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: Gear

Ditch bag contents
October 29, 2018September 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

Ditch Bag for a Pacific Crossing: Rethinking Life Raft Gear

December 23, 2017July 31, 2026Lorraine Escher

Boat Spares Inventory: How We Organize Our Spare Parts

June 16, 2017August 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Catamaran Safety for Kids: DIY Pool Noodle Swim Enclosure

May 30, 2017August 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Mr. Bricolage Martinique: A French Caribbean Home Depot

Reverse culture shock in the cruise ship hub of St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands
January 20, 2017August 18, 2026Lorraine Escher

Reverse Culture Shock: From Luperón to St Thomas, USVI

December 12, 2016July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

Caframo Sirocco II Fan Review: 17 Fans on Our Catamaran

December 7, 2016August 2, 2026Lorraine Escher

Mona Passage Mutiny: Sailing with a Seasick NYC Cop

March 25, 2016July 3, 2026Lorraine Escher

George Town, Bahamas: Summer Camp for Cruisers

Our son Paul jumping into the sea in the Bahamas with the safety of our DIY swim enclosure.
February 28, 2016August 14, 2026Lorraine Escher

Cruising Life With Kids: Busy Days Anchored in the Bahamas

A Nalgene bottle being filled directly from our watermaker
February 16, 2016August 19, 2026Lorraine Escher

When the Watermaker Breaks: What Goes Wrong on a Sailboat

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From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
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