a Catamaran: Our St Francis 50, SV Aphrodite, Is Ours
- First Days With Our St Francis 50: Repairs and Reality
- Sailing Subculture: Are Catamaran Owners Seen as Snobs?
- Hiring a Skipper: Learning to Sail Like Captain Ron
- SV Aphrodite: The Family Catamaran with a History of Adventure
- Our First Night Aboard a Sailboat at a Florida Marina
- Choosing a Catamaran Color Scheme: Trampoline, Canvas, Art
- Mermaid Boat Logo: A Canadian Twist on the Original Design
Refitting and outfitting the boat13 posts
- Outfitting a Boat: Our Checklist Before the First Passage
- Taking Inventory of Our Sailboat Before Moving Aboard
- Sailboat Refit Budget: How We Planned Our Catamaran Refit
- Cleaning a Used Boat: 30 Bags of the Last Owner’s Stuff
- Catamaran Trampoline Replacement: Weave, Colour and Weight
- 10 Refits on Our St Francis 50 Catamaran (2015)
- Catamaran Refit: Preparing Our St Francis 50 for Cruising
- St Francis 50 Refit 2015: Alternators, Rigging and Interior
- Galley refits on our St Francis 50 catamaran
- Catamaran Haul-Out in Tampa: Lifting Our St Francis 50
- Our First Boat Haul Out: Living Aboard in a Boatyard
- Boat Organization: Finding Anything Aboard in 30 Seconds
- Catamaran Test Sail: Putting SV Aphrodite Through Her Paces
Downsizing and renting out the house14 posts
- Renting Out Our House to Go Sailing: What Went Wrong
- Downsizing to Live on a Sailboat: 220 Boxes and a Piano
- Our Move Date: 13 Weeks to Pack Up and Move Aboard
- Downsizing Before Moving Aboard: 6 Weeks to Make It Happen
- Decluttering Before Moving Aboard: 200 Boxes and a Minivan
- Creating Curb Appeal in a Forest: A 5-Acre Woodland Retreat
- Thrift Store Shopping: Was the Adrenaline Rush Worth It?
- Downsizing Room by Room: A Simple Strategy for a Big Task
- Moving Out Before Sailing: Our Final House Checklist
- Preparing to Move Aboard: Getting Our House Ready to Rent
- Long-Term Basement Storage While You Travel: 2 DIY Options
- Shipping Gear from Canada to the USA for Our Boat
- House to Boat: How We Downsized, Stored and Shipped Our Gear
- Moving Aboard a Sailboat: The 4 Checklists We Wish We’d Had
Our camping gap month8 posts
- Before Moving Aboard: With House Rented, Where Will We Live?
- Transitioning to a Boat: House Rented, Sailboat Not Ready
- Moving from House to Boat: Our Family Camping Gap Month
- Canada Day in Ottawa: Celebrating in a Campground
- Camping Solo With 4 Kids: Mama Bear Mode in Ottawa
- CBC Radio Visit: How Our Sailing Plans Became a News Story
- Living in a Campground Before Sailing Away: A Family of Six
- CBC Radio Interview with Stu Mills: Listen to the Audio
Medical and safety preparation10 posts
- Food Allergies on a Sailboat: Planning for a Child at Sea
- Medical Emergencies at Sea: Preparing to Be Self-Sufficient
- Child Safety While Traveling: Keeping Four Kids Together
- Rope Burn from Sail Handling: How It Happens
- Travelling with a Severe Tree Nut Allergy: Our Son’s Story
- Scopolamine Patch Side Effects: Blurred Vision at Sea
- Medical Provisioning for Cruising: A Year’s Supply of Medication—Then What?
- Life Raft Servicing: What’s Inside a Life Raft?
- Child Safety on a Sailboat: Our Kids’ First Day Aboard
- First Squall at Anchor: Why We Moved Off Egmont Key
Imagining life aboard: kids, food and everyday life10 posts
- Sailing Hair: Going Low-Maintenance Before Living Aboard
- Outsourcing Household Chores So I Could Learn to Sail
- Homeschooling or Boatschooling: Can It Lead to University?
- Sailing Hair, Don’t Care: Going Short and Ditching the Dye
- Grocery List for a 4-Day Passage: Provisioning From Scratch
- Making Maple Syrup at Home: A Taste of Canada
- Sailing Shoes: Technical Trainers vs Leather Boat Shoes
- Pressure Cooker on a Sailboat: Learning to Cook Aboard
- Homeschooling Science on a Sailboat: Learning About Pulleys
- Living on a Sailboat in the Tropics Without Air Conditioning