Life and Challenges of Our Sailing Family Living Aboard

Last week the breaking
news in the States was about a sailor family who was crossing the Pacific
Ocean, the biggest Ocean in the world. They were already 900 miles off Mexico.
What was the big deal? It seems all smooth sailing in the waves and wind if no
one gets sick. The youngest crew onboard, a one year old baby girl, got ill
from complication after a Salmonella infection contracted prior to departure and,
at the same time, the vessel lost its capacity to steer and had no electric
power onboard. As last resource the family decided to press the distress bottom
of their EPIRB (Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon) system to seek help from the United States
Coast Guard.

I’m not sure if in
Macau, Portugal or Thailand this news was reported, we are not up to date about
the news going on TV in our countries! However, this emergency and safety issue
should be what our family and friends are concerned about, as well as us. They were
an American family from San Diego, the man was a US Coast Guard captain
holder and the wife was a former teacher, they were travelling with their
babies, 3 and 1 year old girls. In the States they were criticized for bringing
such small babies in this trip. Some say they were selfish, some said they were
irresponsible, one even suggested that they should invest their money on a big
screen TV for the kids to watch cartoons at home! After a while the discussion
was already about who would pay for the rescue bill! Was it being paid by the
US tax payers?

For me as mother of a one
year old baby girl, I’m happy that their little one recovered and got better.
Most of the comments didn’t even ask about the child health. I just hope it
won’t happen the same to us! Accusing us, sailors who live with young kids
aboard, without even knowing us or know how healthy our lifestyle is. The lack
of Government or private support to our trip can’t even be compared with what
happen to the Kaufmans, but the reason behind it seems to be the same. Before
we left Macau we heard some rumors that the Macau Government didn’t recognize
or support us because we bring our baby! We don’t know if it’s true, but if it
is, at least they should invite us to explain. Or, should we leave our baby
behind?! Even our “Sail Around The World” trip tries to carry the Macau flag
and promote the first encounter of the East with the West (between Portugal and
China) no organization officially supported us. One of the Macau private companies
even asked if we changed our mind after a while and then they offered to sponsor
but the money offered was just shy of the money we spend on a good bottle of
wine! We, unfortunately, don’t have friends in important positions, if we do,
probably the Government and the private will see how important it is!

Only one of all my colleagues
told me that it will be great for our baby to have the opportunity to see the
world and if he has one he will do the same thing! The problem is we are just a
minority and we don’t do the “normal” things. What society think is normal? Working
your ass out the whole day? Many people say they need security in life, a stable
job, big money in the account, good car or big house. However, I believe that
deep inside they are not happy. People are never happy with what they have! And
we have to admit that we are afraid of changing because if they have their comfort
zone why they have to change? Even they are not happy.

When you say something
that is not real many times, it becomes, somehow, real because no one’s knows
if it’s real or not. Sailing is just one lifestyle and is not dangerous like
many people think. It’s like driving, accidents can happen any time, the
gasoline can run out in the middle of the traffic, you may need to change a
tire, or over heat the engine. If you think living in the city is safe, in
Thailand is recurrent to see news about kidnapping or missing kids, in US kids bring
fire arms to school, in Macau youngsters do not respect the elderly because
they grew up with the word “ME” or in Portugal and many other countries where
the kids become more materialistic. Sailing is much safer compared with this.

Raising a baby is not
easy. Travelling and raising a baby is even more difficult. First thing, no
more travelling light! Of course for sailors, our babies are the first priority
and a constant concern. We didn’t decide to do our trip over night, everything
we plan since we knew that we have to save money to buy a boat! We know that
some of our friends and family members don’t agree with it. We know that our
baby will be too young to remember this trip. However, was our decision to raise
our baby by our own, instead giving it to the grandparents, baby sitters, or to
just leave her at a nursery which we don’t even know how qualified are the
young teachers. We decided to take in hands the most important stage of the life
of our baby, to help her build her personality. And we believe it will be a
great family time.

I don’t regret that I
decide to quit my job and spend 24 hours, 7 days a week, with my family. I used
to work from morning to late night, arrived home just to feed my new born baby the
midnight milk. And lost her first tooth because was our domestic helper who told
me about it! Now we caught Maria Dee’s first steps, first words, first adult
food, first swimming in the sea, first body gesture and the 12^th
teeth and another 2 coming out. Also the first tantrum, then first baby fight
and many other firsts!

If you ask us what is
our plan? We don’t know yet. Maybe after we finish the “Sail Around The World
Trip” to celebrate the sea route to Asia, we may go back to have what people
call a “normal” life in Macau, keep sailing or stop to live in someplace we may
feel we belong to… We never know but like Mr. Kaufman was quoted saying to the
media “Please know that this is how our family has lived (…)”.