Hi! We spent five years living aboard and sailing on a couple of sailboats (34ft then 42ft). We began our journey as a family of 3 on the east coast of the UK in 2017 and sailed across the North Sea to Northern Europe. After a couple of years exploring the continent, Jersey in Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, the south coast of the UK, and having a baby(!) - we set sail south down the Atlantic coast from Cornwall, UK and sailed down to southern Portugal when Erin was only 8 months old. We have PLENTY of tales to tell! Now we're ready to share our experiences and all the knowledge we picked up to help other families get out on the water sailing. Come join us!
The most important part of the whole adventure? β΅οΈ #10
Hi Reader, Welcome to the 10th edition of 'Families Afloat'! The monthly newsletter full of inspiration, stories and invaluable information for sailing families. If you want to have a catch up of our previous newsletters, you can find them here: NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE. β This week it's all about The Boat. Finding the perfect boat can feel like trying to find a needle in a haystack! I should know, we've been there - three times! The reality is, there is no such thing as the PERFECT boat, just the right boat for you and your family's needs (with some compromises!). Whether you're into racing, or, coastal cruising, or crossing oceans, you'll be able to narrow down the number of boats that will suit you and your family into a smaller, more manageable selection. If you want to race around the cans then you won't be wanting a heavy, long keeled yacht, but, if crossing oceans in comfort is more your thing, then it's definitely something you'll want to consider. Once you've decided what type of boat it is that you want/need and maybe even found - the one(!) - you'll be thinking about the next steps and how to go about purchasing her. One of those steps is getting a professional to take a closer look at the boat you are considering buying. I highly recommend getting a thorough pre-purchase survey - read why in one of the articles I've linked below. Are you still looking for a boat or have you already got one?! Hit reply and let me know. π β Also, it's your LAST CHANCE to enter our THREE competitions that we have available this month! Check them out in the newsletter or skip straight over to our competition page. Two competitions can be found there and the third can be found here. β What You Should Be Thinking About This Week'An Idiot's Guide To Buying a Sailing Boat' Narrowing down all your options when deciding to buy a boat takes some doing. It involves a lot of head-scratching, learning a new language, and quite honestly, a lot of frustration at times! The crew of Fat Susan shared how they did it on their blog 'Growing a Pair' before they set sail in July 2017 from the UK, bound for the Caribbean and beyond. Check out the article 'An Idiotβs Guide to Buying a Sailing Boat'.
β Boat Tour of the WeekI don't know about you, but I LOVE looking around other people's boats! Every week I will share a new boat for you to take a look around. This week we are touring Sailing Nohma's Lagoon 46 called Nohma. They are currently in Martinique (and if you really, really like the look of her, she's actually for sale right now!)β β β Do you have a family sailing yacht boat tour you'd like to share? It can either be your own boat or one you've found on YouTube! Let us know here.β β Tip of the Week'Boat Surveys' So you want to buy a boat? Awesome! Be honest now... How much do you know about boats?! If you're anything like we were when we first decided to buy a boat, you might not know much at all... Sure, you've probably been on boats before - maybe you've been out on a friends boat, maybe you've been out racing, maybe you've only just stepped foot on one and decided you like their quirky little spaces and the adventures they promise. But, do you know about all the different materials that they can be made from - wood, steel, aluminium or GRP? Have you ever looked below the cabin sole or into the bilge? Have you ever heard of osmosis or know what the early signs of damage look like for all the different parts of a boat? Do you know what your propellor should look like or what an anode is? Answered no to any (or all!) of the above? Then I HIGHLY recommend getting a professional to take a look at any boat you are seriously considering purchasing and a pre-purchase survey. So, what is a boat survey and why should you have one?! Great questions! Go and have a read of the article over on Safe-Skipper.com to see what a surveyor can do for you when purchasing your future adventure vessel! π
β Epic Cruising MemoriesThe memories I want to focus on in this section are the MAGICAL moments that you can only get while you're cruising. Believe me when I say that they are SO worth putting yourself through all the not so good memories! β "Moving onto your new boat for the first time is a very special (but can be slightly overwhelming feeling!)
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It took some getting used to and some time for us to adapt to living in a much smaller space. I decorated the boat with lots of pictures to help it feel more like home.
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Moving onboard felt like our adventure was really beginning and made us both feel like excitable kids again!"
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Robyn Hawkins - @robyn.sailing.mutinyβ
β What's the most Epic Cruising Memory you have? Let us know here.β β Galley Inspiration of the WeekThis week it's 'Mahi Mahi with a cocunut milk sauce infused with lime leaves and cardamom'. Galley inspiration and recipe this week is from Lynn of @the.hungry.sailor. β 1/2 can of coconut milk or a bag of 60g coconut milk powder mixed with 200ml warm water 10 cardamom pods, crushed 4 dried lime leafs 2 tbsp fish sauce Zest and juice of 1 lime 2 mahi mahi filets or other firm white fish 2 sprigs of spring onion, sliced in rounds 2 tsp roasted white sesame seeds Olive oil Salt and pepper β Recipe Cook two portions of rice to serve. Bring the coconut milk, crushed Kardemom pods and lime leafs to a boil. Turn off heat and set aside. Salt and pepper the fish. Heat the olive oil in a pan and pan fry the fish until just done. Reheat the sauce and take out the cardamom pods and lime leaves. Add the lime zest and juice, fish sauce and eventually the fish. Heat together for a minute or two. Add some rice to a bowl and put the fish on top of it. Pour over the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onion. Serve with extra parts of lime and coriander if you have some. β Lynn has shared some incredible looking dishes over on her Instagram page, I highly recommend checking her out so you can get some ideas for your galley. β What's your favourite galley recipe? Let us know here.β β Sailing & Cruising TipsWho better to learn from than those who are doing it already?! β
"When you're boat hunting and you find a boat you really like the look of, make sure you contact the seller or broker and ask as many questions as you can about it including asking for extra pictures before arranging a visit.
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Also, ask when the photographs were taken... there is nothing worse than travelling to see a boat and it looking nothing like the photographs! Ask me how I know... π we drove 4 hours EACH WAY to see a boat that looking nothing like the photos online and that the owner didn't actually want to sell. π³ It's safe to say we weren't very impressed!
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Lesson learned for all future boat viewings!"
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Robyn Hawkins - @sailing.mutinyβ
β Do you have a really useful tip you'd like to share? Let us know here.β β YouTube Video of the WeekThis newsletter, my video of the week on YouTube is 'Choosing a Yacht | Sailing With Kids' which is part 4 of the 'Get Your Family Afloat with Caspar and Nicola Craven' series shared by Yachting World. β β Have you watched a really good video this week? Let us know here.β β Pets CornerOur furry friends are most definitely part of the family. Each week, we'll share a picture of our favourite boat dog or cat (though we're not limited to those - show us what other animals you have onboard!) β This week it's Arkie from @arkie.boatdog. "Arkie is a 4 year old cavoodle who has grown up on a Niagara 35 sailing vessel. She got her sea legs after many falls jumping from the dinghy to the deck... conveniently always at night when itβs hard to see and then you have a wet dog trying to get in bed! Her favourite place to hang out is nestled behind me (@gemmarasdall) at the helm. She is an excellent swimmer and recently placed 2nd the Scotland Island Dog Race in her category." β Want your salty seadog (or cat, or other pet!) to be featured in the newsletter?! Let us know here.β β Bilge BanterComplete the following (and get as inventive as you want!!!) β Pirates board your boat. You _____________________. β βSubmit your answers here.β β Puzzle CornerIt's time to get your thinking caps on. Can you solve our nautical themed puzzle?! This week it's a RIDDLE! β Find out in the newsletter next week if you're right. β Last Week's Puzzle - ANSWER The answer to the puzzle last week was... a Life Jacket Did you get it?! β β Competition TimeCONGRATULATIONS to the winner of last month's competition Dan Paraschiv who won access to Sailing Britican's Online Boat Safety Course and Manual. ππ» β This month we have not one, not two, but THREE competitions for you! π We have teamed up with John Neal at Mahina Expeditions, Jana Reinhardt Jewellery, and we're giving away a $/Β£/β¬ 25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky subscriber. THREE epic prizes! β John has very kindly offered one of our readers the chance to enroll on his Virtual Mahina Offshore Cruising Seminar worth $249.
β β Jana Reinhardt Jewellery is offering one of our readers a Recycled Sterling Silver Tiny Whale Necklace from her collection worth Β£85.
To enter to win an Amazon Gift Card worth $/Β£/β¬ 25, all you need to do is answer a few questions to help us improve the Families Afloat newsletter.
β These competitions will run: During April 2023 and the winners will be chosen and announced in May 2023. β If you are a brand or company that is interested in giving away a quality sailing or travel product or gift voucher, please leave your details here.β β
Join Us On Social Media β Enjoyed Families Afloat?βFind out how you can support us here so we can keep sharing Families Afloat with you all each month. π₯° β Thanks for joining us! I really hope you enjoyed reading this month's edition of 'Families Afloat'. We hope to see you again next month. In the meantime, fair winds and following seas! Robyn, Dave, Erin & Scrappy β |
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113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205 |
Families Afloat | Sail Away Together
by Robyn, Dave, Erin, and Scrappy
Hi! We spent five years living aboard and sailing on a couple of sailboats (34ft then 42ft). We began our journey as a family of 3 on the east coast of the UK in 2017 and sailed across the North Sea to Northern Europe. After a couple of years exploring the continent, Jersey in Channel Islands, the Isles of Scilly, the south coast of the UK, and having a baby(!) - we set sail south down the Atlantic coast from Cornwall, UK and sailed down to southern Portugal when Erin was only 8 months old. We have PLENTY of tales to tell! Now we're ready to share our experiences and all the knowledge we picked up to help other families get out on the water sailing. Come join us!
Hey Reader, I hope you've had a great week. Did you see my email last weekend where I told you I'd just relaunched Families Afloat as a brand new website?! Visit Families Afloat by clicking the image above or the links in the email Have you had a chance to check it out yet?! I'd love to hear what you think of the new (and IMO very much improved design! Let's be honest, the last website was a bit crap...! π) It's still early days for it but I'm adding new posts to it as often as I can. What...
Hi Reader, Iβm back!!! Itβs been a while since I emailed and a LOT has happened since then! Weβve moved back to the UK from Portugal and are in the process of trying to resettle into βnormal lifeβ. The bottom line is that itβs not going very well - moving back in the middle of winter probably wasnβt our smartest move! π Weβre missing boat life like crazy and have started boat hunting again π. The other thing Iβve been doing which has taken up a LOT of time is redesigning Families Afloat from...
Hi Reader, Welcome to the MAY edition of 'Families Afloat'! The monthly newsletter full of inspiration, stories and invaluable information for sailing families. If you want to have a catch up of our previous newsletters, you can find them here: NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE. This week's topic is what cruising is really all about... Fixing your boat in foreign countries! π I'm pretty sure that almost every cruiser we've met has had to fix their boat abroad at some point in their journey, if they haven't,...