When we found out we were pregnant with our first daughter we had a big decision to make, continue on with dream of sailing the Caribbean or settle down in Canada and create a more stable lifestyle for ourselves. Obviously, one of those sounds a lot less exciting than the other. We opted for the first option, kept the mindset that our kid was portable and would be able to join us on our sailing adventure. So we packed everything up, sold what we could, and jumped in head first.
Five years later, we now have two daughters. At first we got a little bit of grief from our families as we whisked their granddaughters off to the sea, but looking at all the pictures we sent home it was beyond reproach that these girls were meant to be raised living a life less ordinary and they thrive in this environment. They are made to be beach bums.
Both have been raised on a boat, their toes in the ocean, and their minds open to any adventure. These youngins' are afraid of nothing, be it kite-boarding with their papa, or playing with stingrays, or jumping off of boats. The higher the jump, or the more extreme the sport, the more they seem attracted to it. If it looks like fun they want in. In many cases they show more bravery than even me.
It has not all been easy sailing and pina coladas. In our five years sailing we have had our share of scary weather, seasickness, boredom, missing friends and family, and a few "haters" that question our parenting choices. But we think that to be able to raise our daughters this way outweighs all of that. Our girls have grown up with each other and us, their parents, 24/7. The bonds that we are forming will hopefully stay strong and save us in those horrifying teenage years.
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We got them sailing right from the start
When they are this small, children are portable and easy to travel with. We found it extremely easy to sail with our girls once everyone got the hang of it. It felt like the girls were just along for the ride. We could take them anywhere | Georgetown, Bahamas
Nature's classroom
There are so many things that our girls find on the beaches and in the water that we are never at a loss of things to teach them. Here Arias found, and dove down on her own, to get a starfish | St. John, USVIs
No jump is too high
If she can jump off of it she will. Luckily for us, most of her options mean that there is water below | St. Thomas, USVIs
Arias' stingray pets
In Georgetown, Bahamas there are some docile stingrays. Arias used to thing that they were her personal pets. She would go out daily and play with them. And if any tourists came along our two year old would give them the low down on how to approach, pet, and feed them | Georgetown, Bahamas
Non stop adventure
We are always on the move, both to keep ourselves and the girls busy | St. John, USVI
Ellia on her 3 year old snorkeling adventures
If her big sister can do it so can she. Before she could fully swim she was begging us for her own snorkel. Now this little mermaid can snorkel better than many adult and loves to see whats in the deep blue sea | St. Thomas, USVIs
Their creepy friends
When all of nature is your backyard you become good friends with things like hermit crabs, sea turtles, starfish, and stingrays. The girls are always picking up little creatures, observing them, and then setting them free | St. Thomas, USVIs
The youngest Duathaloner
She may have been the only one in her division, since no other kids her age wanted to participate, but Arias' rocked the duathalon and won! | Georgetown, Bahamas
Not always sunshine and rainbows
Sailing can be a scary thing. Add your two children into the mix and your stress levels skyrocket. Right from the start our girls learned their boundaries on the boat so that they could stay safe | Luperon, Dominican Republic
Our five year old kiteboarding
Eben started kiteboarding while we were in the Dominican Republic. Since then Arias has always wanted to try. Once Eben gave her a little taste of it (piggy backing her for the ride), she is hooked. The next step will be to buy her her own kite | Anegada, BVIs
Learning the ropes of sailing with a baby
It didn't take us too long to get used to everyone's roles when we were sailing. Most of the time Eben is at the helm and I am on baby entertaining duty. As the girls have gotten older my job has been easier and I am able to help Eben a little more with the boat duties | Georgetown, Bahamas
The remora boat buddy
These sticky fish suctions to the bottom of the sailboat and hitch a free ride. The girls wanted to feel for themselves what the suctioning felt like. Their curious little minds push them past the fear that most children would feel and they were all hands on | St. Thomas, USVIs
Arias back out on the water
Out for her second time kiteboarding, Arias rode on Eben's back all the way across the bay. Showing no fear. She came back running and jumping, asking when she could go next | Anegada, BVIs
Unconventional Schooling
It's not like we are just galavanting the world and leaving our daughters' basic education on the wayside. I used to teach English to preschool and elementary school aged kids. Our daughters have both surpassed their grade levels | somewhere in Puerto Rico
Introducing baby to the ocean
When we set of sailing with our baby we thought we would be doing this adventure for a year maybe. We are now going on five years sailing the Caribbean and these waters have become our children's backyard | Georgetown, Bahamas
SUP baby
Ellia saw some other (older) kids paddling around the bay by themselves, and so she wanted to learn how to do it too, "By Myself Mama!" We may have to get a shorter paddle to give her a fighting chance | St. John, USVIs
Bonding with my girls
Raising our daughters on the boat means that they get to be with both their parents 24/7. It is a rare that any child gets to experience this and we feel fortunate that we have the time and money to do it at this point in their lives | St. Thomas, USVIs
Discovering new islands
Hiking is one of our favorite ways to see a new island. Our girls are finally big enough to do the walking on their own, and now they want to bring their babies exploring too | Virgin Gorda, BVIs
Sister love
It doesn't happen very often that we come across other boats with kids. When we do we definitely take advantage and have non stop playdates. But in the off-times, our girls have become their very own "frenemies" | Mona Passage, Puerto Rico
Travel moments to remember
A lot of people tell us that because of their ages our daughters may not remember all of these adventures. But we know that whether or not they remember, these experiences are developing strong, open-minded and adventurous characters | Virgin Gorda, BVIs)
A backyard with a view
When beaches across the caribbean are your backyard you get used to views like this. The girls have never found it strange that we are constantly bouncing around, they see it as an adventure where we get to go "discover new islands" | St. Thomas, USVIs