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: Pacific Ocean sailing

A graphical representation of Paul's trip across the Pacific from Bahamas to French Polynesia
June 8, 2026July 20, 2026Lorraine Escher

Pacific Puddle Jump at 18: Our Boat Kid Crews a Catana 50

Paul leaving SV Aphrodite and his family for the first time at the Langkawi International Airport
March 16, 2026July 21, 2026Lorraine Escher

Leaving for an Epic Adventure: Crewing on a Sailboat at 18

A side-by-side image of the Taipei 101 climbed by Alex Honnold in January 2026 and a land diving event on Pentecost Island, Vanuatu.
January 26, 2026July 27, 2026Lorraine Escher

Land Diving on Pentecost Island: Ritual, Tourists, Ethics

Our niece, Jorja, from Calgary in front of the Bridge of the Americas, Panama.
September 26, 2025September 26, 2026Lorraine Escher

Crossing the Panama Canal: A Different Cruising World

Margaret from Pentecost Island, Vanuatu, sitting outdoors with Karen and a local village boy under a large tree
February 4, 2024August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Provisioning in the Pacific Islands: Markets and Groceries

Shows weevil larvae in pasta
January 13, 2024July 23, 2026Lorraine Escher

Weeviling: managing weevils on a sailboat in Micronesia

Karen and Henry inspect the octopus
January 5, 2024July 24, 2026Lorraine Escher

Lagoon to Table: Subsistence Fishing in Micronesia

Teen independence run amok on the dock in Chuuk, Micronesia as we head to shore to buy diesel.
January 2, 2024August 25, 2026Lorraine Escher

Teen Independence on a Sailboat: A Diesel Run in Micronesia

Paul in a hospital bed in Kavieng, Papua New Guinea, receiving oxygen therapy
December 13, 2023October 12, 2026Lorraine Escher

Shallow Water Blackout: Freediving to 31 Feet in PNG

October 26, 2023August 9, 2026Lorraine Escher

Medical Mission in Papua New Guinea: Betty, 17, Volunteers

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From the Archives

  • Boat Projects
  • Homeschooling Four Kids
  • Early Years of Cruising
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