These Parents Are Raising Their Three Daughters On Board A Ship Sailing The Caribbean
A "traditional life" never really appealed to Scott and Brittany Meyers. In 2010, shortly after getting married, the couple set sail from Chicago, making their way through Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, eventually driving their small sailboat to to the east coast. From there, they sailed to Trinidad, through the Caribbean island chain.
While there, they discovered they'd be joined by a third crew member. In 2011, they welcomed their daughter Isla aboard, buying a bigger boat to make room for her. Amidst an escapade from Florida to Grenada, the couple discovered they were pregnant again - this time with twins, Haven and Maria. Together, the five-member family crew sail about, living the "untraditional life" - life on the water.
While Scott and Brittany are extremely mindful of safety, they do take a more “free range†approach to parenting, letting their girls explore on their own, so long as the two are with them. As a result, all three girls are fearless climbers. “Boat babies don’t have the space to go out,†Brittany says, “so they go up!â€
16 month old twins, Haven and Mira, share an embrace during their nightly sunset watch.
Living with less ‘stuff’ makes the girls more inclined to use their imaginations and create their own fun. This is the superhero alter ego that Isla created, called "Aquagirl"
While tantrums, meltdowns and tough days still occur in paradise, getting to spend continual time with their girls is a priceless perk of life on the water.
In Anegada, BVI the family stumbled across a shark breeding ground and the girls got to see real, live baby sharks swimming only feet from their toes.
At only four years old, Isla - their oldest - is a veteran boater. The little sea-dog logged 5k nautical miles before her 2nd birthday.
Watching the sun set and saying “goodbye sun, thanks for a great day†is one of the family’s daily traditions.
Since Scott carries a 200 ton USCG Captain’s License, teaching his girls to be good sailors is a priority. But the couple keeps things simple these days, only sailing roughly 2-3 hours at a time, so that the girls (and them) don’t get too burnt out and restless. “If we can’t see it, we don’t sail there,†Brittany jokes. “There are no medals for sailing crazy long distances with kids.â€