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 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: Ottawa

Long Term Storage While Traveling: feature image
September 12, 2026September 12, 2026Lorraine Escher

Long-Term Storage While Traveling: Is It Worth the Cost?

Our move from house to sailboat began with a roadtrip. Here is a photo of our kids running along the beach of Lake Superior with a banner of our tent and van with the text The Road Trip that Changed Everything, referring to the 60 day camping trip we took the summer before we bought our St. Francis 50 catamaran, SV Aphrodite.
January 1, 2024July 22, 2026Lorraine Escher

From House to Sailboat: How a Family Road Trip Changed Us

Boatyard project management
October 18, 2019August 6, 2026Lorraine Escher

Boatyard Project Management: Set Expectations Early

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

Ditch Bag for a Pacific Crossing: Rethinking Life Raft Gear

Summer in Canada: road trip to Ottawa's iconic Parliament Hill
October 20, 2018September 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

Summer in Canada 2018: A Break from Life on the Boat

September 3, 2016August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Life Culture Shock: Questioning the Dream

July 23, 2016July 5, 2026Lorraine Escher

Another interview with CBC Reporter, Stu Mills (with audio)

June 28, 2016July 17, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing with Kids: Our First Year Cruising as a Family of Six

Former prime minister, Pierre T
September 24, 2015August 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

Growing Up Canadian: Winter, Canoes and Sailing South

August 10, 2015August 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Becoming a Sailor: Discovering an Alien Landscape

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Worth Reading

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Checklist for the Big Move

From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
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  • Early Years of Cruising
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