Author's blog: fresh thoughts for adventurous minds

From Liveaboard Sailor to Landlubber

A sailor who read my article about selling our boat in Australia asked: Are you left standing there on the dock with all your family possessions? What then? How do you deal with the "stuff"? What will your family do next? Read more here.

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Six Tips for Homeschooling Sailors

Taking your children’s education to sea is not always simple, but neither is it a deeply complicated mystery. With careful decision-making and sensible preparations – just what you need for going cruising in general – you can let your children profit from an incredible learning opportunity. Read more here.

Many Hands Make Light Work

You’d think that a solitary South Seas anchorage filling up with sixty sailors aboard six charter catamarans would spell bad news for the handful of full-time cruisers already moored there. Instead, it was the prelude to one of our fondest South Pacific memories. Read more here.

Spicing Up Down Time

It’s easy to spice up down time for your kids, whether that’s on your next road trip, a visit to the grandparents, or a quiet weekend at home (for us sailors, that means a quiet day afloat). Just try the following activities to speed up slow hours for a fun ‭(and educational) family time. Read more here.

Home-Schooling: What About Social Skills?

There seems to be a common myth that sailing children are too isolated to develop healthy social skills. I worried about it, too, before setting off for our first sailing adventure. But now that we’ve sailed halfway around the world and lived aboard our 35 foot sloop for four years, I can assure you that the family adventure of a lifetime awaits... Read more here.

NEWS: Announcing a third edition of Lesson Plans Ahoy!

Whew! After years of steadily widening the scope of the original edition, I've just come out with a third paperback edition of Lesson Plans Ahoy, which includes new insights gained over three years of sailing the Pacific and brings the paperback and e-book editions in line with each other. Read more here.

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The Laundry’s Day Out

Not every sailor does their laundry in a bucket. But hand washing has its hidden charms, especially on a quiet Pacific island like Vanuatu’s Erromango...
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Motivation, Part 2: When to stick to your routine, and when to break it

Some days, even the best of us fall into a rut and drag our heels. That's when it might be time to break your routine and put the pep back into your lessons. Continue reading ...

Motivation, Part 1: It's all in the packaging

Remember that old trick to quiet kids down? Let's see who can be quiet for the longest time! It worked as long as the kids thought it was a game. Something special. Different. Fun. The same trick can be applied to schooling – just try a photo essay.
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All Treat, No Trick: Halloween in Tonga

Just how do you “do” Halloween in a remote Pacific anchorage?
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