I’m Robyn Hawkins, a self-taught sailor, mumma, and the creator of this blog. I could not be happier to have you here!
Robyn Hawkins and her miniature Jack Russell, 'Scrappy' in Camaret-sur-Mer, France (2017)
I whole-heartedly believe:
- Living and sailing on a boat is an incredible and unmatched way to see our world.
- Spending time on a boat and travelling to new places is an amazing experience for adults and children alike and can be highly educational.
- Any length of time spent on a boat will change you (in a really good way!)
My intention with Families Afloat is to provide inspiration by the bucketload, provide tips, tricks and education, and normalise living and travelling on sailboats as a wonderful alternative way of life.
About Families Afloat
I started Families Afloat in 2023 (although I had been building the idea in my head for much longer!).
In 2017, my partner and I bought a 34ft/10m sailboat (despite knowing very little about sailing!) We set sail around Northern Europe with our miniature Jack Russell, 'Scrappy', and spent a couple of seasons visiting as many countries and ports as we could.
During our second winter living aboard, we got pregnant(!). We spent the next summer season sailing locally and also bought a bigger boat (42ft/12.9m) ready for our new arrival. Our daughter arrived a month after we docked for our third winter and she moved aboard at only 18 hours old.
We fully intended to continue sailing despite having an extra (unhelpful!) crew member aboard, and despite multiple lockdowns (thanks to COVID), we set sail south to warmer weather when our daughter was only 8 months old. It was a completely different experience to sailing with just the two of us (& Scrappy) onboard, but we picked up lots of tips and tricks to make life easier and it was wonderful getting to see her growing up and have her exploring our world with us.
We didn't meet many other families along the way and wanted to create something to help and encourage more families to get out on the water.
The idea of 'Families Afloat' was born - it floated into our heads as we were sailing along the south coast of Portugal in 2021 and hasn't left since!
Our first boat, 'Baremka', a 1974 Dufour 34
Our second boat, 'Asterie', a 1989 Hallberg-Rassy 42E
Bringing our daughter home from hospital less than a day old!
Who's Families Afloat for?
Whether you are a parent or grandparent, aunt or uncle, novice or salty seadog... Whether you have babies, toddlers, preschool, primary or secondary-aged children, or teenagers - you are in the right place.
Families Afloat is for anyone who wants to get out on the water in a boat with their family.
On my blog, you'll find articles covering a wide range of subjects to do with sailing, with the majority (if not all) linked back to sailing with kids.
I'll share helpful tips, inspirational stories from our time onboard sailing, photos, product reviews, and tutorials to help you, from modifying (aka child-proofing) your boat to becoming a better sailor (and that's just scratching the surface!).
Learning to sail is a steep learning curve and I want to help you conquer it faster while having a blast with your family onboard too.
I truly hope Families Afloat will become your go-to resource for getting out on the water with your family.
Robyn Hawkins and her family after successfully crossing the Bay of Biscay in 2.5 days with a 9-month-old!
Sailing Log Books
I am thrilled to share the range of Sailing Log Books I have designed and produced from scratch using the experience I gained from living aboard and sailing for five years. NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY HERE!
I created a range of books for use on boats starting with a Sailing Travel Journal to record your journey, followed by a Boat Maintenance Log Book to keep on top of the neverending list of boat jobs that always seem to need doing.
One of the many Sailing Travel Journal covers I designed
Inside the Sailing Travel Journal - there is a double page for each destination/port you visit
The Boat Maintenance Log Book - this should be essential on every boat!
After that, I designed a Personal Log Book intended to keep track of all the sailing miles you complete while working towards qualifications from the RYA or similar (or even just so you have a record to look back on). Finally, I published a Sailing Log Book which I made to stay with a boat (rather than a person) to record voyages in greater detail and as an official record of a journey should one ever be needed.
You can find out more about each of the log books here.
Sign up here to receive (free!) email updates with more information about future releases and book events.
Two of the Personal Log Book covers I published
Inside the Sailing Log Book - perfect for longer passages
Two of the Sailing Log Book covers I published
A Little More About Robyn
In addition to being a sailor, traveller, author and publisher, Mum, and the creator and editor of this blog, I’m also a regular gal from Shropshire in the UK but currently living in Portugal!
I’m a food lover and travel enthusiast (I'm almost constantly thinking about food or where I want to visit next!). I love to sing (when no one else can hear), love to goof around like my 10-year-old self, and prioritise comfort over style - always!
I have an amazing fiancé who loves me despite all my annoyances (lol!), an incredible little girl who makes me laugh every single day, and a miniature Jack Russell called Scrappy who has accompanied us on all our adventures so far.
I adore spa days, reading, cooking, baking, shopping, family time, and catching up on my favourite Netflix series and movies (Downton Abbey, The Crown, Star Trek, Pitch Perfect, and Grown Ups I'm looking at you!)
I cannot stand eating eggs, cream, milk or butter unless they've been hidden! Remember at school, there was always that one kid who never drank milk? That was me! Pancakes, cakes, a creamy sauce, and garlic bread are my kind of yum though... what can I say? I'm weird!
Something I was not expecting when I started sailing was the incredible community. I have never come across another group of such extraordinary people from so many different backgrounds quite like the sailing community.
The bonds that are made in such a short space of time. The tales that are told over impromptu drinks and nibbles on one another's boats after meeting only moments before. The friendships that are formed over the experiences you've each had while out at sea. It's magic.
I have never felt so at 'home' with any other group of like-minded people as I have within the sailing community. The camaraderie is amazing - I love it!
Sailing is in my blood now. It has changed me for the better in so many different ways - I've learned so many new skills just for starters. I want to help others to become part of this incredible community and have experiences that are impossible to have on dry land (glowing bioluminescence in a pitch black, flat calm sea at night lit up by dolphins speeding through the water with underwater firework-like explosions as fish in their path scatter anyone?! It was MINDBLOWING).
I hope you are inspired by the experiences I share and join us out on the water soon.
Robyn Hawkins and her family at anchor on their sailboat
Keeping in Touch
Questions, thoughts, ideas? Get in touch!
- Comment on Our Posts. Share your thoughts on our posts.
- Social Media. Follow our adventures and don't miss out on any action. Check us out on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Twitter.
- Email Us. You can reach us directly at hello@familiesafloat.com.
- Join Our Mailing List. You can sign up here to have the latest blog posts, articles, and the Families Afloat newsletter emailed right to you (for free!).
- Visit Our Contact Us Page. As another way to get in touch.
For all the different ways you can team up with us, visit our Work With Us page.
Anything else, just ask!
