Please post a comment if your question is not answered here.

What kind of boat do you have?

On 11/11/11, we purchased Patronus, a 2006 Beneteau 473, which is a 47′ sloop.  It has three cabins/bedrooms, a full galley/kitchen, a livingroom/dining room (salon), and 2 heads/bathrooms.  It has a roller furling mainsail and jib.  The boat is equipped with a Yanmar 76 diesel engine, a generator, 2-zone air conditioning, radar, and plenty of navigational electronics.  It is on the hard (on land) in Haverstraw, NY for the winter and will be put launched in the spring for some repairs and improvements.  We hope to do as much shakedown sailing as possible before our departure date on July 1, 2012.

Why are you crazy people doing this?

Here are some of the benefits we hope to realize with this adventure:

• To spend time together as a family while our children are still small.  Really, this is the main factor driving our decision to make this lifestyle change.  We’ve been told since our first child was 2 minutes old that we are going to “blink our eyes and he will be leaving for college!”  Well, all those well-meaning advice-givers were right.  It’s hard to believe that we have had children for over 10 years and even harder to believe that this part of our parenting adventure will start to end in less than 8.  We love spending time with our family and want to soak up every last moment before this chapter of our lives is over.  The idea of spending a full year together is so amazing it makes me want to cry.  And yet, I understand the reactions of some people, who say they would go crazy if they had to spend a year in close quarters with their children.  Maybe it is because we’ve always been homebodies.  Maybe it’s because we don’t have extended family who babysit on a regular basis, like so many of our friends.  But we are used to always being together and the combination of personalities that we happened to end up with works really well (95% of the time).  See below for how we will deal with the other 5% of the time!
• Spending time together for an entire year will strengthen our bonds, allow us stay closer than ever, and will help us to create a solid foundation of trust, communication, understanding, and teamwork as a family for the future adolescent years.  My research online shows that families who take this type of trip become extremely close, have a lot of trust in each other, and enjoy each other’s company when the children are in their teens and as young adults.  Sounds good to us!
• A trip like this may help the children stand out of the crowd on their college and work resumes.  (This wasn’t a driving factor by any means, but it was pointed out to us by others.)
• The children will learn to have open minds as they are exposed to many different cultures and lifestyles throughout the United States, Bahamas, and Caribbean.  We live in a homogenous suburban town and despite our travels, we know that our children will grow up with a distorted sense of reality.  “Travel is fatal to bigotry,” as Mark Twain said.  One of the top 10 changing moments of my life was visiting the Dominican Republic as a teenager.  My high school class sponsored a child there and I entered a national essay contest about what it was like to be a sponsor.  I won the contest and was awarded a trip to visit the little boy in his impoverished village.  It was eye-opening, humbling, and life-changing.  Compassion was awakened within me on that trip.  An understanding of relativity changed the way I reacted to things.  Minor inconveniences (not having money for Z. Cavariccis, not getting the flute solo in the concert, etc.), which beforehand had seemed like major tragedies, now held less gravity when compared to my knowledge that the people in that village didn’t know if they would have water next week.  I changed the way I spoke, such as eliminating “starving” from my vocabulary (I saw “starving”, and I knew I had no idea what it felt like).  I would love for my children to have something to compare their lives to on the wide spectrum that is this world.
• The children will learn to be team players as they help us to keep a boat running smoothly under way or at anchor.  A small space requires tidiness, responsibility, and learning to be considerate of others.
• The children will become more independent as they are given real tasks to help with running and maintaining the boat.   If we have a man overboard drill, even Porter will have a job, such as pressing the MOB button on the chartplotter.  At home, we have given our children increasing levels of responsibility at each birthday.  At 3 years old, they started taking their empty plate to the sink.  At 5, they put their folded clothes in their dresser.  At 6, they unload the dishwater.  The jobs are small, but they require an age-appropriate level of skill.  Using those skills to contribute to the household has given them a sense of pride and belonging.  I like that they know that they are important to us, we rely on them, and that we “couldn’t do it without them.”  Reese and Bryson are already figuring out what parts of the boat they would like to be “in charge” of!
• We will all let go of our attachments to physical luxury while recommitting to our family values of environmentalism, conservation, and simplicity.  Our accommodations are Spartan, small, and simple.  Water, electricity, and food are scarce commodities, especially in the Caribbean.  We will need to “reduce, reuse, and recycle” like there’s no tomorrow!  Some things need to be learned in an environment where there is no choice.  We do our best here at home, but we are all guilty of leaving lights on, not unplugging our chargers, and leaving the water running too long while taking showers, doing dishes, or brushing our teeth.  A limited supply of water, electricity, and food will force us to take the next step in our attempts to live greener.
• On shore, the children will have opportunities to practice confidence and social skills as they introduce themselves to other children and play pick-up games with their new friends.  These types of skills will be invaluable as they get older.
• Boatschooling will give them a chance to learn at their own pace.  Science, Math, and Social Studies will be learned through real life applications (ie: math while learning to plot a course or take a hand bearing; science while learning how an engine works or while snorkeling, fishing, and shelling; social studies while exploring new islands, cultures, and historical sites.)  Language Arts will be learned while writing about their experiences and reading books about our destinations.
• Boatschooling will allow us to have yet another unique role as parents with our children- sharing our knowledge, our love of learning and adventure, and problem-solving techniques.  Most of the negative reactions we get from people center around homeschooling.  They say they could NEVER do it.  But all parents are teachers to their children!  Boatschooling will require an added level of formality to that teaching and it helps that I am a certified teacher.
• Boatschooling will give them study skills and organization skills as they become more responsible for their own schoolwork, assignments, deadlines, etc.
• The children will have the ability to share their experiences with their friends and classmates at home with Skype via SmartBoards in the classrooms; email “penpals”; and their own blog on our website.

Now for the Worriers out there.  Here are some concerns you might have.  Many of them are thoughts we had ourselves, but we found a way to address them before deciding to make this dream a reality.  Feel free to continue to worry, but we’d rather you spent your precious energy on booking a flight to come visit us!!

The timing is bad.

In fact, the timing is just right.  Porter is finally old enough that traveling is a pleasure again.  No diapers, strollers, or bottles required.  And Bryson might be too old to pull out of school in a few years.  It wouldn’t be out of the question, but it is likely that social concerns, sports, extra-curricular activities, and demanding academics will make it more difficult to pull off.  Since Porter is now in school, it wouldn’t make sense for me to go back to work now for a year or so and then take a year off.  Likewise, Chris’ demands at work will continue to increase, so leaving sooner than later makes sense.

It’s NOT SAFE.

Chris and I have been around boats and water our whole lives.  We have researched the safety aspects of living aboard.  We are very careful with our children around water.  We plan on using lifejackets, harnesses, tethers, and jacklines.  (Tethers are lines that attach on one end to a harness on your lifejacket and on the other end to a Jackline, which is attached to the boat.  This stops you from falling overboard because you are attached to the boat.)  We are all strong swimmers except for Porter, who will continue to take lessons until we leave.

What if one of you gets hurt or sick?

Luckily, we are all very healthy.  Our doctors have worked with us to create extensive First Aid kits to help handle everyday illnesses and injuries as well as marine specific emergencies, such as jellyfish stings, sunburn, food/water poisoning, etc.  For a large part of the trip, we will be in US ports and will have easy access to hospitals, doctors, and pharmacies.  Once in the Caribbean, detailed “cruising guides” give health and medical resources for each island.  Our strong personal relationships with our doctors will allow us to have access to advice via phone and email.  Chris, Bryson, and I are completing CPR and Wilderness First Aid courses.

Don’t You Need a Captain?

Chris has over 25 years of sailing experience.  He raced boats for many years and was a helmsman (driver) in some of the world’s most prestigious regattas.  He competed in the Transatlantic race, racing from New York City to England.  He did the Fastnet Race, which is one of the most challenging (and dangerous) races in the world.  And he was invited to do the Whitbread Around the World Race.  He is proficient in all aspects of boats and sailing, including boathandling, navigation, electronics, plumbing, meteorology, and mechanics.  He has recently completed an intensive, 3-day course on Deisel Repair and Maintenance, which will help in keeping the engine, air conditioning, and generator running smoothly.

I have been boating since I was an infant.  I grew up on boats and feel as comfortable on a boat as I do in my home.  I lived on a boat for six years as a teenager and have experience with navigation, boathandling, and boat safety.  I also raced sailboats for many years.  I raced on many boats ranging from 10 to 50 feet before joining the crew of High Noon, my father-in-law’s boat.  The highlights of my racing career include the Newport NOOD, several Block Island Race Weeks, the Around Long Island Race, Key West Race Week, and the Annapolis-Newport Race.  I recently completed the New Jersey Police Boater Safety Course and plan to take at least two more boating courses through the Power Squadron before we leave.

As a team, Chris and I complement each other’s strengths and talents.  In fact, when we met, we were a team while we raced dinghies at Cornell.  We raced together for years.  This summer, we chartered a boat and cruised together as a family for two weeks.  We feel extremely confident about the technical aspects of sailing for a year.

It will be hard for the kids.

SOCIALLY: The children were a big part of the decision making process.  We would not have planned this trip if they weren’t excited about it.  The kids will meet new children along the way, but hope that they will keep in contact with their friends at home.  We plan to Skype with their classes via the SmartBoards in the school.  We will also have email penpals.  Their friends can follow their adventure on our family website: conwaysailors.com.

ACADEMICALLY: The children are still in elementary school and my teaching certification is for K-8^th grade.  I will be working on the curriculum and lesson planning all through the winter, conferring with teachers at the school to complete my planning before we leave.  I will be teaching 5^th grade to Bryson, 4^th grade to Riesling, and 1^st grade to Porter.  Since Bryson has been through 1^st and 4^th grades, I have many files to help me plan what to cover.  As we all know, learning through real-life experience makes the most impact.  The children will learn through doing, seeing, trying, and experiencing.  Their unique experiences will benefit their classmates upon returning to school, as well as through “presentations” given through Skype during the year.  One-on-one instruction will ensure that the children are progressing at the right pace.  Individualized lesson plans will allow the children to study what is meaningful and interesting to them while still learning the required elements for their grade level.  Long-term, an academic and life experience such as this could possibly be an advantage to them when applying to colleges.

How Can you Leave Your Life Behind for a Year?

First of all, our family IS our life.  Our “work”, “friend”, and “extended” families will be missed very much.  We hope that some of you will find a way to plan your 2012-2013 vacations along our route.  You are welcome to stay with us on our boat, or you may wish to stay in a local hotel and visit with us!  We are creating a plan to take care of our home, cars, bills, and other commitments and responsibilities.  We hope that a break from our “normal” life will help us to reprioritize when we return.  A year away will certainly help us discover what we really missed and what we may have been doing out of “habit” or “obligation” as opposed to really wanting it in our life.

No one does this.  It’s WEIRD.

After coming up with this idea, we began researching it and it turns out that MANY couples and families do this.  Older couples, newlyweds, families with newborns, families with 5 teenagers, everyone!  We have read four books about people who have done this.  We also follow several blogs.  See http://mitgang.blogspot.com/ for a great one.  We have read about “cruising” on many websites, discussion boards, and forums online.  We will be joining an established and tight knit community of cruising families.  Our fellow cruisers have already become a source of information, support, advice, and hopefully, lots of fun as we meet them along the way.

It’s going to be HARDER/LESS FUN than you think it’s going to be.

We aren’t approaching this trip as a vacation.  It is a lifestyle that will have challenges just like “regular” life.  There will be many aspects that will be harder than our life in New Jersey (like REALLY conserving water, food, and electricity; like not having a washing machine or a dishwasher; like 5 people in a very small, confined space).  There will be parts that will be easier (think sunsets, 360 degree water views, and living in bathing suits).  We are prepared for a full gamut of ups and downs, highs and lows.  We will keep coming back to our main goal: to spend time with our children.  As long as we are doing that, we will be fine.

What will you do for alone time?

Ah.  Here is where the dinghy comes in.  If you aren’t familiar with that term, a dinghy is a small, inflatable boat with an outboard motor as well as oars.  When we need a break, we can easily take a ride in the dinghy to do some sightseeing, snorkeling, take a bike ride, or meet some new people on other boats.  Our boat has three cabins (bedrooms), so we can also close the door and relax with a book, listen to some music, or practice our instruments.