Need advice re: seaschooling

[SeaConquest]

We have a sailboat and two boys, ages 4.5 and 3 months. My husband and I are contemplating cruising as a family for 6+ months out of the year, leaving in the next few years. We are currently living in a home in Mexico, and will be here until May 2014.

 

The plan would be to head back down to Mexico with the boat (she is currently in San Diego), then through Latin America, across the Panama Canal, through the Caribbean, across the Atlantic, and eventually to Europe/the Med. This would take us 5+ years.

 

We would return to the States for a period of time each year (generally during hurricane season; my husband will be working to top off the cruising kitty), so I could restock the boat with curricula and supplies for each academic year. We will have internet access in most places, though it may not be very fast. We have computers and tablets aboard, so I can take ebooks with me.

 

What advice do you have for a homeschooling newbie (I currently only afterschool) under these circumstances? What concerns would you have and what steps would you take to address them? I am very school-oriented and don't want to shortchange my boys on their education or prejudice them in the competitive college admission game. My main concern is with science and how to do it aboard. Are there specific science tools that you would take with you?

 

Honestly, I am still not sure if I am sold on the idea. Most of my friends think I would be nuts not to go, but most of them are not homeschoolers and don't know the commitment involved or the challenges we would face trying to do this at sea. So, I thought I would seek the wisdom of the Hive. Would you seaschool?

 

 

[FriedClams]

I would do it in a second!!

 

I'd get a math, and a kindle loaded with great books. It woudl be worth the cost of an annual membership to a good public library with a good online library (Phildelphia Free, etc.). That way you could save some on the cost of ebooks. The rest they'd learn on the way: geography, map skills, world cultures, governments, exchange rates, foreign language, money skills, first aid, etc.....

[Upward Journey]

No advice, just a healthy dose of jealousy!

 

When we sold our last house I tried to get him to buy a boat instead of another house, since we were moving to the coast, but he wouldn't go for it.

[SeaConquest]

I should add that I also have concerns about interpersonal relationships and sports. While there are a surprising number of families out on the big blue doing this, you would have to be very comfortable making friends quickly and letting them go. One of the old myths about homeschooling was that the kids were not well socialized. With the advent of homeschooling groups, co-ops, charters, and other organized activities, I wouldn't worry about this as an issue. But, if you are constantly on the move, never having friends to play with for very long, well, I can imagine that would get very lonely. Obviously, the boys will have each other, but we have a 4.5 year age gap.

 

Back in the States, my oldest played soccer, swam, went to our synagogue Sunday school program. He was very involved. We've had to let go of some of that here in Mexico, even living in a house, because they just don't have all the organized activities that we do in the States. So, if we do this, the boys would be very active physically (swimming, surfing, etc.), but they wouldn't be in competitive sports. So, no college scholarships for water polo, you know?

 

Do you think these are big enough issues to hold you back?  

[SeaConquest]

No advice, just a healthy dose of jealousy!

 

When we sold our last house I tried to get him to buy a boat instead of another house, since we were moving to the coast, but he wouldn't go for it.

 

If you would still like to convince him, you might join the Women Who Sail Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/WomenWhoSail/

 

There are about 1000 members, many of them with children. All levels of sailing experience -- from those just curious about sailing to hard-core, international racers. It's a wonderful group, and I have learned a ton from the ladies there.

[Plateau Mama]

I should add that I also have concerns about interpersonal relationships and sports. While there are a surprising number of families out on the big blue doing this, you would have to be very comfortable making friends quickly and letting them go. One of the old myths about homeschooling was that the kids were not well socialized. With the advent of homeschooling groups, co-ops, charters, and other organized activities, I wouldn't worry about this as an issue. But, if you are constantly on the move, never having friends to play with for very long, well, I can imagine that would get very lonely. Obviously, the boys will have each other, but we have a 4.5 year age gap.

 

Back in the States, my oldest played soccer, swam, went to our synagogue Sunday school program. He was very involved. We've had to let go of some of that here in Mexico, even living in a house, because they just don't have all the organized activities that we do in the States. So, if we do this, the boys would be very active physically (swimming, surfing, etc.), but they wouldn't be in competitive sports. So, no college scholarships for water polo, you know?

 

Do you think these are big enough issues to hold you back?

Nope. As far as the sports go, the chances of a sports scholarship are slim anyway. My daughter plays travel softball and wants to play in college. There is no way I'd base a decision on whether it would affect a sports scholarship, especially when your kids are so young. You never know if they will even want to play sports in 5 years. I've seen many a kid who loved sports at 3-4 and werent playing by 10.

 

As for socialization, meh. They will have the opportunity to meet and interact with people AROUND THE WORLD. If that's not socialization I don't know what is. IMO socialization isn't having friends to play with, it's about being able to interact with people no matter the situation. One of mine hates playing with "friends" but he has no problem asking his otolaryngologist if a different scenario could also be possible.

[FriedClams]

I would not sweat sports in the least. When we were kids we played in the neighborhood until junior high, and then only school stuff until high school. Real leagues and summer leagues started then. Your kids will meet kids - play pick up games - play in the 6 months on land if you want.

 

I might add guitar or a small instrument to work on at sea and when you have time to kill. No batteries required! :-)

[Upward Journey]

If you would still like to convince him, you might join the Women Who Sail Facebook Group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/WomenWhoSail/

 

There are about 1000 members, many of them with children. All levels of sailing experience -- from those just curious about sailing to hard-core, international racers. It's a wonderful group, and I have learned a ton from the ladies there.

Well, we're now firmly land locked and living in another country, so I think for me, that ship has sailed ;)

[Mama Geek]

I sent you a PM

[ocelotmom]

Families who cruise homeschool (or unschool, or use a distance education school, or some other home education option)! It's pretty much the default option. What other choice do they have?

 

You're talking about being done by the time your oldest is about ten or eleven. I would not be concerned in the slightest about college admissions as long as you're covering the absolute essentials (to me - math, reading, writing, and developing an interest in and appreciation for literature, history, science, etc.). I know lots of homeschoolers say this anyways, but in a case like this, it's especially true. You'll inherently be providing a rich learning environment. They'll have varied and unusual life experiences to draw from. Chances are they'll end up fluently bilingual (and at a young enough age that they'll be well-primed to learn future languages). Science - there's a ton you can do with physics, biology, electronics/mechanics, meteorology, geology, astronomy, and so forth that does not require anything beyond appropriate references and whatever you'd have on board anyways. I wouldn't add anything except perhaps a handheld microscope . We lived on a boat for a while - I know how much limited space is. And most elementary science curriculums, particularly those designed for homeschool, don't require a whole lot in the way of special supplies.

 

A child's long-term success is much more influenced by things like curiosity and work ethic than how well-stocked their elementary science lab was. You're nourishing the former, even if you're deficient in the latter.

 

ALL my concerns would be health and safety-related, not educational, but I'm sure you've heard plenty of that already :)

 

Nope. As far as the sports go, the chances of a sports scholarship are slim anyway. My daughter plays travel softball and wants to play in college. There is no way I'd base a decision on whether it would affect a sports scholarship, especially when your kids are so young. You never know if they will even want to play sports in 5 years. I've seen many a kid who loved sports at 3-4 and werent playing by 10.

 

Also, sailing, rowing, and swimming are competitive sports and scholarship opportunities. Playing soccer (basketball, baseball) informally with local kids on a regular basis is likely to be at least as good an introduction as your average child's soccer league in the US. As with science, developing the interest and physical strength and agility is going to go further than trying to focus them into one particular sport at an elementary age.

 

[SeaConquest]

You're talking about being done by the time your oldest is about ten or eleven. 

 

ALL my concerns would be health and safety-related, not educational, but I'm sure you've heard plenty of that already :)

 

Just to clarify. The earliest we would leave is fall of 2014. The baby would be 15 months and my oldest would be 5.5. More realistically, we would leave in the fall of 2015 or 2016, just because I don't want to deal with diapers while cruising and I would like for my youngest to be a little bit older and more independent. So, my oldest would more likely be 6-7 when we leave and a middle schooler when we return.

 

Also, I am curious what health and safety concerns you would have? We would not be cruising to dangerous places (e.g. Venezuela).

[GreenKitty]

I'd do it. It sounds exciting! What an experience.

 

Though I tend to jump and then figure it all out as I go.

[ocelotmom]

Just to clarify. The earliest we would leave is fall of 2014. The baby would be 15 months and my oldest would be 5.5. More realistically, we would leave in the fall of 2015 or 2016, just because I don't want to deal with diapers while cruising and I would like for my youngest to bed a little bit older and more independent. So, my oldest would more likely be 6-7 when we leave and be a middle schooler when we return.

 

Also, I am curious what health and safety concerns you would have? We would not be cruising to dangerous places (e.g. Venezuela).

 

I don't blame you on the diapers! We were living on a boat when my oldest was a toddler, and I'm pretty sure it actually delayed his potty training. I definitely wouldn't want to cruise that way.

 

If you wait another year or two and you're talking about middle school, I still wouldn't worry. Focusing on a strong foundation in the 3 R's and providing rich experiences will still provide a good base for future study. 

 

While a focus on academics would be more important at the middle school level as preparation for high school, it's still not something colleges actually look at, so you don't have to be concerned about exact subjects covered, transcripts, grades, etc. The exception to that is high school level classes taken early, such as Algebra I or foreign language, but you have options for that. A single math course done via distance learning is not particularly expensive (nor is it actually necessary to have that on the transcript if you have adequate math credits beyond that on the high school transcript), and focusing on becoming bilingual in Spanish should allow testing into a high level class as a Freshman, taking the AP test early, and having time to get in a few years of another foreign language on top of that. (Just options, not the only possible paths)

 

Look back at your elementary, middle, and high school science classes. Didn't the elementary/middle school classes jump around a lot and not really lead to any serious retention of (or interest in) the material, with perhaps the exception of a few things, probably mostly experiential rather than textbook, that really stood out? Didn't the high school level classes pretty much start from scratch and not assume any specific previous knowledge? I'm not trying to say that I think elementary science education is unimportant, but I do think that formal textbook-type science study isn't.

 

You also have a long time to get your seaschooling legs before you reach that point - I think there are few homeschooling families whose initial plans have survived reality. Keep the big picture in mind, but don't let college admissions unduly influence your elementary choices either. Extremely rigorous academics in kindergarten is not necessary to get into an excellent college.

 

Health and safety... Drowning, especially with a toddler/preschooler who has more energy than sense of self-preservation. Access to healthcare, though I realize that in populous areas and those catering to tourists this may actually be easier than in the US. I followed the blog of a cruising couple, and they had several close calls with weather and people, despite avoiding hurricane season and the most notoriously dangerous areas... but they were also a middle-age couple without kids, so I suspect that, though generally safety-conscious, it wasn't their highest priority. In any case, I'm definitely not trying to say you shouldn't do it, just that health and safety would be a bigger concern to me than academics.

[Abbyjensen]

I don't know anyone cruising, but I do know a homeschooling family that is travelling by RV through Europe/Asia. I travelled with them for 6 months and they do school on the road. However, they initially wanted to go for 5 years, but due to circumstances with their children, they are only going to go for two years because of their children. THeir oldest (8) has a hard time not having consistency with friends and Activites, and their 6 year old is having some struggles with schooling that are adding stress and they would like to have a better environment for him to do school in. They still want to homeschool, but want more resources, more space, etc. to dedicate more time to him.

 

So- with that- I would suggest to take it one year at a time. But I definitely wouldn't worry about socialization or things like that unless your children show that they are struggling.

[HSMWB]

Hmmm - we lived on a sailboat for a year, docked at a marina most of the time, except for about 3 months when we went cruised Puget Sound.  We homeschooled before this, and still do now, and did for that year as well.  Most of my issues were honestly more 'lifestyle' rather then 'homeschool' issues.  For instance - books.  Well, paper is hard, really hard on a boat.  So then you go electronic - but . . . well, electronics can be really hard on a boat.  Even when we had shore power 100% of the time, it was still sometimes all I could do to keep everything running and charged as much as it needed to be.  But this is also very dependent on how your boat is set up.  But let's just say my advice would be multiple power sources that one could be completely down and still be able to run everything with spare capacity.  And then there is the whole, electronics and water (and toddlers) issue.  Make sure that you have very good cases/covers on those electronics.  I also personally think your ability to access the internet is going to be very limited and/or expensive - and I would not count on it at all.  Especially for the ages of your kids.

 

I would do it in a heart beat!  I can't wait to be back full time on a sailboat.  Our kids express the same sentiments.  I mean, yes, they like having their own rooms and lots of space, but it truly does not compare.

 

If I knew that I was going to do 6 months on a boat, 6 months on land (assuming that you are going back to the same house/area for those 6 months every year) - for 5 or so years with the oldest being 10 at the end of those 5 years - I would probably do some kind of schedule when on land where 'dad at work = school day for kids' on land and when on the boat 4 or so days a week try to have a 'school morning' with read aloud and math and lots of talking about the world at large. But in general take a more 'unschool/unit studies' approach when on the boat.  I'd use dry erase books and/or boards for handwriting or copy work and math.  I'd also expect that any book brought on board will not make it off, and if it does it is a bonus.

[Elisabet1]

There was someone on the original WTM boards, well before it was like this, where you registered and such, who sea travelled while home schooling. I remember they were in Phuket when the Tsunami hit. They ended up being ok. Maybe someone remembers them? This was more than 7 yrs ago.

[Hannah]

We knew a family who were travelling the world when I was growing up. I got postcards and letters from the daughter from all over the world and wrote back care of whatever yacht club they were heading to next - this was way before the internet.

 

They were an extroverted and social family and made friends everywhere they went. They were between 4 and 11 when they sold up and set off. I do remember them all saying that they'd have a big dog when they grew up!

 

The oldest son went on to be an engineer, the second was chartering yachts when I lost contact with them 20 years ago and the youngest was a nurse. At the time I do know that the middle son had not completed his schooling because this worried his mom. They had followed the UK system for high school(these days it would be through CIE.org.uk) and I know the daughter studied in New Zeeland. I can't remember if the older son did too.

[mumto2]

I have a really hard time searching the board but Hunter has started and participated in some great threads concerning things like what to pack in a box to home ed for years, 10 items for two years, etc. These are fun threads which I would recommend reading.

 

Curriculum won't be a problem except in terms of space. Sites like Currclick will be very helpful in terms of extras I suspect. I would not hesitate to do the trip. What an adventure! We moved to the UK when my kids were 7 and 9. The hardest thing for me has been the need for me to be social so my kids meet people and make friends. I have had to become far more extroverted. My personal reaction would be to look at the lovely scenery with dh and read for entertainment but because of the dcs we actually need to talk to people too! Which can be hard but incredibly rewarding.

[Starr]

I don't think you can imagine or worry that far out. It's very doable. Many things you'll figure out along the way. It's going to be a different life experience and you can't compare the experiences directly to a stay in one place life. Life takes many turns where ever we are. I say, "Sail away and have fun!" 

[Ellie]

We have a sailboat and two boys, ages 4.5 and 3 months. My husband and I are contemplating cruising as a family for 6+ months out of the year, leaving in the next few years. We are currently living in a home in Mexico, and will be here until May 2014.

 

The plan would be to head back down to Mexico with the boat (she is currently in San Diego), then through Latin America, across the Panama Canal, through the Caribbean, across the Atlantic, and eventually to Europe/the Med. This would take us 5+ years.

 

We would return to the States for a period of time each year (generally during hurricane season; my husband will be working to top off the cruising kitty), so I could restock the boat with curricula and supplies for each academic year. We will have internet access in most places, though it may not be very fast. We have computers and tablets aboard, so I can take ebooks with me.

 

What advice do you have for a homeschooling newbie (I currently only afterschool) under these circumstances? What concerns would you have and what steps would you take to address them? I am very school-oriented and don't want to shortchange my boys on their education or prejudice them in the competitive college admission game. My main concern is with science and how to do it aboard. Are there specific science tools that you would take with you?

 

Honestly, I am still not sure if I am sold on the idea. Most of my friends think I would be nuts not to go, but most of them are not homeschoolers and don't know the commitment involved or the challenges we would face trying to do this at sea. So, I thought I would seek the wisdom of the Hive. Would you seaschool?

 

I think it sounds like a wonderful adventure. I think your children are too young to be worried about how it might affect college admissions. :-)

 

I wouldn't worry about sports or other group activities. When you are ashore, be sure to visit local places of interest and interact with the residents as much as possible.

 

I think for their ages, probably the best science will be marine biology, and meteorology, and y'all should have ample opportunities for that without taking any science-y supplies. Oh, and of course your dc will learn how to sail, and track charts or whatever it is you do to stay on course, lol.

 

Perhaps y'all could keep journals of your adventures.

[MeghanL]

I think it would take a particular type of personality to pull that off! If you have it, then go for it!

I would find it incredibly isolating and lonely. 5 years of not being able to meet a friend for dinner? It would be a great adventure, but I could only handle it for a short time. Could you do an initial trip of maybe 2 months and see how that goes? That way you can see what it would be like without a 5 year commitment?

[Hunter]

I lived on a boat for awhile. I get travel sick of all kinds so doing homework and reading was a bit tough for me. I even get sick on swing and in an elevator. I use a lot of audio resources when traveling now.

 

Every circumstance offers unique challenges and gifts. If we get too suck on what we are leaving behind, we can't see the new benefits. I don't believe that the best and only socialization comes from lots of time with same age peers. Lack of same age peers opens up all sorts of new opportunities to socialize. My oldest benefitted so much from working all day with men, many of them from Nepal and Thailand, while he was a teen.

 

Many college recruit students from atypical backgrounds, They are NOT expecting THOSE students to have had a typical education. 

 

Starting out, doesn't require that you stick with it, right? I'll bet you will meet families that will inspire you to keep doing another year. Kids that grow up around adults are different. You'll have to meet them to understand. 

 

I was the kind of homeschool mom that some said, "make homeschoolers look bad", but my kids were thriving anyway. There were a lot of people that watched my boys, and knew if they could be thriving as much as they were with just the crumbs I could provide, that they could do even better. The funny thing is that "more" doesn't always provide better or even as good results, but that's another thread :lol:

 

My advice is to get out there and meet other families doing it. I think seeing their kids will calm your fears. Take it one year at a time.

 

 

[SeaConquest]

 

Health and safety... Drowning, especially with a toddler/preschooler who has more energy than sense of self-preservation. Access to healthcare, though I realize that in populous areas and those catering to tourists this may actually be easier than in the US. I followed the blog of a cruising couple, and they had several close calls with weather and people, despite avoiding hurricane season and the most notoriously dangerous areas... but they were also a middle-age couple without kids, so I suspect that, though generally safety-conscious, it wasn't their highest priority. In any case, I'm definitely not trying to say you shouldn't do it, just that health and safety would be a bigger concern to me than academics.

 

Thank you, Ocelotmom for your response. It was very helpful. 

 

Drowning is always a concern when on the water. We always start the kids swimming very early -- my oldest at 4 months and this baby at 5 weeks. My oldest was able to swim the full length of a pool by 2 and is learning to surf now at 4.5. Having said that, falling overboard is not the same as swimming in a pool. We have safety netting around the boat to minimize issues. While in the marina, our children are always supervised, and while underway, they wear PFD's or remain in the cockpit. We have tethers as well, but we generally just try to avoid sailing in anything other than good weather. Research, preparedness, and just generally being conservative about the conditions in which you will sail (and not being on a schedule to get somewhere by X date) go a long way in avoiding disasters and overall unpleasantness.

 

Re healthcare, we maintain residency in CA while outside of the country, and our kids are insured (just as an FYI, Obamacare now requires insurance Stateside unless you are out of the country 300+ days per year). If there was a serious or chronic issue, we would most definitely return to the States. But, for everyday medical care, we have found that most everywhere outside of the States is very reasonable in cost. I had my baby here in Mexico and my care was managed very closely by a perinatologist (I had gestational diabetes and low fluid), an OB, and a doula. Total cost for my birth, inclusive of twice weekly visits to the doctor with labs, ultrasounds, non-stress tests, etc. was about $3000 USD -- less than many people in the States pay for co-pays and deductibles. We take the baby to a wonderful pediatrician, whose well visits were included in my birth package. For vaccines, we take the baby to the Centro de Salud (a community health center) and they are given free of charge (they never even asked for a birth certificate). I understand that not everywhere we intend to travel will have specialists and care on the level of medical tourism, which is why we maintain coverage back in CA.   

[SeaConquest]

Hmmm - we lived on a sailboat for a year, docked at a marina most of the time, except for about 3 months when we went cruised Puget Sound.  We homeschooled before this, and still do now, and did for that year as well.  Most of my issues were honestly more 'lifestyle' rather then 'homeschool' issues.  For instance - books.  Well, paper is hard, really hard on a boat.  So then you go electronic - but . . . well, electronics can be really hard on a boat.  Even when we had shore power 100% of the time, it was still sometimes all I could do to keep everything running and charged as much as it needed to be.  But this is also very dependent on how your boat is set up.  But let's just say my advice would be multiple power sources that one could be completely down and still be able to run everything with spare capacity.  And then there is the whole, electronics and water (and toddlers) issue.  Make sure that you have very good cases/covers on those electronics.  I also personally think your ability to access the internet is going to be very limited and/or expensive - and I would not count on it at all.  Especially for the ages of your kids.

 

 

Thanks for your response. Our boat is very well equipped for blue water cruising. We have been liveaboards off and on since 2007, and have been steadily retrofitting the boat. We have solar panels, a wind generator, an inverter, and a Honda generator on the deck -- enough power to run things like dishwashers and other major electrical appliances. Neither my husband nor I like to 'rough it' aboard -- our floating home more resembles a condo than a tent, but I understand that tastes and budgets vary extensively in this regard. But, power conservation is always an issue while cruising, especially while at anchor and on passages. 

 

We've cruised before we had children and found internet to be available in most places -- certainly almost all marinas -- though, again, speed varies dramatically. We have a long-range antenna/wifi booster, so we can pick up internet and cell coverage from about 5 miles out. However, there will certainly be remote islands or locations where coverage will be spotty to nonexistent, which is why I would not want to abandon paper curricula/old fashioned books altogether.

[SeaConquest]

I think it would take a particular type of personality to pull that off! If you have it, then go for it!

I would find it incredibly isolating and lonely. 5 years of not being able to meet a friend for dinner? It would be a great adventure, but I could only handle it for a short time. Could you do an initial trip of maybe 2 months and see how that goes? That way you can see what it would be like without a 5 year commitment?

 

I have the same concern. While I would love to just throw caution to the wind, so to speak, I don't want to get out there and find myself or the kids miserable. You do make friends along the way, and loved ones do come visit you in exotic locations, but you are right that there isn't the day-to-day stability of knowing that you will see the same people all the time and have the same routine.

 

We have cruised before, and I did find it difficult, mostly from a logistical and environmental perspective (schlepping laundry/groceries on the dinghy, not having a car/walking/using public transportation, heat/humidity/bugs -- things I never had to deal with growing up in Southern California). I am not sure that I am well-suited to doing it full-time, but knowing that I could come back to the States each year to recharge and reconnect seems much more manageable.

 

While it is possible to take it for a test run, once we move our boat down to Mexico, due to the wind and current, it would be very uncomfortable to bring the boat back to San Diego. It's certainly not impossible -- some people do it every year -- but, it's uncomfortable enough that many/most people pay a boat delivery service to do it or just sell the boat when they get to a place where the effort to return the boat is too great. So, it's a major decision to go, which is why I wanted to solicit feedback and think about all the angles before I commit.

[ocelotmom]

I think it would take a particular type of personality to pull that off! If you have it, then go for it!

I would find it incredibly isolating and lonely. 5 years of not being able to meet a friend for dinner? It would be a great adventure, but I could only handle it for a short time. Could you do an initial trip of maybe 2 months and see how that goes? That way you can see what it would be like without a 5 year commitment?

 

Cruising doesn't usually tend to mean spending long periods of time in isolation. My dad did an Atlantic crossing when he was young, and even that was only a few weeks of actual isolation. With a 5+ year timeframe for the area being covered, they would presumably be traveling for a day or two at a time, then spending weeks to months in a given location. If they're aiming for safe and family friendly, this generally means in a marina or anchorage with a whole bunch of other cruisers, so community quickly develops. There's a lot of making friends and then letting go, but it certainly doesn't have to be isolating unless you specifically set out to do it that way. 

[SeaConquest]

Cruising doesn't usually tend to mean spending long periods of time in isolation. My dad did an Atlantic crossing when he was young, and even that was only a few weeks of actual isolation. With a 5+ year timeframe for the area being covered, they would presumably be traveling for a day or two at a time, then spending weeks to months in a given location. If they're aiming for safe and family friendly, this generally means in a marina or anchorage with a whole bunch of other cruisers, so community quickly develops. There's a lot of making friends and then letting go, but it certainly doesn't have to be isolating unless you specifically set out to do it that way. 

 

Yes, exactly this. Many people enjoy cruising precisely because of the people that they meet and friendships formed. The goal is not to circumnavigate to say that we 'did it.' The goal would be to take our time to explore new places and meet new people in those places. While we would have to maintain a very loose schedule of where to be by X date every year in order to keep the boat out of harm's way, there are many options during hurricane season that afford changes in plans if you decide to explore someplace longer.

 

Honestly, the hardest part for me in the past was the pure physicality of the lifestyle. Lots of things done manually or in a harder way than I've become accustomed (e.g. using public transportation vs. just jumping into my car), which I think would be even more difficult with young ones in tow. At least for me. 

[Guest]

Well I hope that you do this and check in here or blog so that I can live vicariously through you! Wow, how exciting!

[Cosmos]

I am acquainted with a family that sails and homeschools. They go for maybe 8-9 months of the year and then they are here in town for the summer. It seems to work great for them, and their kids are thriving.  They have wonderful stories and seem to have found a community of other people that they interact with. Dinner on the beach, etc.

 

[Hunter]

Okay, I'm getting it more now. The shopping is everything. We had a car when living on the boat.

 

I live in a big city and don't have a car. I have to hump everything I need home on foot or public transportation. I couldn't do it with kids. Not without some type of help. I could never carry THEM, what they needed while we were out, what I need to shop for for me, and what I need to shop for for them. That's three more sets of stuff to carry, on top of what I carry now. Impossible.

 

And I'm realizing that you have more to offer at home than some people do. The contrast of what you can offer on the boat and what you can offer at home may be a lot wider for you than other people. I know many people who moved onto boats, because it increased their quality of life to reduce very expensive housing costs. As much as it sounds like you have made your boat extra nice, it's still not the quality of life you are now enjoying.