The Scruffy and Salty Crew
Sarah, Santiago and Conrad… Sailing past the Eiffel Tower
Instagram: http://Instagram.com/smallvegankitchen
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/scruffyandsalty
Facebook: http://Facebook.com/samllvegankitchen
Website: http://www.smallvegankitchen.com
Website: http://www.seardmarine.com
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conrad-fowler-95807152/
Names and Ages of people on the boat?
Conrad – 46, Sarah – 48, Santiago – 9 :FOWLER
How long have you been living on a sailboat while travelling?
We started off in 2021 in a 30ft Halmatic called Vega then as the waterline became pretty low and space was short, we sold her and bought a Sigma 41 which we have been on since April 2023
What were you doing before you moved aboard?
Conrad was a superyacht engineer on 40m sailboats as sole engineer
Sarah was homeschooling and part-time Business Coach
Motivation: What inspired you to embark on a sailing adventure?
We bought a boat (Beneteau idylle 13.5m) back in 2010 in the Caribbean and sailed the windward leeward islands for a year before we had Santiago. Since then, we have always thought it would be an amazing experience as a family to be liveaboard cruisers sailing around the world. We also believe for Santiago this is the very best life we can give him.
We all love sailing, being out on the water, travelling to new place and waking up to a new horizon. We also love challenges, and liveaboard life certainly provides enough of them to keep things interesting.
Any unforgettable destinations / moments you have been to or experienced?
Having a 30ft long keel boat we were fortunate enough to head north up the French rivers back in 2022. It was such a lovely slow pace, and a lot of the day-to-day sailing life stresses disappeared. You can basically tie up anywhere, do not have to think about wind speed or direction, no tide issues and whilst not able to put the sails up it was such a pleasant and relaxing experience. The highlight was sailing past the Eiffel tower, albeit in the rain. Spirits were high and memories were most definitely made as were good friends.
The Scilly Isles was another highlight. We have been there twice, and both times were spoilt with fantastic weather and great company. It is a place we would love to live if we ever make it to land life!
Is there a typical day for your family on a sailboat?
Every day presents itself differently. We obviously do maintenance, homeschooling, and general jobs but apart from that it could be a swim, a snorkel, a paddle, a walk, provisioning and in my case baking!
We also fit in work as and when we can. My husband generally finds work troubleshooting and repairing boats we meet on the way, and I coach cruisers and sailors in provisioning and cooking nutrient rich, plant-based meals from the smallest of kitchens with minimal equipment to support their active lifestyle.
How do you handle education and schooling?
This is probably one of the trickiest aspects of our liveaboard life. Our son is 9, dyslexic and has a high IQ. At first, we followed the French curriculum for homeschooling and whilst it ticked the “my kid is doing school” box it was difficult for him to be independent because of his reading level. So, we scrapped that idea and spent one whole year just focused on reading via different mediums and topics mainly child-led. It paid off as at 8.5 years he managed to read at his age level which was fantastic.
When we stop anywhere for any length of time, we put him in a local school as he is trilingual this has been a great way for him to get the much needed socialisation for a child his age. We also find activities and clubs for him to go to.
After 3 years as full-time liveaboard cruisers, we have come to the realisation that in our particular situation it is difficult and unrealistic to impose a structure and timetable in an unstructured lifestyle. In my experience children are eager to learn and are naturally curious and especially for children under the age of critical exam stages a child led approach together with all that entails, a daily life onboard is more than enough to prepare him for his future.
Obviously each child is different and the most important thing is that the individual childs needs are met.
Santiago sailing ‘Kahu’
What were the biggest challenges you find about this lifestyle?
As mentioned above, school is always a source of anxiety, more our own than that of our son. Are we doing it right? Are we giving him a good education? Are we preparing him well enough for his future?
Sometimes money can be a struggle, not having a regular income means we are quite frugal in our day to day spends. The biggest expense we have apart from maintenance is food. As I am passionate about this topic and love to spend heaps of time in the galley we have this expense pretty much under control.
Has this lifestyle helped you grow and learn?
Yes, yes and yes! We are a tight family unit, a strong team and must communicate honestly for things to work out. It means that whilst things aren´t always rosy, we have the tools and compassion to work through it together.
How do you connect with others while sailing?
There is a great app called Noforeignland.com which allows you to see other boats nearby and connect. There is also a Facebook group which is called Kids for Sail which has a monthly roll call per location. Finally, I think it is important to just wear a smile and make a conscious effort to talk to other cruisers in the anchorage. Having a child really does facilitate that as they make friends really easy.
Do you have any memorable cultural experiences?
At the moment we haven’t actually visited any countries on the boat we hadn’t already visited or lived in. (That will teach us for being such experienced travellers!) We are really looking forward to experiencing the Pacific as that is relatively unknown to us all.
What items would you not go without ?
Conrad: My 7 boxes of tools, Leatherman
Sarah: My spatula, cookbooks, pressure cooker and blender.
Santiago: Kindle, surfskate, paddle board, camera
What Lies Ahead: Do you have future plans or new destinations in mind?
For family health reasons, we have decided to postpone our transatlantic till the end of 2024 and in the meantime cruise the Canary Islands with a base in Lanzarote.
As Conrad and I have spent quite a bit of time cruising the Caribbean, we are quite happy once we cross the Atlantic to head to Panama for a while before going through the Panama Canal.
The Galapagos is on our list and then enjoy the Pacific, but as long as we are all together on the boat it really doesn´t matter.
Do you have a heartfelt message or piece of wisdom or advice for people looking to embark on similar adventures?
I guess two techniques when thinking about making a life changing decision that I use when coaching people:
What would your 10-year older self tell you to do?
What would happen if you embark on this journey? What would happen if you don´t? A good read and digest of answers to both question generally gives clarity on which is the best way forward
There is no right or wrong way to live life, but I do believe we are happiest when we tune into what is best for us.
I would also add 10% onto any financial calculation you make to take into account for any risks that might occur.
