Can you imagine helping a family take care of twin babies, on a big catamaran exploring dreamy places in French Polynesia? You might be in luck 🙂

We have 2 year old identical twin babies who are completely amazing and would love a new friend to guide them in their daily journeys. Their mom and dad (Sabrina & Kristian) would love the help so they can work on their boat & business and you know, just general sanity !

There is a 2 month minimum commitment. As compensation, once onboard all your costs will be taken care of. Qualified applicants may get their transportation and stipend too, see below for more details. We also accept couples.

How to apply: please read below, and fill out our application.

about us:

in 2015 we left our jobs in California and over the next 4 years, sailed south with our Green Coconut Run cooperative to Galapagos, and across the Pacific ocean to French Polynesia. We fell in love with the island-nation and decided to stay, start a family and a business.

In 2020 our twin girls were born and we upgraded to a 46 foot catamaran, Selaví (pronounced C’est la vie). We continue to run trips sharing the magic of the islands, so we usually have guests onboard the boat.

We live aboard the boat 24/7 and are never at a marina, always at anchor. We are really active with swimming, snorkeling, free diving, surfing, kitesurfing, and SUPing. We have a yoga & meditation practice with breathwork. We try to bring the babies along with us in activities whenever possible.

We cruise between Tahiti, Leeward Society Islands, and Tuamotus (a wild place with atolls where we will spend most of our time in 2022, see our schedule). These places are all postcard paradises. See our latest newsletter for a sampling.

our parenting philosophy:

We feel that children are special beings that choose their parents to guide them in this life. As their guides, we do our best to lovingly & securely offer them choices so they can fulfill their highest potential.

We follow the RIE parenting model which focuses on treating infants with respect (ie. the golden rule… act like you would like to be treated yourself by a friend) and honoring their ability to make choices (based on their current level). This post offers a good summary of RIE.

Whereas some parents focus on “raising good kids” and “keeping their kids safe and comfortable”, our focus is to empower our kids. Perhaps it can be understood by what we try to avoid:

• We avoid saying No. Instead we say: “we can’t let you do this, because it is unsafe for these reasons…”
• We avoid being overprotective. We inform babies of what is dangerous, and up to a point, allow them to decide what is comfortable for them.
• We avoid serious injury or trauma.
• We avoid being over-comforting. Rather, we prefer to connect with their emotions (e.g. “you look scared, what happened?”) rather than dismissing their experience (e.g. “you’re ok baby, don’t worry”)
• We avoid doing things mindlessly, without their consent. For example, when we put on their cloths, we give them choices, and tell them what is happening; just as you’d want if somebody was clothing you.
• We avoid sugar (white & brown), with the goal to promote wholesome nutrition
• We avoid screen time, with the goal to promote creative imagination (the exception is video chats)

In a parallel way, RIE is for infants as Non-Violent Communication (NVC) is for adults. Both are methods for overcoming our judgments and instead focusing on observation, presence, and empathy. Learn more about NVC here.

As a nanny and crewmember onboard, we would ask you try to apply RIE principles to your interactions with the babies and NVC principles with adults in the boat. It’s ok if you’re not familiar with these concepts. The most important thing is intention and interest in these principles. We will offer you further training in the form of basic materials to read beforehand, and more in-depth while onboard.

expectations:

What can you expect from working as a nanny/child carer with us?

• We try to make everyday a great experience, whether we have guests aboard or not. Usually we are anchored in beautiful locations. We are rarely moored in harbors (except maybe about 2 weeks every 2 months, or if something is broken and needs repair). We are never stuck in marinas or yucky ports – they don’t exist in Tahiti!
• We work really hard and play really hard. This isn’t a relaxing, sit back and watch babies experience. This is best suited for those super eager to learn about parenting, sailing, and the ocean environment. You’ll be inspired by some of the world’s most beautiful places, but you’re also expected to work hard.
• The work commitment is 8 hours per day, 6 days per week, with 1 day off per week; plus an extra free day per month. You can cluster multiple days off for a trip off the boat.
• You’ll care for girls 8-11am and 3-5pm, more or less. We take turns cooking meals & cleaning, so you can expect to make one meal a day for the crew aboard the boat, about 1-1.5 hrs total. You’ll also do 1-1.5 hrs per day of boat maintenance (you can group this time into fewer days per week).
• Time with the girls is more than just child care. To the extent possible, we allow them independent play time, during which time we also fold laundry, prep food, clean dishes, etc. We also try to include the girls in these daily activities of life. Like a parent, you’ll be juggling multiple things to get life tasks done.
• As we usually have other guests on board, you’ll be helping when possible as a crew member.
• You’re only on call during the day, not nighttime, except on occasional evening for date nights 🙂

We have 4 following time slots available this year. There is a minimum commitment of 2 months, but ideally you’ll stay closer to 3 months at a time during these periods.

• January to March
• April to June
• July to September
• October to December

Note: the automatic Visa for non-Europeans is three months in French Polynesia.

accommodation

When there is space, you can sleep in your own cabin with private bathroom (labelled Aft Cabin below).

When there are guests aboard, you’ll take the single berth and share bathroom with the babies (labelled Owner’s Family below)

See a Boat Tour video here.

compensation:

Once you’re aboard the boat, all your costs are covered (food and accommodation, beer & alcohol not included).

The places we visit and take guests are world-renown and absolutely stunning. We try to include you in as many activities as possible so your stay can be super memorable.

As part of your stay, we offer you basic training in sailing, off-grid cruising skills, breathwork, and non-violent communication.

If you have experience as a chef, RIE parenting, or whole child teaching like Waldorf, Montessori, or Reggio Emilia, we may be able to offer you additional stipends to cover transportation costs.

how to apply: please fill out our application.

Thanks so much for your interest!

covid-19 considerations

All tourists entering French Polynesia must be fully vaccinated.

Everyone entering the country is required to take a PCR test up to 3 days before travel, and a rapid test upon arrival. Note that these conditions may change, check Tahiti Tourisme for latest information.

On a daily basis, we only wear masks when going to stores and public places.

If spending one or more nights onshore, we require rapid tests upon return to the boat. Otherwise, life is as normal.