Family fun in Fuerteventura

Take a man, a woman, two toddlers, two cats and a dog, put them on a boat in the Canary Islands—and see what happens!

Kerstin, Ingo, Cas and baby Madox

In Fuerteventura we saw a boat that seemed to be jam-packed with a family, and we struck up a conversation with Ingo and Kerstin, a couple from Berlin who decided to drastically change their life, by living on a boat. With 8-month-old Madox, 3-year-old Cas, cats Milky and Shoky, and a dog named James.

Cas and doggie James

Q: Before you lived on the boat, you lived in Berlin, did I hear it was on a houseboat?
A: No, we lived in a house — a pretty nice house. We were there for a few years. It was also a big adventure. While we lived in our house, we built a houseboat from scratch. It sank-- we had no insurance, but we pulled it up and rebuilt it. Then we sold it so we could change things up and buy our sailboat.

Q: When did you buy the sailboat?
A: This year.

Outside of their boat Pasja, life is hectic!

Q: How did you find the boat?
A: The ususal way — Ingo searched the whole market, online. This is how we ended up here, because the boat was here. The boat has a history of sailing far and wide, even to the Arctic. Very dependable so far.

Q: Did you always have the idea to live on a boat, or was it just for holidays?
A: For many, many years it was our dream to live on a sailboat. That’s why we built the houseboat first. When the kids came into the picture, it became clear — the idea was always to live on the boat. But first, we wanted to experience how life together would be, whether it works for each of us. That’s what we’re doing right now. We still have to figure some things out, and we’ll see if everybody likes the lifestyle.

Q: Was there resistance from your parents in the beginning?
A: Yes. We never talked about it directly, but I know they had some doubts. The last time we saw my parents  on the way from Germany to Spain , we live together, how the kids and the cats and everything was managing fine — that helped. They’re not worried anymore

White Milky and Shoky looking on

Q: How did you get from Germany to the Canaries?

A: We decided to drive because it was too difficult to bring pets and all our stuff on the plane. It was quite an adventure with two babies, a trailer, a dog, and two cats (not to mention the washing machine). It took us six days to reach the ferry in Cadiz. We brought a tent to sleep in for some nights, the rest of the time we slept in the car. We tried to break it up as much as possible. It was exhausting but also really nice because the boys slept a lot.

Q: What did you do for work in Berlin?
A: The last few years we worked on different projects and lived off the money we made from them. Before that, I worked at my father’s company — not really my world, but a nice experience for many years. Eventually we felt disconnected, so we closed that chapter and started a new one.

Q: Did you always plan to have children?
A: No — it was never really the plan. We never intended to have kids, but I have to say they’re the biggest gift I’ve received. We had them pretty late — I’m 44 this year. It was surprising, but somehow it felt perfect. It just happened when it was meant to.

Kerstin is a wonderful mother: when I stopped by in the afternoon, she had made some black and white insects on a piece of paper and Cassie was fingerpainting the details. Such a peaceful family moment. She is always encouraging or cuddling one child or the other, and love just oozes from her pores. Dad is always up for some daring fun with his boys.

Cas gunning for a job as captain

Q: What are your plans — how long will you stay here?
A: In November we’ll take Pasja out of the water to so some work, cleaning and painting the hull, etc. Then next season we were thinking of cruising around the islands, but we might do the Africa route instead — we don’t know exactly yet.

Q: Where do you think you’ll be one year from now?
A: Good question. Maybe at this same time next year, we’ll still be around the Canary Islands — we want to see the other islands. We’ll see where we end up.

Q: What do you think are the advantages of raising your kids growing up at sea?
A: They won’t grow up like “ordinary system” kids. They’ll grow up open-minded.

Q: Will you do homeschooling?
A: Yes, for sure.

Q: What advice would you give to someone planning to live on a boat?
A: Just do it. Don’t overthink it. Be free — it’s a kind of freedom you can’t get otherwise.

This family is ready for anything life throws at them

From the outside it looks difficult, even impossible, but from the inside of a boat, filled with love, anything is possible. Sail on, happy family!