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Leaving the Safe Harbor: The Risks and Rewards of Raising a Family on a Boat
International Impact Book Awards 2021, WINNER (Family and Travel categories)Firebird Book Awards 2021, first place WINNER (Travel category) Hollywood Book Festival Awards 2021, Honorable Mention (Biography/Autobiography/Memoir)
Sometimes life is unpredictable and there’s no time like now to live adventurously.
A couple of average high-school sweethearts from middle-class America go off to college, get married, follow all the rules, play it safe, and pursue the American Dream. When they find themselves boxed in by their predictable life and looking for adventure, they decide to revisit their dreams of youth, abandon the conventional path, and leave the safety of suburbia to live aboard a sailboat with their five children. Yes, five.
But to turn their shared dream into reality, they must surmount discomfort and difficulty, face their fears and insecurities, and work together to make big decisions. Leaving the Safe Harbor charts the journey of the author and her family from suburban Atlanta to coastal Florida to distant islands as seen from the deck of a catamaran. It shares the highs and lows of living in close quarters, and of raising five children while homeschooling bravely on a boat.
You’ll travel through space and time and explore the metaphysical landscape of hardship, love, grace, and spiritual growth. Imagine yourself in the author's shoes and contemplate how you’d handle these difficult and humorous situations. It will awaken your own desires to follow your dreams and dig deeply into the meaning and purpose of your life. You may be willing to overcome excuses you’ve made when you see how others succeeded despite obstacles.
Leaving the Safe Harbor shows us more than seafaring stories or what it’s like to go sailing with kids. Each chapter explores a different sailing idiom and the character traits developed by challenges and adventures. It shows that conflict can be handled through grace, how failures can lead to future successes, how hardship can teach us gratitude and help us find inner strength. It reveals the trade-offs when a family prioritizes relationships and experiences over material things and a so-called normal life. Living close to nature enriches the author’s spiritual life. And the ocean teaches life lessons, including how to be flexible, disciplined, patient, and open to new experiences. Most importantly, Leaving the Safe Harbor shows us how love, perseverance, and hard work can turn an idea into a reality.
The couple returns to the United States after a decade of travel, their children now on the cusp of adulthood, and discovers that they are no longer the same people who left the house with the white picket fence.
Anything is possible.
Even a neurotic suburban housewife and her workaholic husband can leave their home and minivan behind and homeschool five children on a boat.
A couple of average high-school sweethearts from middle-class America go off to college, get married, follow all the rules, play it safe, and pursue the American Dream. When they find themselves boxed in by their predictable life and looking for adventure, they decide to revisit their dreams of youth, abandon the conventional path, and leave the safety of suburbia to live aboard a sailboat with their five children. Yes, five.
But to turn their shared dream into reality, they must surmount discomfort and difficulty, face their fears and insecurities, and work together to make big decisions. Leaving the Safe Harbor charts the journey of the author and her family from suburban Atlanta to coastal Florida to distant islands as seen from the deck of a catamaran. It shares the highs and lows of living in close quarters, and of raising five children while homeschooling bravely on a boat.
You’ll travel through space and time and explore the metaphysical landscape of hardship, love, grace, and spiritual growth. Imagine yourself in the author's shoes and contemplate how you’d handle these difficult and humorous situations. It will awaken your own desires to follow your dreams and dig deeply into the meaning and purpose of your life. You may be willing to overcome excuses you’ve made when you see how others succeeded despite obstacles.
Leaving the Safe Harbor shows us more than seafaring stories or what it’s like to go sailing with kids. Each chapter explores a different sailing idiom and the character traits developed by challenges and adventures. It shows that conflict can be handled through grace, how failures can lead to future successes, how hardship can teach us gratitude and help us find inner strength. It reveals the trade-offs when a family prioritizes relationships and experiences over material things and a so-called normal life. Living close to nature enriches the author’s spiritual life. And the ocean teaches life lessons, including how to be flexible, disciplined, patient, and open to new experiences. Most importantly, Leaving the Safe Harbor shows us how love, perseverance, and hard work can turn an idea into a reality.
The couple returns to the United States after a decade of travel, their children now on the cusp of adulthood, and discovers that they are no longer the same people who left the house with the white picket fence.
Anything is possible.
Even a neurotic suburban housewife and her workaholic husband can leave their home and minivan behind and homeschool five children on a boat.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 31, 2021
12 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Tanya Hackney
1 book3 followersTanya Hackney graduated with a B.A. from Middlebury College in 1997, where she majored in English and double-minored in French and Education. She married her high school sweetheart and taught kindergarten in Atlanta, Georgia before transitioning to homeschooling her own five children aboard sailing vessel Take Two. She’s lived aboard, traveled, and written for the Take Two Sailing blog for more than a decade. She has always had a bad case of wanderlust, having taken countless road trips as a child, spent a semester abroad during college, and honeymooned in Central America. She recently published an award-winning memoir, Leaving the Safe Harbor: the Risks and Rewards of Raising a Family on a Boat. In her free time, she plays the ukulele, paints landscapes, and kayaks.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 10, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. It’s so well written that I felt like I was a silent member of the family. It has also made me dream… more. Help. 😂
December 14, 2021
Interesting and instructional, this book is more about the mental and physical dynamics involved in living aboard full time and sailing with your family than a how to sail manual or a travelogue. It does have information about their ports of call, and the sailing communities they encountered there, it is just not the primary topic. I recommend it.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
September 2, 2023
Sigh. I cried more than once while reading this book. I am grateful for good writers like Tanya who are able to eloquently put into words the unique experience of living a nomadic type life while homeschooling kids. This book is so multifaceted. Its not just about sailing, nor just about homeschooling, or just about travel. Its about LIFE, and its choices, and rewards, and risks....the joys and the lessons on the journey. I will continue to recommend this book to all my friends seeking the road less traveled!
February 27, 2022
4.5 stars! This book was more than I expected. A look at life in the water (10 years) with 5 children but also much introspect to cultures, poverty, the meaning of Life, and her relationship with God! It was truly a beautiful book and I immensely enjoyed it!
November 6, 2021
If you’ve ever had a dream and wondered if it was truly possible to craft it into a reality you will absolutely delight in this book!
“Leaving the Safe Harbor” is a wonderful recollection of high school sweethearts, Jay and Tanya, who marry and begin their life down the predictable path of the “American Dream” with the beautiful house, fancy car, and raising a family. But from their rocking chairs on their front porch they discuss the dream that has kindled in their hearts since coming together, to leave behind suburbia and explore the world by boat as a family. Could it be done? What practical steps were needed to create the life that would bring this dream to fruition? Were they willing to face the challenges and take the risks necessary to leave behind the stereotypical life and dive into the live aboard cruising lifestyle with four ( soon to be five) children? This book brings you alongside Tanya as she wittily recounts the steps her and her family travel to reach and live out their dream.
Each chapter opens with an autobiographical account of a snapshot of the family’s life including early discussions of their dreams over the suburban dining room table, the practical steps taken to prepare for launching into a completely brand new way of living, stories of passages bravely taken across the open ocean under a million stars, and experiences from far flung corners of Carribean ports.
There is a creative and masterful weaving of these experiences into a thoughtful contemplation of the big picture life lessons learned from each situation encountered along the way . Tanya talks authentically about how the path she chose living and sailing on a catamaran offered her insight into how to be successful in conflict resolution and teamwork , patience and flexibility, and the importance of friendships and collecting experiences versus things. She does this with the perfect blend of humor and philosophical reflection. She is transparent and relatable as she honestly shares and laughs about her flaws and how all these life lessons learned helped her grow into a better version of herself.
The book had a wonderful flow that made it a deeply enjoyable read and would appeal to those who understand the boating lifestyle and us “landlubbers” who find the whole idea simply intriguing. I felt like I was experiencing Tanya’s highs and lows alongside her, from the challenges of learning how to manage the organized chaos of raising and schooling five children on a boat, to the awe inspiring moments experienced while exploring uninhabited Carribean islands, to the sadness felt in having to say goodbye to fellow cruisers with whom intimate friendships had been forged. I cheered for the family when they realized their bigger dream of setting sail on their 3 year expedition to countless ports all around the Carribean. I savored the detailed and interesting explanations of what it takes to live day to day aboard a boat, what kind of troubles can go wrong, and the descriptions of the wonders the family encountered on their sea faring adventures.
Anyone yearning for encouragement that with determination, perseverance, and a willingness to take a few risks they can bravely pursue their own unique dream, moms who wonder how to balance it all in a challenging season, lovers of memoirs or sailing, will all find treasures to take away from the pages of this book.
“Leaving the Safe Harbor” is a wonderful recollection of high school sweethearts, Jay and Tanya, who marry and begin their life down the predictable path of the “American Dream” with the beautiful house, fancy car, and raising a family. But from their rocking chairs on their front porch they discuss the dream that has kindled in their hearts since coming together, to leave behind suburbia and explore the world by boat as a family. Could it be done? What practical steps were needed to create the life that would bring this dream to fruition? Were they willing to face the challenges and take the risks necessary to leave behind the stereotypical life and dive into the live aboard cruising lifestyle with four ( soon to be five) children? This book brings you alongside Tanya as she wittily recounts the steps her and her family travel to reach and live out their dream.
Each chapter opens with an autobiographical account of a snapshot of the family’s life including early discussions of their dreams over the suburban dining room table, the practical steps taken to prepare for launching into a completely brand new way of living, stories of passages bravely taken across the open ocean under a million stars, and experiences from far flung corners of Carribean ports.
There is a creative and masterful weaving of these experiences into a thoughtful contemplation of the big picture life lessons learned from each situation encountered along the way . Tanya talks authentically about how the path she chose living and sailing on a catamaran offered her insight into how to be successful in conflict resolution and teamwork , patience and flexibility, and the importance of friendships and collecting experiences versus things. She does this with the perfect blend of humor and philosophical reflection. She is transparent and relatable as she honestly shares and laughs about her flaws and how all these life lessons learned helped her grow into a better version of herself.
The book had a wonderful flow that made it a deeply enjoyable read and would appeal to those who understand the boating lifestyle and us “landlubbers” who find the whole idea simply intriguing. I felt like I was experiencing Tanya’s highs and lows alongside her, from the challenges of learning how to manage the organized chaos of raising and schooling five children on a boat, to the awe inspiring moments experienced while exploring uninhabited Carribean islands, to the sadness felt in having to say goodbye to fellow cruisers with whom intimate friendships had been forged. I cheered for the family when they realized their bigger dream of setting sail on their 3 year expedition to countless ports all around the Carribean. I savored the detailed and interesting explanations of what it takes to live day to day aboard a boat, what kind of troubles can go wrong, and the descriptions of the wonders the family encountered on their sea faring adventures.
Anyone yearning for encouragement that with determination, perseverance, and a willingness to take a few risks they can bravely pursue their own unique dream, moms who wonder how to balance it all in a challenging season, lovers of memoirs or sailing, will all find treasures to take away from the pages of this book.
October 4, 2021
You know all these books about moving away to a cozy cottage or a farm in some sunny place like Tuscany, Provance or Andalucia? They tend to be a bit cocky aiming to make readers jealous by talking throughout 400 pages about sipping wine and enjoying organic food while looking at the sea or the mountains. They make me want to puke.
Now, THIS book is the opposite.
The couple shared a dream and they were committed to achieve their goal. But buying a boat and living in it instead of in a brick walled house is not easy. You need to have money and good and steady income to make sure, you can continue to sail or just live on a boat once you have it. Boats do require an enormous amount of repairs and upgrading over the years and it´s not cheap. Then you have to be able to insure your boat and insurance companies have very strict and very long list of requirements to meet. So it´s not as easy as, say, buying a car or a kayak.
This is in my opinion the strongest point in this book. First - this is real family talking, not fictional characters. Second - they are not afraid to talk about money. This is important, because they don´t portray their lifestyle as idyllic and carefree as one might have thought. There are a lot of money and responsibility involved. You also need to learn a lot before you even will be allowed to leave harbour.
What is also important, if not the most, is a matter of keeping relationship within a family and discipline in order. The author talks about it openly and honestly. The boat might seem to be big, but if you decide to live in it you have to realize that there is no privacy. It´s a small space shared by a number of people sometimes for months. And this family over the years had 6 children living on the boat and two adults. Problem solving, anger management, conflict solving - these skills are probably the most important to have and master. As the author says - if you are angry, you can´t slam the door, go for a long walk or knock on your friend´s door to let the steam off. You are alone and have to deal with it.
This lifestyle also leads to parenting challenges. The author talks about it with reserved honesty, respecting her children´s privacy. But I would like to see how all of their 6 children who were all home schooled are doing now, after this lifestyle has finished. Were they accepted to good colleges and universities? Are they working in high profile jobs? Are they happy? A little bit of a follow up would be a good idea. Instead, there´s an abrupt finish to this book and story without explaining anything at all. So how exactly this ended? Was it worth it?
Another thing is... I would cut the book in a half.
Anyway, I´m giving it wobbly four stars.
Now, THIS book is the opposite.
The couple shared a dream and they were committed to achieve their goal. But buying a boat and living in it instead of in a brick walled house is not easy. You need to have money and good and steady income to make sure, you can continue to sail or just live on a boat once you have it. Boats do require an enormous amount of repairs and upgrading over the years and it´s not cheap. Then you have to be able to insure your boat and insurance companies have very strict and very long list of requirements to meet. So it´s not as easy as, say, buying a car or a kayak.
This is in my opinion the strongest point in this book. First - this is real family talking, not fictional characters. Second - they are not afraid to talk about money. This is important, because they don´t portray their lifestyle as idyllic and carefree as one might have thought. There are a lot of money and responsibility involved. You also need to learn a lot before you even will be allowed to leave harbour.
What is also important, if not the most, is a matter of keeping relationship within a family and discipline in order. The author talks about it openly and honestly. The boat might seem to be big, but if you decide to live in it you have to realize that there is no privacy. It´s a small space shared by a number of people sometimes for months. And this family over the years had 6 children living on the boat and two adults. Problem solving, anger management, conflict solving - these skills are probably the most important to have and master. As the author says - if you are angry, you can´t slam the door, go for a long walk or knock on your friend´s door to let the steam off. You are alone and have to deal with it.
This lifestyle also leads to parenting challenges. The author talks about it with reserved honesty, respecting her children´s privacy. But I would like to see how all of their 6 children who were all home schooled are doing now, after this lifestyle has finished. Were they accepted to good colleges and universities? Are they working in high profile jobs? Are they happy? A little bit of a follow up would be a good idea. Instead, there´s an abrupt finish to this book and story without explaining anything at all. So how exactly this ended? Was it worth it?
Another thing is... I would cut the book in a half.
Anyway, I´m giving it wobbly four stars.
November 24, 2021
What a story! Before you read “Leaving the Safe Harbor” by Tanja Hackney, I urge you to visit her website and look at the photos of her life and travels with a young family on a catamaran, at TakeTwoSailing.com. The scenes of aquamarine water, the tropical settings and this lively family are wonderful to see.
After 10 years of marriage and suburban living, the author and her husband decide to sell their dirt house and live on a boat. They buy a sailboat named “Take Two”, although they end up taking many more than “two”- they are a family of seven, and their five kids were young when their sailing adventure began.
This well-written book shows you the reality behind the glossy photos. The author gives uses lovely and lyrical language as she shares her family’s life. I savored this phrase, “the sea was like looking through a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin”. For readers who like to daydream of sailing away, be warned- this family’s life was not all cocktails and sunsets- it was hard work and challenging. Each chapter of this book has a nautical title that highlights a life lesson learned.
I found this book to be entertaining, educational and inspiring. (Great cover, too!) Perhaps a tad wordy and preachy at times, and I did wonder what the kids thought of the sailing life, but overall it is a book that I highly recommend. I hope the author writes more about her adventures. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGo Social for a digital ARC. This is my honest review.
After 10 years of marriage and suburban living, the author and her husband decide to sell their dirt house and live on a boat. They buy a sailboat named “Take Two”, although they end up taking many more than “two”- they are a family of seven, and their five kids were young when their sailing adventure began.
This well-written book shows you the reality behind the glossy photos. The author gives uses lovely and lyrical language as she shares her family’s life. I savored this phrase, “the sea was like looking through a bottle of Bombay Sapphire Gin”. For readers who like to daydream of sailing away, be warned- this family’s life was not all cocktails and sunsets- it was hard work and challenging. Each chapter of this book has a nautical title that highlights a life lesson learned.
I found this book to be entertaining, educational and inspiring. (Great cover, too!) Perhaps a tad wordy and preachy at times, and I did wonder what the kids thought of the sailing life, but overall it is a book that I highly recommend. I hope the author writes more about her adventures. Thanks to NetGalley and BooksGo Social for a digital ARC. This is my honest review.
November 23, 2021
What a captivating story about high school sweethearts who never gave up on their dream to set sail for high adventures on the open seas.
Captured so well here, "We were able to visualize that elusive Someday, and then work toward it as if it actually existed. It is not much different than trying to meet in Greece on a sailboat while sleeping. We thought the same thoughts day after day. And though we had absolutely no idea how to achieve it, that’s when we first decided to sail away."
The idea that to stay afloat in life, we must steer the ship in the right direction and trust we will get to our destination, comes through so clearly in this story.
A great read because "despite the unpredictable and sometimes unpleasant nature of boating, the beauty, joy, and freedom we experience in nature, the sense of accomplishment we feel when we overcome a challenge, and the memories we make as a family while traveling make it all worth it" translates to life as well.
Captured so well here, "We were able to visualize that elusive Someday, and then work toward it as if it actually existed. It is not much different than trying to meet in Greece on a sailboat while sleeping. We thought the same thoughts day after day. And though we had absolutely no idea how to achieve it, that’s when we first decided to sail away."
The idea that to stay afloat in life, we must steer the ship in the right direction and trust we will get to our destination, comes through so clearly in this story.
A great read because "despite the unpredictable and sometimes unpleasant nature of boating, the beauty, joy, and freedom we experience in nature, the sense of accomplishment we feel when we overcome a challenge, and the memories we make as a family while traveling make it all worth it" translates to life as well.
November 22, 2021
I enjoyed this book so much! Imagine raising 5 children on a boat and being responsible for their home schooling, meals, co-captain. The layout of the book made it so enjoyable. Before starting you had a list and description of characters. Each chapter began with an outline of the chapter in paragraph form. This made it remarkably easy to read the book as no interruptions. The reader already knew the how, why, when and where.
The writer not only told the story but pointed out the pluses and minuses of this life style. It might seem like they lost a lot but the advantages in my eyes outweighed the losses. The book did not elaborate unnecessarily on their trips to various places but on the inter-personal relationships. A wonderful book that opened your eyes to a new lifestyle.
The writer not only told the story but pointed out the pluses and minuses of this life style. It might seem like they lost a lot but the advantages in my eyes outweighed the losses. The book did not elaborate unnecessarily on their trips to various places but on the inter-personal relationships. A wonderful book that opened your eyes to a new lifestyle.
November 27, 2024
“Honey, let’s sell the house and just live on a boat. With our two kids. Three kids? However many kids! On a boat. Sailing around the Atlantic. Homeschooling. No house. Just the boat. I’m sure that’s a thing that can be done!”
That is not a quotation from the book—it’s the premise rephrased in a satirical manner. Whether the idea fills you with terror or delight, this is a darn good book about doing that.
Recommended. Note: this review is biased by the fact that the author made me popcorn once in 1994.
That is not a quotation from the book—it’s the premise rephrased in a satirical manner. Whether the idea fills you with terror or delight, this is a darn good book about doing that.
Recommended. Note: this review is biased by the fact that the author made me popcorn once in 1994.
October 5, 2021
This book blew me out of the water. Not only could I not put it down, I felt I was right alongside this family on their crazy adventures. I'm surprised I didn't wake up on a sailboat, bobbing gently in the waves, the morning after finishing this stunning book.
January 19, 2022
It was really fun to see another lifestyle!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews