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: Sailing with kids

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

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

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

September 16, 2023July 22, 2026Lorraine Escher

Fish Hook in the Face at Sea: How We Removed It

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

Heavy weather sailing: Paul on the deck of SV Aphrodite
May 19, 2023October 8, 2026Lorraine Escher

Heavy Weather Sailing at Night: New Zealand to Fiji

Sleep deprivation at sea: Spectacular sky underway on SV Aphrodite, a St. Francis 50 catamaran, during Our Pacific Crossing from Panama to New Zealand.
June 18, 2022July 27, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sleep Deprivation at Sea: 4 Watch Methods We Tried

Betty from St Francis 50 catamaran Aphrodite swimming in Chuuk Lagoon.
June 11, 2022July 30, 2026Lorraine Escher

What Lies Beneath? Barnacle Busting Outside the Galapagos at 2,000 Meters Deep

Colour striations on the Sierra Negra volcano hike on Isla Isabela, Galapagos.
June 9, 2022September 25, 2026Lorraine Escher

Sierra Negra: Hiking in Darwin’s Footsteps on a Galapagos Volcano

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