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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Tag: Caribbean cruising

Leaving Luperon, A Story of Red Tape on top of the flag of the Dominican Republic and a three stripes, one star naval insignia to signify the bureaucracy and challenges we had leaving Luperon
December 2, 2016December 2, 2016Lorraine Escher

Leaving Luperón, Dominican Republic: Getting Your Despacho

Luperon Hurricane Hole: An image of Henry and Paul driving our dinghy with SV Aphrodite in the background next to an image of the track of hurricane Matthew in 2016 when we stayed in Luperon for hurricane season.
June 6, 2016October 16, 2026Lorraine Escher

Luperón Long Reads — Waiting Out Hurricane Season

Beginner Sailor Departure Checklist: Photo taken under red lights to preserve our night vision on an evening departure
May 25, 2016August 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Beginner Sailor Checklist for Leaving an Anchorage (PDF)

Off the beaten track Bahamas: A Nurse Shark that we seriously feared in the Jumentos, Ragged Islands and other islands south of George Town.
May 23, 2016September 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

Off the Beaten Track Bahamas: Sailing Beyond the Exumas

International Medical Insurance Feature Image
December 10, 2015August 10, 2026Lorraine Escher

International Medical Insurance: An Ontario Sailing Family

August 2, 2015September 19, 2026Lorraine Escher

Medical Provisioning for Cruising: A Year’s Supply of Medication—Then What?

Ottawa on a hot day
July 28, 2015September 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

Living on a Sailboat in the Tropics Without Air Conditioning

July 10, 2015July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

CBC Radio Visit: How Our Sailing Plans Became a News Story

Moving out before sailing: June 1st, Our living room
June 2, 2015September 2, 2026Lorraine Escher

Moving Out Before Sailing: Our Final House Checklist

May 28, 2015August 6, 2026Lorraine Escher

Learning to Sail From Scratch: Our First Six Months

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On This Day

  • 1 year ago todayGrade 6 Essay Sample: Soufrière Hills Volcano, Montserrat

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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