6 years of sailing...we should have done this sooner!
After six years of sailing our 38ft sailboat, it was finally time for me to learn how to take control of her myself.
When we bought AWRY, Kieran and I always planned to learn together. But a year later we started our family, and without really deciding it, we naturally fell into our roles — Kieran sailed the boat while I looked after the kids.
Six years later, with two kids onboard and bigger sailing adventures ahead, something had to change.
In this episode we leave the Keppels and sail north towards Middle Percy Island, with an overnight stop at Pearl Bay along the way. I take the helm, start working through the sails and manoeuvres myself, and get some much-needed practice learning how to handle our 38ft sailboat independently.
After two days on the water we finally reach Middle Percy… but our arrival doesn't exactly go to plan. 😂
This is family cruising as it really looks for us — learning as we go, juggling kids and boat life, making mistakes, and slowly becoming a better sailing team.
Next episode, we explore Middle Percy Island and find out why it has become such an iconic stop for cruising sailors.
If you enjoy sailing, liveaboard life, family cruising and exploring the Australian coast, we'd love to have you along for the journey. ❤️
#Sailing #FamilySailing #SailingAustralia
A Life Awry Sailing
Kieran and Leeann Raftery traded 4x4 adventures for a Swanson 38. Follow their 2026 sailing relaunch from Brisbane to the East Coast of Australia.
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This is what happens when you live on a boat
We’re back at Middle Percy Island! 🌴⛵ After a pretty disastrous start to our stay — blocked toilets, hungry kids, a BBQ fire, burnt dinner and a very rolly anchorage — things finally started looking up! We explored this remote little slice of Queensland, visited the working homestead, met the anim...
6 years of sailing…we should have done this sooner!
After six years of sailing our 38ft sailboat, it was finally time for me to learn how to take control of her myself. When we bought AWRY, Kieran and I always planned to learn together. But a year later we started our family, and without really deciding it, we naturally fell into our roles — Kieran ...
