S/V Mothership - That’s us!
The Wood family from the UK - Irenka (53), Alan (Woody) (55), Rowan (G17), Darry (B14), (Yewan B11) have been slowly circumnavigating the globe since 2017.
Memorable Beginning: Do you have a memorable moment from your first weeks afloat?
I spent many weeks preparing the boat in the yard before launching. When Irenka stepped onboard for the first time she burst into tears at the sheer relief that we’d finally made the dream a reality after so many years of frustration and planning. The kids were really excited and made their cabins into their own little dens.
However, we were unfamiliar with the boat systems and when the holding tank filled up and began spraying its content from the breather hole over the deck and onto neighbouring boats it reminded us we that we needed to get out to sea asap and also that we still had steep learning curve ahead of us.
Boat: Tell us about your sailboat and its unique features.
Our 16m Amel Supermaramu has an enviable reputation of being one of the strongest production sailboats ever built. It is a ketch rigged, fibreglass monohull with an encapsulated hull. It has a spacious engine room, two dedicated cabins and many of the features you’d expect of a true bluewater cruiser. However, S/V Mothership is over 25 years old now and like many boats of that age, it takes a lot of maintaining.
S/V Mothership - 1997 Amel Super Maramu - cruising the Ionian Islands - Greece
Memorable Stops: List a few unforgettable destinations you've visited.
We all have favourite individual moments and every place we’ve visited holds precious memories. Some destinations were unforgettable for the people we met, the breathtaking beauty or the incredible wildlife. Some, like the jungle hike to the Lost City in Colombia were a highlight because of the challenge of it all and people we did it with.
However, some of the ‘standout’ destinations include the San Blas Islands In Panama, The Galapagos Islands in The South Pacific, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Ibiza in the Balearics, Suriname in South America but the place we’re really looking forward to returning to is Greece, which is our spiritual sailing home. It’s where Irenka and I first met, it’s where we started our family adventure and the combination of history, beauty and food make for an awesome sailing and hiking destination.
Challenging Routes: Did you take any challenging or unexpected routes?
The passages that proved the most challenging tended to be the ones following a longitudinal route. Cadiz to the Canary Islands, Panama to the Galapagos, Suriname to Martinique and Fiji to New Zealand. They all had their moments of drama and and unpredictability, mainly because of the different weather systems and ocean currents competing against each other.
The absolute worst was probably the route between Surinam and Martinique. Our autopilot broke a day into our journey but we decided to continue steering by hand anyway for the raining 5 days and nights. We were warned to stay well clear of the Venezuelan because of recent pirate activity but the wind crept around on to the nose and continually tried to push us towards the coast. Then Irenka broke her finger when she caught it in the winch. On arriving in Martinique we had to quarantine for 7 days (Covid restrictions) before we could go see a doctor and by then she needed an operation to reset the break. Not our best journey!
Rowan on her foldable bike enjoying the view from the Island of Antipaxos - Greece
Typical Day: Briefly describe a typical day for your family on the sailboat.
After lunch (probably left overs from the weekend!) I’ll remove an engine part and take to a local mechanic for repair then probably continue with some routine maintenance onboard for most of the afternoon. Irenka and the kids will take the dinghy in to town to fill up water canisters and do some provisioning before going for a swim at a local lagoon.
Later, we’ll make dinner with the Tuna we caught a few weeks ago (we’re defrosting the freezer at the moment) and plan for the next passage, perhaps exchanging some information and ideas with our buddy boat anchored near us.
We’ll finish the day watching (probably) a David Attenborough documentary on the laptop then when the boys are in bed Irenka and I will do some editing for our YouTube channels before heading to bed ourselves around 11-12pm.
Education at Sea: How do you handle education for the children?
As anyone who had to homeschool their kids during the Covid lockdowns they’ll know how difficult it is to get the kids to sit down and concentrate. Now imagine the discomfort and distractions there are when travelling by sailboat!
Every travelling family we’ve ever met approaches boat schooling differently but we try to stick to a morning routine of around 3 - 4 hours of book based learning and a curriculum based on the UK GCSE system. We try and encourage the kids to ‘self teach’ and read, research and take responsibility for their own learning as much as possible and ask questions when they get stuck. Irenka marks their work to make sure they’re not staying too far off the track which is a really important if time consuming step. We also supplement that with loads of field trips, online resources and documentaries. We don’t do schooling at weekends and ‘holidays’ are dictated by our travel plans.
On passage we tend to just listen to audio books and ease off any formal book learning. It’s a haphazard approach that has evolved organically over the years but it works for our family dynamic.
Rowan amused at hair cutting effort.. Darry, not so much - San Blas Archipelago - Panama
Money at Sea: Do you work onboard (digital nomad) or live off investments / savings?
The majority of our income, comes from renting our home in the UK. We ‘work’ on our YouTube channel most weekday evenings which takes a lot of time. Our Youtube ad revue is small but our Patreon family supports us in our blogging efforts and it is a vital supplement to our main rental income. We are currently developing our Patreon page, turning it into an online mentorship program offering guidance and help to other families who are just starting out on their journey. Over time we hope to create digital products which will generate further income.
Overcoming Obstacles: What were the biggest challenges your family faced?
I guess the biggest obstacle to leaving was money. We set up an RYA training centre in 2005 and it grew steadily until 2008. We borrowed heavily to expand the business into chartering just before the financial crisis of 2009 and our bookings dropped off a cliff.
We put the business up for sale in 2010 but there were no buyers so we had to brake it up and sell off the boats and other assets. After five years of really, really hard work we barely broke even. On top of that my Mam died and then we discovered we had another child on the way. It set back our moral, finances and travel plans back for years.
However, bit by bit we picked ourselves up, started other small business and income streams and eventually built up enough funds to finally head off in 2017.
Boys foraging for coconuts to make coconut bread on Yadua Island - Fiji
A Tough Situation: Did you overcoming a particularly tough situation?
There is a (not so funny) joke amongst seasoned cruisers that cruising is just ‘fixing boats in exotic locations’. Old boats like ours need constant attention and occasionally a LOT of attention.
While in Colombia we briefly stopped in a marina and plugged into the local electricity supply. Overnight, our entire battery bank melted. We struggled to even separate the swollen batteries to remove them from the boat. It was hot, humid and the mosquitoes were relentless. We couldn’t even run fans at night because of the battery situation. Our buddy boats had to move on from Colombia because of their insurance while we struggled to find replacement batteries.
We really, really felt like giving up at that point (and several other times since!). But something inside told us always tells us hold on. We eventually found some temporary batteries to get us through the San Blas Islands and on to Panama, where Battleborn, on hearing our story replaced our entire bank with lithium batteries.. for free!
We slowly built up your funds again and eventually carried on through the Canal and into the South Pacific where we had fantastic experiences. You have always got to remind yourself that situation like these are only temporary and better times lie ahead.
Growth and Learning: How has the experience / lifestyle helped your family grow and learn?
When you’re off-grid, in a foreign country there really is no safety net other than your own resilience, tenacity and self reliance. You often endure pain and hardship together but then share unbelievable once in a lifetime experiences. Living in such close proximity we see each other at our best and worst and understand each others strengths and weaknesses. Like muscle, the constant strain and flexing of our life together and shared experiences just makes family bonds stronger
Irenka cleaning up the engine bay after repairing grey water bilge pump on S/V Mothership
Social Seas: How do you connect with others while sailing?
It was evident very early in our adventure that kids really need to be around other kids. We are connected to a fantastic network of ‘buddy boats’ who also subscribe to a ‘kids need kids’ mindset and we often sail together and meet up in anchorages. It is an interchangeable and fluid community but very supportive and empathetic. We tend to stay in touch via social media groups like the Facebook group Kids4Sail and specialist sailing community forums such as No Foreign Land.
Starlink has been a game changer. Until very recently, when arriving in a new country or territory we’d have to trek to a local town with our passports and hunt down sim cards before we could get online. Now, we can get online in the middle of the ocean, which is both a blessing and a curse I guess.
Kogi Shaman holding ceremony in Lost City - Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta - Colombia
Words of Wisdom: What advice do you have for families considering this lifestyle?
It’s not all sunsets, leaping whales and cultural enrichment. Obviously enjoy those moments when they happen but also be prepared for the unexpected challenges and embrace those moments as a test of your resilience and self reliance. Buy a good boat from the most reliable and trusted source you can.
Don’t try to re-create your home life onboard and lean gently into cruising life. Give yourself at least six months to acclimatise. Treat the weather and your boat like two overbearing aunties. They will have differing ideas, deadlines, goals and expectations to you, so learn to listen to them because at the end of the day, they will have their own way no matter what!
Safety First: How do you manage safety and emergencies on your journey?
Knowledge is by far the greatest defence against disaster. Whether it’s storms, pirates or deadly creatures, to be forwarded is to be forearmed. We have a community of very knowledgeable and experienced people we can rely on to crowd source decisions, although in the sailing world it is often difficult to separate the knowledgeable from the merely opinionated. Confidence often masks insecurity and humility often masks wisdom.
We have had a few emergencies at sea and it may be a cliche to, ’stay calm’ but a few seconds assessing a situation can prevent you from lunging headlong into disaster. It helps to have procedures practiced and in place for such things like sending a mayday or recovering a man-overboard where everyone is aware of their role.
On a ferry in Greece we spotted a women in the sea miles from shore. Immediately the kids stood up and pointed at the casualty, never taking their eyes of her and just as we’d rehearsed our MOB procedure on the boat.
Boat schooling sometimes involves learning traditional navigation on S/V Mothership
What Lies Ahead: Do you have future plans or new destinations in mind?
After a year in the South Pacific we’re now heading to Asia and looking forward to new adventures and new cultural and culinary experiences! Our plan is to reach Thailand by the end of the year and from there we’ll assess the Red Sea route in light of the current situation in the middle east. This will dictate whether we push on through to the Suez Canal to complete our circumnavigation in the Mediterranean or head south around the Cape of Good Hope.. and who knows from there?
Do you have a heartfelt message or piece of wisdom/advice for families looking to embark on similar adventures?
Living this lifestyle is not easy and certainly not a panacea for problems at home or in your family life. Make sure you are doing this for all the right reasons and everyone in the family is onboard with the idea and prepared for the journey ahead.. and that includes the boat.
Your kids will absorb more than you will ever know from the experience and you’ll be gifting them the most incredible experiences that they will treasure for the rest of their lives. Just don’t expect any gratitude when boat schooling needs to be done, when the weather turns nasty or you’re weeks away from the nearest coast!
Do as much prep work as you can before leaving, but don’t let this prevent you from getting out there. Most boats never lose sight of land.. don’t let yours be one of them.
S/V Mothership healed over, crossing from the Canary Islands to Suriname - Atlantic Ocean
