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The dream of sailing around the world with our children was
born more than 10 years ago. Finally, in the spring of 1999, my wife and I
surveyed the yacht market in earnest. After working with Bill Tripp Design on
the general arrangement plans, specifications were written, bids analyzed and
negotiated until, at the end of the year, a construction contract was signed
with Abeking & Rasmussen. Jens Cornelsen was our project manager, and Andrew
Winch Designs did a superb job with the interior design. The challenge was
marrying sailing performance with safety while still accommodating our
lifestyle. Alithia
proved to be fantastic. The in-boom furling rig was easy to use, safe and
reliable. The under-deck running rigging controls accommodated the flush deck
and lots of outdoor living space. The yacht’s myriad spaces provided enough room
for everybody to learn, work, relax and live. We were even able to maximize
stowage space despite the yacht’s low profile.
 The family and crew aboard Alithia
take time out from from their two-year adventure for a "formal" portrait. (Click image to enlarge)
Interior accommodations comprised living quarters and working,
educational and medical facilities. The vessel included an advanced audiovisual
and multimedia infrastructure, broadband satellite connection, diving equipment,
two Laser sailboats, two tenders, fishing gear and water toys.
The most unexpected problem at the onset was recruiting crew.
While we anticipated that seamen and teachers would outbid one another to join
the circumnavigation on such a magnificent yacht, this was not the case.
Experienced captains were simply not interested in a two-year project with
live-aboard owners; for them, a circumnavigation meant work and discomfort
rather than a compelling adventure. Teachers were difficult to find. The
fascination of a long-term, once-in-a-lifetime educational experience paled
against safe positions and close proximity to loved ones. After unimaginable
efforts, we finally had teachers and a crew hired and ready to go.
Our team was diverse. Our family spoke English, French, German
and Greek. We engaged teachers from France, Germany and Switzerland to
homeschool our children. Our crew of five was from Britain, New Zealand and the
Philippines.
 Local girls in Myanmar, formerly Burma, wear their
makeup a bit differently than do Western women. (Click image to enlarge)
During weekday mornings, the children followed their school curriculum with
the French Distance Learning System (CNED), enriched by German teaching modules.
During the afternoons and weekends, they visited local villages, schools,
churches and homes to gain and exchange insights, experience common values,
learn to respect diversity, feel spiritual life and, finally, to build
unforgettable ties. They discovered amazing nature and wildlife and learned
about different ecosystems, their equilibrium, their potential peril by human exploitation
and their protection by human ingenuity. We documented our experiences in daily
logbook entries, and with thousands of photos, reports, poems, songs and
mementos. During the circumnavigation, the five children ranged in age
from seven to 15 years old. For the two oldest, the second year was hard because
they were dearly missing their peers. They made many new friends but had to
separate from them again and again as our voyage continued. They also had less
in common with their new friends than with those at home. At one point, our
oldest daughter sat crying at the bow as we glided over the crystal blue Indian
Ocean. With all the anger of an adolescent, she told me that this was my dream,
not hers, and that dreams were there to be dreamt, not lived.
 The Seychelles, islands located nearly 1,000 miles
off East Africa, are home to bow-running dolphins. (Click image to enlarge)
Life in the closed quarters of a yacht—even one of
Alithia’s size—became our biggest challenge. We had
imagined an inclusive atmosphere driven by a common vision, informal
communication and lots of involvement. However, we found that captains used to
running "professional" ships are accustomed to providing excellent service and
otherwise staying apart with their crew. This was normally 10 sailors: a
captain, his wife as chef, an engineer, a mate, two deckhands, a steward and
three teachers. Our onboard teachers had to conduct lessons with flexibility and
imagination, often at 20 percent heel, rolling and pitching!
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