Want to find out more about living and sailing on a boat with children before you commit to a change of lifestyle or find some tips and tricks you could use yourself if you already live aboard? Read on to find out how Jessica manages it!
Jessica (33) & Ryan (35) live aboard their 2000 Lagoon 410 Sailing Catamaran with their daughter Kira (2) and their dog Arya. They have spent time exploring the Caribbean and plan to return there to finish exploring once baby #2 arrives. After that, they intend to sail to the Pacific via the Panama Canal.
Tell us a bit about yourself...
What are your names, where is home and when did you leave etc?
We are Jessica, Ryan, Kira, and Arya (our dog).
Our home is on ‘Honu’, she’s a year 2000 Lagoon 410 Sailing Catamaran. We are converting her from a charter version to an owners version.
We moved onto ‘Honu’ about three years ago on November 1st, 2017.
I’m originally from California and Ryan is originally from North Carolina. We met in Hawaii when we were living there in 2012.
Why do you choose to live this lifestyle?
We have been backpackers on and off before the boat. A month after we met, we backpacked in Thailand and Cambodia together. We also backpacked some of South America and then did one big eight month backpacking trip through Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand.
After that trip we moved to Austin, TX. I turned on a documentary, ‘Maidentrip’ and we thought if a 14 to 16 year old girl could sail around the world by herself then we probably could learn!
We decided in one day that we wanted to live on a boat and take advantage of the fact that Ryan could work online. We live this lifestyle for freedom. Traveling with our home is easier, especially with kids and a dog, and it’s easier to see remote islands this way.
What do your friends and family think about you living and travelling on a boat?
Some think it’s cool and some think we are crazy. Lol
Did you spend any/much time aboard while you were pregnant?
During my first pregnancy, I was on the boat until the last month. We moved into Ryan’s parents house for four months to get help with the baby and to make life easier.
During my pregnancy with Kira, we went to the Bahamas during the second trimester.
With my current pregnancy, we are moving off the boat at the start of my third trimester.
How old was your daughter when she moved aboard?
She was 3 months old.
What modifications have you had to make to your boat to have your daughter onboard safely?
We installed a lee cloth type net with a zipper to keep her from falling out of bed. It’s also where we put her to be safe if I have to help above deck in urgent situations. We installed baby gates at the stairs and to the cockpit, as well as put netting around the lifelines.
What pieces of equipment do you have onboard for your daughter that you consider to be vital?
Of course a life jacket. I have researched and found some useful foldable baby products which are a foldable silicone bathtub, a WAYB foldable car seat, camping high chair, Zoe stroller, and a baby carrier. When she was a baby we used the Dock a Tot bed, jolly jumper, and a small bouncer chair. An iPad with movies and games for passages is vital for us as well.
Do you have any funny stories that involve your daughter you'd like to share?
I forget where we were, but when Kira was 1 year old, we were at someone’s house and she would automatically step over the door threshold when there was nothing to step over!
How do you keep her occupied onboard?
We have a bunch of toys and books onboard.
What does your daughter do while you're on passage?
On passages we let her use the iPad and she plays games and watches movies.
How does she cope when it gets rough?
Only one time she has thrown up when it was rough. Most of the time though she doesn’t seem to mind.
What are you doing to make sure your daughter is able to socialise with others?
We have connected with some other boat toddlers and had playdates.
Have you had any surprises along the way?
It was a surprise that I couldn’t get as much done or help Ryan with handling the boat. He has had to single-hand it a lot!
What's the best thing about living onboard with your daughter?
The best thing about living onboard with our daughter is that we get to spend a lot of time together and show her some really neat places. It’s nice to be able to travel and have a family at the same time.
What's the worst thing about living onboard with your daughter?
Lack of convenience such as a washer/drier, dishwasher, and car. It’s also hard not having family there to babysit. We had Ryan’s cousin onboard for a little while and that was nice because she helped Ryan with the boat and babysat so that we could snorkel or run errands.
What tips and tricks have you picked up along the way to make your life easier?
Having her room be a safe place to put her and installing a baby camera in there to watch and make sure she’s okay.
What does the future hold for you?
Working on baby #2 at the moment. After the newborn phase we will move back on the boat and start cruising again! We would like to finish seeing the Caribbean and then go through the Panama Canal.
What advice would you share with a sailing mumma-to-be?
Try to choose and find the most minimalistic items because it’s easy for babies and toddlers to accumulate a lot of stuff. Also have fun! You get to show them the world in a unique way.
Find out more...
I hope you enjoyed reading this interview and finding out more about living on a boat with children.
If you’d like to find out more about Jessica and follow her on her journey, you can visit her website here and follow her on social media.
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