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 — Could it be Us?
- Our Plan to Sail Away Before We Even Owned a Boat
- Sailing Self-Doubt: When Doubt Becomes an Irresistible Hook
- 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 on the Frozen Ottawa River
- Boat Kid Perspective: Why a 9-Year-Old Wanted to Sail
- Why living on a boat is different from living on land
- Scary things that can happen at sea
- Announcing Our Sailing Adventure: Family Reactions
- Cruising Doubts: Can We Really Manage Life Afloat?
- 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: 4 Things Beginners Will Want to Know
- Docking a Sailboat: Is it a Relationship Builder?
- Hiking in Sailing: Why Sail Racers Sit on the High Side
- Removing Rats on a Sailboat: How they Get Aboard
- Now watching in real-time: Mount Gay Rum Round Barbados Race
- 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
- Trail markers of the sea
- RYA sailing training – it’s not child’s play
- VHF DSC radio: what everyone should know
- 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 for Antigua Sailing Week – parting is such sweet sorrow
- She was a Day Skipper, one way ticket yeah
- Newbie Sailor Arrives at Antigua Sailing Week
- Antigua Sailing Week – a little nightlife
- First sail – starts well, ends with misfortune
- Round Antigua Race: Are We Sail Racing or Are We Lounging?
- All the gear, give me a year
- Antigua Sailing Week – got myself a jib job
- Antigua Sailing Week – a day to celebrate
- Antigua Sailing Week – last day!
- Standing on the podium abuzz with delight
- Antigua: signs that peak season is over
- RYA Day Skipper civilized sailing
- Not exactly smooth sailing…
- Sailing: becoming more competent in Antigua
- Dinghy drama reaps rich rewards on Great Bird Island
- Gaining awareness on my best sailing day yet in Antigua
- Antigua sailing where slow is pro
Buying SV Aphrodite10 posts
- Buying Our St Francis 50 Catamaran, SV Aphrodite
- Transferring Boat Ownership: Why We Hired a Specialist
- We bought our first boat: SV Aphrodite is ours
- First Days with Our St. Francis 50 Catamaran: Repairs, Refits, and Reality
- Sailing Subculture: Buying a Catamaran Came with Stereotypes
- 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
- Choosing a Catamaran Color Scheme for SV Aphrodite
- Mermaid Boat Logo: A Canadian Twist on the Original Design
Refitting and outfitting the boat13 posts
- Outfitting a boat for the first time
- Taking inventory of our sail boat
- Planning and budgeting for sail boat refits
- Cleaning a Used Boat, Sanctimoniously: What to Expect
- Catamaran Trampoline Replacement: Our Trampoline Facelift
- Top 10 sexiest refits we’ve made – so far
- Catamaran Refit: Preparing Our Boat for Cruising
- St Francis 50 Refit Update (2015) | SV Aphrodite
- Galley refits on our St Francis 50 catamaran
- Successful haul-out in Tampa
- Our First Boat Haul Out: Everything Is New
- Boat Organization: Getting Ready for Cruising
- Catamaran Test Sail: Putting SV Aphrodite Through Her Paces
Downsizing and renting out the house14 posts
- Renting Out Our House to Sail: Suddenly It Felt Real
- Downsizing for a Sailing Life: But Keeping the Piano
- Move date June 30, 2015
- Downsizing Before Moving Aboard: 6 Weeks to Make It Happen
- Decluttering Before Moving Aboard: Finding What Matters
- 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 for Tenants
- 2 Long-Term Basement Storage Solutions for Travelers
- Packing Up to Sail: Shipping Gear from Canada to the USA
- House to Boat: Downsizing When the Pressure Is On
- 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
- A visit from CBC Radio’s Stu Mills
- Living in a Campground Before Sailing Away
- Audio clip from our first CBC Radio interview
Medical and safety preparation10 posts
- Food Allergies on a Sailboat: Preparing for Life at Sea
- Medical Emergencies at Sea: Preparing to Be Self-Sufficient
- Child Safety While Traveling: Teaching Our Kids to “Heel”
- Rope Burn from Sail Handling: How It Happens
- A Boy Who Travels – Severe Food Allergies Limit Options But Not Opportunities
- Scopolamine Side Effects at Sea: My Blurry Vision Experience
- 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: Finding a Safe Anchorage
Imagining life aboard: kids, food and everyday life10 posts
- Low-Maintenance Hair for Sailing: Cutting Back Before We Go
- Outsourcing Household Chores: The Gift of Me Time
- Homeschooling or Boatschooling: Can It Lead to University?
- Sailing Hair, Don’t Care: Goodbye Hair Dye
- Grocery list for passage planning – starting with a bare fridge and pantry
- Making Maple Syrup at Home: A Taste of Canada
- Sail naked if you want, but wear your 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: Keeping Cool Without AC