She Raises 3 Kids on a 32-Foot Sailboat in Alaska

We live a pretty unconventional life aboard an 80-foot schooner in Alaska, and we don’t meet many other families living anything quite like we do. Then we met Elizabeth, Sterling and their three young children. Their home is Sage, a 32-foot sailboat that carries their family through Southeast Alaska as they move between remote building projects, fishing grounds, small communities and the everyday realities of raising kids aboard. Elizabeth grew up around commercial fishing but struggled with severe anxiety on boats when she was younger. She never imagined that one day she would be raising three children aboard one. Now Sage has carried every one of their babies, taken their family through beautiful sailing and difficult weather, and become part of a life she says she can hardly imagine living without. We met their family while our boats were anchored together in Southeast Alaska, and something clicked. We worked together, fished together, cruised together, and watched our kids move happily back and forth between Sage and the Alaskan Gypsy. As another mom living an unconventional life aboard in Alaska, meeting Elizabeth felt surprisingly significant to me. In this video, we get a glimpse into their real life: hauling anchor by hand, fishing with the kids, traveling to remote job sites, making laundry and food and heat work in a very small space, and navigating the beautiful chaos of raising three children on a boat. And after spending weeks around their family, I finally step aboard Sage for the very first time to see how five people actually live in 32 feet. This isn’t really a boat tour. It’s a story about family, resourcefulness, motherhood, friendship, and finding someone who understands the unusual life you’ve chosen. Thanks to Elizabeth, Sterling and their family for letting us share a little piece of their world. Scott & Audrey S/V Alaskan Gypsy Chapters: 00:00 Raising 3 Kids on a 32-Foot Sailboat 01:34 Pulling Anchor by Hand 03:46 How Elizabeth Ended Up Living Aboard 06:36 Fishing & Feeding a Family in Alaska 12:01 Bringing the Kids to a Remote Job Site 18:00 A Few Weeks Later… Juneau 20:00 My First Time Aboard Sage 24:00 How 5 People Live in 32 Feet 31:00 Was This Ever the Dream? 36:36 How Our Two Boat Families Met 42:00 What Comes Next for Their Family 59:00 The Reality of Remote Boat Life 1:03:50 Boat Work, Motherhood & Keeping Kids Alive 1:05:09 Finding Connection in an Unusual Life