CRUISERS SHARE TIPS & INSIGHTS
For an additional point of view, we turned back the clock to 2010, when we received this insightful letter from Susan Detwiler, then based at Emery Cove Marina in the Bay Area.
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usan wrote: "We’ve homeschooled our daughter Sequoia for the last five years, including two seasons cruising in Mexico, and it was certainly easier than dealing with the San Francisco school system! "Unfortunately, parents may think that homeschooling involves recreating the school environment at home (or on the boat), with the drudgery of textbooks and worksheets that have little relevance to the real world. It surprises me that many cruisers, who generally tend to think outside the box when it comes to their lifestyle, don’t question whether our 'one-size-fitsall' education system is right for every kid. We always felt sorry for cruising parents who spent hours each day butting heads with their kids over schoolwork. "Instead, we adopted the 'unschooling' approach: rather than following a traditional school curriculum, we looked for learning experiences in our day-to-day lives. Cruising in Mexico offered so many opportunities! When shopping, Sequoia calculated prices in pesos vs. dollars. When we bought diesel, she converted liters to gallons. Baking was a great way to work with fractions, while halving or doubling recipes. "In terms of science, we had identification books for fish, birds, and marine mammals, so Sequoia was our resident naturalist. After snorkeling, she’d identify all the fish she saw. When sailing, she’d scoop up jellyfish in a net. When
The lessons 'in the school of life' that cruising kids learn can't be replicated in a classroom. Here, Sequoia cools off in placid waters.
instruction and testing is done online, which can be very challenging. "Our first season using this program, we had trouble keeping up because we moved around a lot and Internet access was not fast enough to run the online programs. Both kids ended up finishing what was required, but we almost ran out of time. 'This year we are continuing with Bridgeway. Both the kids and I are happy with the instruction style and the amount of time you have to spend. Currently the kids spend about three to four hours a day, four days a week with their studies. This is enough time for them to complete at least one lesson in each of the four subjects. Fridays and weekends are reserved for practical experiences. In addition to learning to sail and being world travelers, they are also learning music (guitar and piano) and studying Portuguese. They are also masters in playing Minecraft and Scrap Mechanic — and they've also been making movies. "The biggest low with homeschooling is the lack of interaction with other kids. Even though there are a number of kids cruising, they don’t ever seem to
"They are also learning music (guitar and piano) and studying Portuguese. perfect diversions when we were underway. "Sequoia also spent time knitting and making jewelry. She bought a recorder at a swap meet in La Paz, found two books about how to play it by asking on the morning net, and taught herself to read music. In addition she learned to tie lots of knots, mastered driving the dinghy, and absorbed all the cool sailing stuff It's been years since this shot was taken of Sequoia (center left) and her cruising pals, but we'll bet she still remembers the fun they had.
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be in the same place we are. Our kids also miss the opportunity to play on team sports or join clubs. "By contrast, my biggest satisfaction with homeschooling is watching them learn and grow, and being a part of my kids' lives, every day. Homeschooling teaches the kids what they need to know academically, but allows enough time for them to explore what they really want to learn."
dolphins rode our bow wave, she’d be on the bowsprit, cheering them on. And though she never wrote a report or took a test on cetaceans, I have no doubt that seeing these creatures in the wild has made a lasting impression on her life. "Although the cruising life can be full of activity, there is also a lot of down time. Reading was a big part of everyday living for the whole crew. We also had lots of time for games. Multiplication War is a variation of an old card game that taught Sequoia her times tables. Bananagrams, a speedier version of Scrabble, became a family favorite. Scrambled States is a great way to learn US geography. And trivia games such as Brain Quest were