LOGO : Site title

Like most young girls, I spent hours daydreaming about my life as an adult. I was going to be a world famous doctor or a school teacher. My husband was going to be either a photographer, a dump truck driver, or a surgeon. My home? Well that was a constant. It was going to be big. It would have an inviting front yard with flowers and lots of grass. My backyard would have a pool, a tree house and a swing set. There would be a family room filled with toys and a garage that would house bikes and wagons. Each child would have their own room and our kitchen would be bright and airy. There would be lots and lots of space to play in.

But fate comes in many different shapes and sizes and mine came in the form of a sailor. My husband, the captain, dreamt of sailing the seven seas, visiting far-off shores and uncharted anchorages. His dream became our dream and his sailboat became my new castle. Goodbye picket fences, hello lifelines. Goodbye storage closet and hello, well, nothing!

Home, sweet home. (photo courtesy of Heather Lochner)

Life for the two of us was romantic. We spent summers sailing the BC coastline. During the winter, we would curl up together and listen to the rain beating down. People thought we had a great lifestyle, until we became pregnant. Suddenly they became concerned for me and my unborn child and would tell me, “You can’t raise a child on a boat!” They would say things like, “What if they fell in?” or “There isn’t enough room for the kids!” or “You must be crazy!”

Yes, I worried about them falling in, so my husband enclosed the boat with netting. I fretted about the amount of space, so we created new storage areas. We spent many hours researching children's products that would work on a boat. A bassinette replaced the crib. We found collapsable toys. Our highchair clips onto the side of a table. And to be truthful, when my son was three weeks old, we bought a bigger boat. We went from 42 feet to 48 feet. That may sound like nothing to you, but for us it was a luxurious addition.

For those of you who are wondering, we live at a co-op marina in False Creek in Vancouver. There are approximately 55 live-aboard boats here, four of which have kids onboard. There is laundry, showers, a large common room and even a sauna. We have garbage pickup, a community garden and a secured parking garage. As I mentioned, our boat is 48 feet long with a maximum width of 15 feet. We basically have just under 500 square feet of indoor living space. Our boat has internet access, a telephone line and cable. Like other parents, I know all about Treehouse and Kids CBC. My mail gets delivered here. The biggest living arrangement difference between me and most of my friends comes down to two key points – I have less space and my home floats.

A tender moment below deck. (photo courtesy of Heather Lochner)

Perhaps I am minimizing things. Living on a boat requires a lot of planning. For example, doing the laundry is not as easy as tossing it in and then flipping it when the time comes. Our laundry room is down the dock. The marina has 4 washing machines and 6 dryers, and if they're all full, you can’t leave the laundry there, it comes home with you until there is a free washer. Initially, as I am home with the kids, I suggested this chore be mine, but as the kids grew, it became harder to manage. The last thing I want to do is haul a bag filled with dirty clothes down the dock while carrying one child and ensuring the other walks down the centre of the dock. We tried different systems – laundry at night, laundry on weekends – but it didn’t work. Now, my husband does the laundry and I fold it and put it away. So simple. Yet so hard to figure out.

And then there is the dock. How do you give a three year old some freedom, but ensure they don’t end up in the water? Lucas is out of a stroller, hates to be carried and wants to run everywhere. What is a parent to do? We taught him safety and made a game out of it. On almost every outing, I challenge my son to walk down the middle of the dock. Walk, not run. Middle, not the sides. Strangely enough, he loves the test and strives for a perfect score or staying the proper course. My daughter? She is two and is not the most co-ordinated of creatures. She can only walk the dock if holding our hands. Otherwise, it’s the stroller.

They sure make some cute pirates these days! (photo courtesy of Heather Lochner)

Safety is our number one priority. The kids are not allowed on deck without a parent being present. Our boat is enclosed with netting along the sides. When sailing, at anchor, or on a foreign dock, lifejackets are mandatory, unless they are below deck. No running on the docks. No throwing toys or other objects into the water. No getting off the boat. I suspect it is somewhat similar to teaching a child not to leave the house and run into traffic.

A lot of people ask me why I do this. Why raise a family this way? There are so many reasons. I can stay at home with the kids; we love sailing and dream of taking the family on a multi-year adventure; we like our community. It has taken some getting used to and trust me, there have been difficult moments, but all in all, I love my lifestyle. I live in a fabulous neighbourhood in the centre of a great city. There is a community centre and a school nearby. My husband walks to work and there are plenty of parks in close proximity for the kids. It may not be for everyone, but at the moment, living on a boat is right for us. And oh yes, we also have a dog!