This Family Is Living A Bucket List

Instead of leading the land life, this young couple sold what they could and started sailing the Caribbean. Babies ensued, but the adventure never ended. Now these mini sailors have covered most of the caribbean by boat and are living life to the extreme.

They call a 41ft sailboat home

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As a young couple, Eben and Genevieve couldn't afford a brand new boat, so their options were wait and save up for one, or start the adventures now, while they were young, and had the time to invest in a "fixer-upper". They feel they made the right choice for their family, "because when you think about it, we are watching the same sunset as the million dollar boat next to us".

Baby Meet the Ocean, Your New Home

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Eben had bought a boat before him and Genevieve were married. Then "life" took over and that boat sat in storage for three years. As newlyweds they could either use the boat, or sell it. "Arias was 9 months old when we chose to start sailing. We thought we were taking off on a one-year adventure. We have now been doing this for 5 and have had 2 sailboats." They figured that if they continued to live their dreams and adventures, their children would grow up seeing their parents as being happy individuals, which would make them happy parents.

These kids have sailed some miles

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"We had no idea what we were doing when we started. Neither of us had taken sailing classes." Eben was a self-taught sailor, with the help of some encyclopedias, while Genevieve learned her skills from him. Their daughters are being raised with salt water in their veins, with open minds, and a fear of nothing. They will most likely take off on their own adventures some day, or become pros in some extreme sport! "So far we have covered the seas from Miami to the Virgin Islands, with a few back-and-forths in between!"

When the ocean is your backyard

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With the ocean for a backyard both girls were early swimmers. Their days are filled with snorkelling, paddling on the SUP, scouring the sea floor for different creatures, and just splashing around to cool off. If ever they get tired of the big blue, a white sandy beach full of other kids is never too far away. "We are not ocean sailors, we island hop. That is what works for OUR family. So there is never a shortage of other people (kids) to hang out with".

Step Aside Steve Irwin

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"The girls have been raised with an appreciation, and a healthy fear, of the sea. They respect it and its creatures. They have studied them, and know that stingrays don't just sting people, but they will react in defence if you step on their backs". The girls are always supervised in their ocean play, so when it came to petting these domesticated stingrays their parents saw no harm in it. "At the age of 3, Arias got so used to being around them that she would call them her pets, and give everyone around a tutorial on how to pet and feed them to avoid getting hurt".

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Georgetown, Bahamas

Formal Education Is Not Ignored

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Both girls are homeschooled by their parents at the moment, but at the ages of 5 and 3 most of their learning is based on hands-on education. "I used to teach english abroad to elementary school aged kids, and so for now I have what it takes to teach the curriculum for our girls. But we also understand the importance of socializing them, which is why we had them enrolled in school for the 6 months we waited out hurricane season in the Dominican Republic".

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While Eben and Genevieve took a short break from the boat to work for a non-profit in the D.R. rebuilding homes, they often took the girls to work with them. "We don't want our girls being sheltered from some of the realities of this world. Having them with us in the poorer areas of the D.R. gave them an appreciation for what they have, and also let us see how big their little hearts are."

Swimming With Wild Dolphins

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When a dolphin comes swimming into the bay the girls will jump in the water and swim after it. "It's pretty amazing watching your 5 year old swimming only feet away from a wild dolphin." The girls are extremely brave and as long as they are with an adult that they trust, there isn't much they won't try.

Getting Used to Being Different

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With all the traveling the girls have become very open to new faces, new cultures, new languages, and being the minority. "In Haiti the girls were quite the hit amongst other children, with their blonde hair and pale skin". The girls have become experts at adapting, picking up Spanish along the way, making new friends, and learning their geography first hand.

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We Are Not Alone

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"I want to eliminate the misunderstanding that we are raising our daughters without proper social interactions. We are not stuck alone in the middle of the ocean. There are many other boating families doing the same thing we are." Playdates, beach hang outs, potlucks, bonfires, are only some of the ways that boaters spend time together and enjoy their beautiful surroundings. "It is rare that you will find a bay with no other boats in it. We are not alone."

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Eben is an avid kiteboarder, and ever since Arias tried the sport (while piggy backing on her dad) she has been hooked. "We are working on getting her her own little kite, so that she can get practicing and can someday be out on the water with him."

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Serious Bonding Time

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The Stolz's know that this lifestyle may not last forever and so they are soaking every little bit of it in and using this time wisely. "We are with the girls constantly. These are their formative years and we are creating such precious bonds with them". The family is open to any opportunity that may arise, and will some day have to leave this early retirement and start making some money again, but until then, their girls are their main focus. "We are not rich, we will have to work again. We pick up odd jobs here and there. But for now we are happy with what we have."

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itsanecessity.net / Via Facebook: SVNecesse

"Five years of sailing the Caribbean with our kids has had its ups and downs, but we revel in it all. Who knows what the next adventure will bring, be it on land or sea, but we are excited for it".