“We are finding that the school work we are doing is altering the way our children learn.  They are genuinely interested in what is happening around them on many levels, so the ‘want-to-know’ factor is prevalent. The result is that they are engaged in their own learning and are seeing the immediate value of their knowledge. They are keen to learn and are therefore taking ownership in their education”.  – LR

(from “School, Fish and Racing Sailboats” blog post January 2016)

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There are many families that are doing what we are doing, or have done a similar version. We do not feel alone, nor that we are setting any records in raising/educating our kids in an alternative way.

We have learned there are many types of “homeschoolers” and home-schooling families. We don’t seem to fit into most categories we have found though. We are homeschooling, but mostly not at home. We are not running from a failed system, we are not overtly religious. We just want to travel, learn more about the world and educate our own curious children along the way. Which is why we call it “Adventure School”.  In my homeschool research, I have also heard the terms: Hackschool, Boat-School, Un-Schooling and Classical Education. All the names fit, depending on the family and their individual approaches to life and learning.

We have chosen the Calvert School model as a base, which works very well for us. However, we don’t follow it to a “T” in that a lot of the topics of learning are not congruent with the places we are traveling (for instance, why study US history in Europe?).  So I modify the curriculum to fit our travels. We study European political, geographical and religious history when in Europe. We read Cervantes in Spain and Huckleberry Finn, Music of the Dolphins and Moby Dick and while living aboard in south Florida and the Bahamas.

Most of the time we do not have access to high speed (or any speed at all) internet, so we are careful not to base our school time reliant on computer connections. Our “Adventure School” is a bit “Old School”.  However, we do all the Math (Singapore/Calvert Math), History and Geography from the Calvert curriculums. We read A LOT of books. I developed a poetry curriculum which spans not only the two grades, but also involves creating our own personal anthologies.  We study Spanish, Science, Astronomy and Ethics using a compilation of Duolingo, Calvert textbooks and my own research.  We use IXL online for Language Arts and also as a secondary Math course for each grade.

If interested, click on the links to see more about the benefits of the Calvert School, IXL, and Duolingo.

We have discovered an unusual model for educating our children, which has blossomed above and beyond anything we could have expected.  This plan of ours is hard work  –  but it also works very well for us all. We love what we are doing and our children are thriving!

In this digital format Tony and I chronicle, the best we can, our family adventures – exploring and learning as we go.   Please subscribe to receive updates on our journey, and send us notes  –  we love feedback and questions are welcome!

Thank you for reading –  xx  Lynne Rey

published July 2, 2015

“Leave the Dock and Good Things Happen.” Tony often says this – which applies to boats on every level – but also to life in general.  Sometimes you just have to let loose the docklines and… go!

We started a life of adventure for real when Tony and I were married in September, 2000.  Our ten-year old daughter was several years into private school education which was wonderful for her and our family – though we wanted more for her and for us. As a result of Tony’s work – tactician and driver for multiple America’s Cup teams – we took Sydney out of school for her 4th and 6/7th grade school years to live in New Zealand and also traveled to Australia and Bermuda with Tony’s VOLVO OCEAN RACE team.  We lived her 11th grade school year (2006-2007) in Valencia, Spain (AC32) which we still call our second “home” today and traveled to the UK, Italy, France, Denmark and Sweden.

Our daughter’s education was a combination of private schools (elementary and high school), alternating with what we called “travel years”.   She went on to graduate from Northeastern University in 2013 cum laude, with a dual degree in English Literature and Linguistics.  Currently, Sydney lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

While we continued to travel annually (Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany, Cayman, Paris, Barcelona, S. France…) with Sophia and Oliver we decided it was time to step it up.  In September 2014, we pulled out of mainstream education and traveled (Adventure-Schooled) to Ibiza/Valencia/Barcelona, Spain, then to Avignon, France and Torbole, Italy on Lake Garda. In November 2014, we moved onboard our 1973, 40′ Huckins, CORTADO in Florida and spent the remainder of the school year cruising down the east coast of Florida, down to Miami and the Keys and back to Newport RI. We love traveling and to share a life of experiential learning with our children has been more than fulfilling for the entire family.

And so we have decided to continue this path for now… because we love it.

(Lynne, counting mountains in the Dolomites, Lake Garda, Italy. September 2014)

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Locations of Study 2016-2017

During our 2016-2017 school year, we journeyed to the:

San Francisco Maritime Museum and National Historical Park

Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, CA

Angel Island State Park and Immigration Center, San Francisco

Cable Car Museum, San Francisco, CA

DeYoung Fine Art Museum, San Francisco, CA

SF MOMA (San Francisco Modern art Museum)

San Francisco ZOO, California

Alamo Square Park and Lombard Street + Gardens, San Francisco, CA

Golden Gate National Recreation Area (Presidio, Chrissy Field)

The Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco

AT&T Park (LA Dodgers vs SF Giants) South Beach, San Francisco, California

Golden Gate Bridge (walked across), San Francisco

Exploratorium: The Museum of Science, Art and Human Perception, San Francisco, CA

Sierra Nevada Mountains, California/Nevada

Truckee, CA – Lake Tahoe, NV – Reno, NV – Fernley, NV

Tahoe Science Center, UC Davis/Environmental Research Center, NV

North Sails SuperYacht Finishing Facility & Sail Loft, Minden, NV

Yosemite National Park

Food Film Festival, New York City, NY

High Line (walked the length of) New York City, NY

Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, NY

Ft. Lauderdale | Stuart | West Palm Beach Florida

NASA Launch viewing and Museum Tour: Kennedy Space Center-Cape Canaveral, Fl

Vero Beach | Melbourne | Daytona | St. Augustine | Jacksonville, Florida

North Palm Beach | Miami Florida

Wynwood Walls – Urban Graffiti Art Exhbition, Miami

Perez Art Museum Miami  –  PAMM

National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum, Ft. Pierce, FL

Elliott Key | Boca Chita Key | Marine Stadium, FL

JetBlue Park at Fenway South, Fort Myers, Florida (Red Sox vs Yankees, Spring Training)

Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter, Florida (NY Mets vs Miami Marlins, Spring Training)

Mystic Seaport and Maritime Museum, Mystic, CT

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Locations of Study 2015-2016

Portugal

Centro Cultural de Cascais: Sam Shaw, Photography Exhibit. Cascais, Portugal

Art Collection of the Condes de Castro Guimarães. Cascais, Portugal

Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum. Cascais, Portugal

The Palacio Nacional da Pena, Sintra, Portugal

Castelo de Sao Jorge, Lisbon, Portugal

Alfarma District, Lisbon, Portugal

Capela dos Ossos (Bones Chapel) Evora, Portugal

Se Catedral de Evora, Portugal

Templo de Diana (Roman Temple) Evora, Portugal

Spain

Santa Maria de la Sede Cathedral, including the Minaret Tower, Seville Spain

Iglesia de San Marcos, Seville Spain

Parque Maria Luisa and Plaza de Espana, Seville Spain

Flamenco Shows, Seville Spain

Alcazar Palace, Seville Spain

Alhambra Palace of Granada, Spain

Albaycin of Granada, Spain

Volvo Ocean Race Headquarters, Alicante, Spain

L’Hemisfèric, Valencia, Spain

L’Umbracle — Walkway / Garden; Valencia, Spain

El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — Science museum Valencia, Spain

Oceanografic, Valencia, Spain

Mercado Colon and Serano Towers, Valencia, Spain

Turkey

Aya Sofya (Haghia Sophia) Museum, Istanbul, Turkey (built in 537 AD)

Blue Mosque (Called Sultanahmet Camii in Turkish), Istanbul, Turkey

Yerebatan Sarayi (Cistern Basilica), Istanbul, Turkey

Hippodrome of Constantinople or Sultanahmet Square, Istanbul, Turkey

Boat Tour of the Bosphorus River, Turkey

Topkapi Palace, Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul Modern (Museum of Modern Art) Istanbul, Turkey

Pera Museum, Istanbul, Turkey

Hagia Triada Greek Orthodox Church, Istanbul

15th Century Kapalicarsi (Grand Bazaar) Istanbul

The Bodrum Museum of Underwater Archaeology, Bodrum, Turkey

Bodrum Castle, Bodrum, Turkey

4-day cruise aboard OBELIX on the Aegean Sea, Bodrum/South Turkey

Asia:  Walking tour and dinners, Asia (Istanbul/Asian side)

In the US:  Newport, RI, Jacksonville, St. Augustine, Cocoa Beach, Vero Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Palm Beach, FLORIDA

Miami, FL:  Art Basel: Modern Art, Installation and Mural Show, Miami Mini-Makers Faire

Key Largo, FL:  Ocean Reef Club, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Islamorada, FL:  Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park

Marathon, FL:  Turtle Hospital Tour: Hidden Harbor Marine Environment Project, Sombrero Reef Sanctuary Preservation (snorkeled on reef)

Key West, FL:  The Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center and Natural History Museum, Florida Keys/NOAA National Marine Sanctuary, Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory, Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Museum, The Harry S. Truman Little White House, Key West CityView History Tour

Ft. Myers, FL:  Jet Blue Park/Fenway South

Abacos, Bahamas:  Great Sale Cay, Spanish Cay, Guana Cay, Great Turtle Cay, Sandy Cay, Little Harbour, Tilloo Cay, Sugarloaves, Marsh Harbor, Elbow Cay, Hopetown, Man-O-War Cay, Mermaid Reef, Matt Lowe Cay.

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2014-2015 School Year

We were a little loose on where exactly we would go with the kids this past year. Europe was fairly well-planned, but boat-living was (and HAD to be) organic, flexible. It had to FLOW. Tony and I were committed to taking guided tours whenever. wherever we could and made a point to find those parental “learning opportunities” as they arose.  So often in mainstream educational life, these opportunities are quite limited if only because our children are scheduled to the max in school, activites, sports and camps  – all good things, but when does a parent have their time?

Our school books were contained to one small “roll-y” luggage that could fit on airplanes easily and wheel from boat to a marina if needed.  We took our travel-school to hotels, villas, marinas and studied in restaurants, balconies, and boat cockpits.  Flexibility, organization and curiosity to learn, are vital to making it all work.

Locations of Study 2014-2015

Spain:  Ibiza, Valencia, Barcelona

France: Avignon, Montpellier

Italy: Torino, Torbole, Arco, Trento (Lake Garda)

FL on boat: Jacksonville, St. Augustine, New Smyrna, Cocoa Beach, Ft. Pierce, Del Ray,

Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Key West, Marathon, Key Largo, Islamorada, Ft. Myers, Boca Chita.

Newport, RI

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Points of Interest

Santa Maria de Montserrat, Northern Spain

Picasso Museum, Barcelona

Sagrada Famalia, Barcelona

Parc Guëll de Antoni Gaudi, Barcelona, Spain

Fallas Museum, Valencia, Spain

Gulliver Park, Valencia, Spain

Palace of the Popes, Avignon, France

Flamenco Dancing, Barcelona, Spain

Catedral de Nuestra Señora de las Nieves, Ibiza, Spain

Rock climbing on the Via Ferreta, Arco, Italy

Catedral de Valencia and Torre de San Miguel, Valencia Spain

Oceanogràfic – Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias, Valencia Spain

Mercado Central de València y Mercado Colon, Valencia Spain

La Lonja de la Seda Valencia, Spain

Basilica of Santa Maria del Mar, Barcelona, Spain

Castle Béseno, Trento, Italy

Castle D’Arco, Arco, Italy

National Museum of American Illustration, Newport RI

Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, Miami, FL

Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, FL

Ernest Hemingway House, Key West

Harry S. Truman White House, Key West

Aquarium and Science Center, Key West

Jet Blue Park/Roger Dean Stadium, Ft. Myers

Thomas Edison/Henry Ford Museum, Ft. Myers