About us
Some introductions. . .
Captain and Chief Engineer – Kevin
Kevin is captain of the boat and the family. He is an mechanical engineer and does consultant work when not taking care of the kids. He has a very analytical mind and is eager to delve into the technical side of sailing. He thinks nothing of rebuilding batteries from scratch or re-wiring instruments. This trip was his idea and dream since his youth. He has completed the numerous ASA classes as well as the RYA Day Skipper and Coastal Skipper courses. He has also done the Yacht Master Theory. Kevin is always looking for the next adventure. He is the instigator of all our adventures; such as rock climbing through out western North America, mountaineering and biking across France! When he is not planning our next trip, he is cooking dinners, driving the kids to activities and coaching baseball.
Chief Medical Officer and First Mate – Jennie
Jennie is a family doctor who also does maternity care. She has a lovely practice in Victoria that she is happy to know is being well cared for while she is gone. She will miss catching babies while she is away, but is excited for a year with her own children and husband (not to mention no night shifts for a whole year!). Jennie has a little sailing experience and has taken some courses but she since it has been a while, hopes it will come back quickly. She is always eager to have new experiences so she happily agrees to all of Kevin’s suggested adventures, however wild they may seem. Jennie spends her little spare time playing the piano and dabbling in creative endeavors like painting and crochet.
Second Mate- Owen
Owen is 14 years old. He is very eager to learn and loves learning from his Dad in particular. He has interests in the mechanical side of things but also other cultures and things that are new to him. He reads furiously. This trip will require that he takes a break from his other usual activities including karate and baseball. We hope to plan the trip so that he only misses one baseball season. He will also miss band, but will be practicing his trumpet on board to keep up his skills.
Entertainment Officer and Sous Chef – Halyna
Halyna is 12 years old. She loves food, cooking and baking. She looks forward to exploring the world though food. Thanks to her, we will probably try many of the local recipes out on our boat. She is also our violin player on the boat, although she isn’t always eager to practice. She is one of the best swimmers in the family and loves being in the water. She is in charge of keeping the boat toys organized.
Ships Boy – Simon
Simon is 8 years old. He plans to journal about all the animals he sees along the way, both those under the water and on land. He has always had a strong interest in animals. He also looks forward to seeing and maybe playing soccer/football in other countries. Simon is very energetic and it will likely be challenging for him to be limited to the space on the boat at times. However, he also loves his home and is happy to be traveling with his home! Simon will be taking a break from his karate but will continue to practice the piano while on board. We are bringing a keyboard on the boat.
Seagirl – Norah
Norah is 6 years old! She does a great job of keeping up with her siblings despite her small size. She has come a long way with her swimming in the last few months after a slow introduction to the pool due to the pandemic. She looks forward to learning more about the world through our travels but also through books as she learns to read on our trip. She is trying to be as involved in things as she can be.
The Boat – Seasura
Seasura is a Fountaine Pajot Eleuthera 60. It is a catamaran to give us lots of space and comfort. It has 4 cabins and 4 heads plus a crew cabin and head. The cabins are located in the hulls. The galley, navigation station and saloon are located in the deck house. The boat was built in 2004. We purchased it for this trip and it was previously used as a charter. When we got the boat, it was located in Cariacou, Grenada. It has a long list of repairs and upgrades that are needed to make it ready for our trip but Kevin is up to the task.
We picked the name ‘Seasura’ as play on the word caesura. A caesura is a pause in music, usually just long enough for a trumpet player to take a breath. We are bringing musical instruments, including a trumpet, on board as music is important to our family. As well, we feel this trip is a ‘pause’ from our busy life of work, school and extra-curricular activities; to have quality family time on a once in a lifetime adventure.