These Parents Are Raising Their Three Daughters On Board A Ship Sailing The Caribbean

by N/A, 10 years ago | 3 min read

A "traditional life" never really appealed toÂ Scott and Brittany Meyers. In 2010, shortly after getting married, the couple set sail from Chicago, making their way throughÂ 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.

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On their boat, "Asante" - or, "thank you" in Swahili - the Meyers enjoy a life of freedom, exploration, and adventure.

While Scott and Brittany are extremely mindful of safety, they do take a more â€œfree rangeâ€ 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. â€œBoat babies donâ€™t have the space to go out,â€ Brittany says, â€œso they go up!â€

It's a nomadic life - one that Scott and Brittany's girls absolutely love. And the views aren't bad either.

16 month old twins, Haven and Mira, share an embrace during their nightly sunset watch.

But the scenery and weather aren't the only benefits to raising a family on a boat in the Caribbean.

Living with less â€˜stuffâ€™ 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"

Family time is both ongoing and unavoidable - not that they would have it any other way.

The small space makes appreciating certain things naturally easier.

And the potential for cabin fever encourages outdoor activity far more.

But when they are inside, the tight quarters promote even more family time.

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.

Their girls are the beneficiaries of amazing cultural experiences...

And get to encounter nature and the outdoors in a spectacular way.

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.

Of course, the sunshine and R&R aren't low on the list of perks either.

At only four years old, Isla - their oldest - is a veteran boater. The little sea-dog logged 5k nautical miles before her 2nd birthday.

The family moments and photos are always uniquely beautiful.

Playtime is devoid of technology...

And there is never a shortage of reading.

The nightly views are nothing short of majestic...

Watching the sun set and saying â€œgoodbye sun, thanks for a great dayâ€ is one of the familyâ€™s daily traditions.

But as beautiful as they are, Scott and Brittany prefer ones like these.

Since Scott carries a 200 ton USCG Captainâ€™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) donâ€™t get too burnt out and restless. â€œIf we canâ€™t see it, we donâ€™t sail there,â€ Brittany jokes. â€œThere are no medals for sailing crazy long distances with kids.â€

When the couple opted to stray from the "traditional life," they knew they were taking a risk. Now, they're positive it's the best one they could've taken.