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: Passage planning

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

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

Picture of a catamaran
December 7, 2023July 24, 2026Lorraine Escher

Bluewater Catamaran: A Detailed St Francis 50 Equipment List

Sailing from Fiji to Vanuatu: Here is a link to our live tracking page as we inch closer to Vanuatu. On the tracking page you will also find blog posts I wrote as we crossed from Panama, Galapagos, French Polynesia, Tonga and New Zealand. This link updates as we travel. See where we are now at: https://forecast.predictwind.com/tracking/display/AphroditeCanada/Aphrodite’s current position as I write this blog post.
June 23, 2023August 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sailing Fiji to Vanuatu: Where Is SV Aphrodite Now?

Malaria prevention for sailors: as arranged at Guardian Pharmacy, Savusavu, Fiji.
June 12, 2023September 13, 2026Lorraine Escher

Malaria Prevention for Sailors: Getting the Right Medication

May 22, 2023July 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

Fiji Biosecurity Rules: Using Up Contraband Food at Sea

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

Ditch Bag for a Pacific Crossing: Rethinking Life Raft Gear

February 16, 2018October 15, 2026Lorraine Escher

Rough Offshore Sailing: A Rite of Passage in a Gale

All At Sea Caribbean magazine cover, December 2017.
December 20, 2017December 20, 2017Lorraine Escher

Family Cruising Crew and Port of Spain Market: Two Articles

Interviewing Crew
August 14, 2017August 7, 2026Lorraine Escher

Finding Crew for a Pacific Crossing: Our Ad Went Wrong

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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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