Meggane comes from France, and has experience in outdoor education AND teaching children French. A perfect fit! Learn more below about her favorite teaching activities, experience with life aboard, and the Green Coco Expedition.
See here more about the boat school + teachers that have been aboard
Where did Meggane meet us?
Nesi was inside the rivermouth of Itacaré, a bohemian surf town in Bahia, when Meggane arrived. It’s one of our favorites spots! It is surrounded by Atlantic rainforest, water-sports & health loving folks, samba music and safe, good vibes.
Meggane quickly settled in with the kids and the boat space (she has even worked on a commercial fishing boat in Australia) so it was all smooth sailing.
What does Boat school aboard Nesi look like?
The intention is for school daily at 9am-12:30pm, lunch break, 1:30-2:30pm wrap-up activities, followed by play time in the afternoon.
However, since the boat is always moving into new places, the dynamic is always changing!! Meggane did a great job adapting to these 3 environments:
- SCHOOL DURING PORT DAYS: This is the easiest. When Nesi is docked or anchored between trips, daily school happens as planned 9-12:30pm , usually onboard or at a friendly restaurant on shore; followed by beach time and nature exploration in the afternoon.
- SCHOOL UNDERWAY. When we are sailing at sea, it really depends on conditions, If it’s calm enough, we do 1.5hr of school, otherwise the girls like to do arts & crafts, imagination stories, play Legos & magnetic tiles (these are their daily staples!)
- SCHOOL DURING CRUISING TRIPS. During our guest trips (as shown in our schedule) we’re always doing loads of fun stuff !! Example: when the Darling family & Dan (co-op members) visited for the Recife-Noronha leg. During these times there’s A LOT of distraction, plenty of people aboard, and we are exploring exciting places every day. Nevertheless we try to squeeze in 1.5hrs of school in the day, in between excursions and playing with other kids; with occasional full school days when guests do their own thing. It’s a lot to juggle, but it’s fun!
A few highlights from our Recife to Noronha leg with co-op guests follow (see reels here):
3000 nautical miles from Brazil to Caribbean
It’s a LONG WAY to the Caribbean, with tons of awesome spots (and challenges). On this route we got a huge variety of conditions.
- CENTRAL BRAZIL: After Itacaré, Meggane joined us during a special time — we were visiting Captain Kristian’s mom, dad, and sister who live in Bahia! Then we sailed 3 nights to Recife, which was wild and wooly riding cold fronts up the coast to Noronha (see This Post to get a sense of things)
- NORTH BRAZIL: we sailed offshore 2 days to Fernando de Noronha in blustery seas for a glorious week visit. Then it’s time for the “turbo-chargers” as we ride 25kt winds downwind for 1000 miles past the big “corner” of Brazil: Natal’s Cabo San Roque. This is the area of giant sand dunes, world class kitesurfing, river mouths like Galinhos, Jericoacoara, Atins, Ilha Lençois. So memorable!
- AMAZON BASIN: we sailed 50 miles into the strong, tricky currents of the Rio Pará to reach Belem with its misty forests and water buffalo in Marajo. What a crazy contrast.
- AMAZON TO FRENCH GUYANA: We checked out of Belem (a very complex story for another time) and had the most blissful 3 night 500nm sail… except for one mega-squall that smacked us bad at midnight with 35kts. We had a wonderful rest at the Iles du Salut in French Guyana. I didn’t know this is actually a “department” of France (like a state) and technically it’s the only EU land in South America! The EU space program is hosted here, since it’s near the equator.
- FRENCH GUYANA TO TRINIDAD & TOBAGO. Finally we had a very SLOOOOW 5 nights with no wind to Trinidad, expected due to the Intertropical Convergence Zone (a band of disturbed air around the equator) plus Hurricane Erin in the north was sucking all the wind out of sight, and causing occasional 25kts squalls headwinds, to add injury to insult. Typical equatorial chaos!
- TRINIDAD. After long days and too much motoring, we finally pulled into the large island of Trinidad to dock Nesi at Peakes marina for a maintenance period and wait out the hurricane season safely – insurance requires us to be south of Grenada for hurricane season (which they very conservatively estimate as June 1- November 30). Now it was time for boat work and the kids flew back to Brazil to spend time with Grandma Susie.
What an awesome trip and unforgettable experience that we shared together. Meggane was truly exceptional in her ability to adapt to all the different environments and give the girls a consistent, learning presence.
Thank you Meggane , we love you!
Captain K & Sabby
———————-
About Meggane:
Hi! I’m Meggane and I’m from Lyon, France. I’ve spent the last 14 years traveling, living and working around the world. Even though my main profession is teaching, I also work with animals, agriculture, fishing, and even construction of eco-friendly houses …The world is a playground for learning!
Thoughts on life aboard:
I spent the last few years living in my van, so the boat life was easy to adjust to. I particularly enjoyed spending time with our crew of friends from all over the world — Dophaise from Madagascar, Karim from Egypt, Alex from Germany/Namibia, and Kaitlyn from the USA.
Aboard Nesi, I also really enjoyed the incredible nature that constantly surrounded us. Whether underwater or on land, we were almost always immersed in nature, and I loved observing the fauna and flora evolving as we sailed up the coast.
A huge highlight, of course, was my time spent with the girls. I loved everything about our days together. They are two funny, creative, joyful, and positive little souls.
One big challenge was the long working hours on the boat — there is always something to do on a boat! Between school time, cooking & community tasks, and even night watches, it was tough to find personal time that I’m used to having. This certainly took some adjusting!
Highlights from Sailing:
- Amazon
- Ilha Lençois
- Ilês du Salut
- Phosphorescence in Trinidad
Our arrival in the Amazon was so special to me. After spending time around the vast sand dunes of the Brazilian coast, sailing along the Rio Pará, with its lush forests surrounding us, tropical birds singing from every direction, and meeting the welcoming and cheerful locals, it all felt so heartwarming.
I also really enjoyed kayaking through the mangroves at sunrise on Ilha dos Lençóis. It was such a magical moment, watching the colorful ibises in the calm, peaceful morning!
I absolutely loved our stop at Îles du Salut. After several days of open ocean sailing, arriving at such a breathtaking place was truly unforgettable. It was fascinating to learn about these islands, rich in history, and to walk through their incredible jungle. I really enjoyed discovering this amazing part of France that, unfortunately, I hadn’t known much about before. It opened my mind to the French overseas departments and prompted me to do some research on these places that aren’t talked about enough in France.
Speaking of magical moments, I’ll never forget swimming in bioluminescent waters while anchored in Chacachacare, Trinidad. The water was glowing, the girls were dancing in it, and we even went snorkeling, feeling like superheroes in that glowing night!
Favorite Activities with the Kids:
- French
- Learning from Nature
- Arts & Crafts
- Storytelling
Below is a detailed look at each of the above 4 activities.
- French
One of my main goals with the girls was to help improve their French skills, in anticipation of their upcoming family reunion in Martinique. They already had a small foundation in listening and speaking French (thanks to Zoe and Ian), which made it easier for me to continue building on it.
We had so much fun learning — through games, creative activities, and exploration — that they didn’t even realize how much they were learning along the way.
French Field Trips
One of the best ways to practice French is to simply get off the boat (away from English speakers), head to the beach, and play in the sand — all in French. The girls are so imaginative and full of creativity! Every time we were on the beach, we’d come up with a new story together, and they could go on for hours — digging a river, building a castle, a volcano, a beaver’s lodge, or burying my feet, pretending they were little creatures trying to breathe and escape their sandy “prison.”
Imagination has no limits… and with it, we added so many new French words to our vocabulary. I always spoke to them in French, but I never expected them to answer only in French. Most of the time, they’d use or repeat some words or small sentences— which was already amazing! The goal was to immerse them in the language, help them realize how much they could already understand, and celebrate every little French word or sentence they gave me. It was all about making them feel proud and confident.
French games
Games are another great way to learn. Every new game I brought on board was introduced and played fully in French. I would explain everything in French (with lots of gestures when needed!), and if the girls didn’t understand, they’d just ask, which they are good at doing.
One classic game any French child knows is “Le jeu des 7 familles”. It was one of the first educational games I brought, and the girls absolutely loved it. It’s fast-paced, easy to understand, and allowed us to work on several areas:
- Animal vocabulary and their habitats (ice floe, jungle, savanna, house, desert…)
- Fun facts about each animal
- Counting
Games also teach the kids useful card-related expressions, such as:
- Pioche une carte (Pick a card)
- C’est ton tour (It’s your turn)
- On est une équipe (We’re a team)
Other games we play in French:
- Uno – for practicing colors and numbers
- Cactus – card game focused on math, calculation and memory
- Dobble – fast-paced vocabulary practice
- The Smurfs memory game – excellent for learning adjectives (like Le Schtroumpf Farceur, Gourmand, Bricoleur…)
- Similo – working on animals, similarities and differences
What I really like about these games is that they are quick to play, can easily fit into any part of the day, and most importantly, the girls loved them. Thanks to the repetition built into the games, we were able to pick up new vocabulary very quickly.
Legos
The girls are absolutely obsessed with Legos — they can build, destroy, and rebuild for hours! One day, instead of interrupting them for school, we turned Legos into school.
We turned the table into a pretend Lego store. I laid out all kinds of Lego pieces in front of me (different shapes and colors), and the girls had to “shop” for parts to build a car.
That’s how we introduced shapes, new colors, prices and questions you could have to ask at the supermarket:
- J’aimerais le petitLego bleu.
- Le carre?
- Non, le petit rectangle.
- Ok, ca coute 8 dollars.
- Et le Lego plat, vert clair?
They looked at their coins, counted, calculated, and gave me the “change” for my payments 🙂
This activity was so complete — and they were having so much fun, they didn’t even notice they were working on so many skills, such as:
- French vocabulary (colors, shapes, questions, numbers)
- Math and basic operations
- Observation, anticipation, teamwork, and planning
We also did something similar with coloring — one of us would be the “shop owner” with markers, and the other had to buy colors to finish a drawing — all in French.
Body parts in French
Here’s another example of a fun vocabulary activity.
We drew a giant kid on a piece of cardboard. I wrote names of body parts on small pieces of paper, which the girls would draw from a “magic box.” I’d read the word out loud, and they had to stick the label in the right spot. As a reward, they could color that body part!
Another variation was sticking the labels on my body — which they found hilarious, especially when it came to funny parts like teeth or elbows!
- LEARNING FROM NATURE
Aside from French, we also learned biology, science, math, writing, reading, music, and arts.
The Green Coco world schooling approach is to learn from nature & culture around us — which I absolutely love.
Example: on a beach day, we found many sand dollars on the water’s edge. We picked some up, (dead ones), observed them and we became so curious about these fascinating creatures, asking: What do they eat, where do they live, how are they structured?
This curiosity led to a a Sand Dollar Project, including:
- Research about sand dollars and their family
- Making salt dough and creating sand dollar models
- Exploring fine motor skills and artistic expression
- Comparing them to similar species
- Learning about their common traits and differences
We then connected our next activities to that one, to learned about other species from the same family (starfish, sea cucumbers, brittle star…).
Everything around us can be the source of inspiration, if we just follow our curiosity!
- ARTS & CRAFTS
I loved our craft afternoons — painting, building, drawing… filling imaginations with color.
One activity I particularly enjoyed was making macramé and micro-macramé bracelets with the girls and two of our young guests during our Fernando de Noronha trip.
Macramé is a craft technique that involves knotting cords or strings to create decorative patterns and designs. Micro macrame uses the same technique but with thin cords or threads. I thought it was a great way to learn knots — a useful skill on a boat!
The girls were very focused and created beautiful patterns. The 9-year-old visiting the boat with his family even went further and made a water bottle holder!
- STORY TELLING
Story telling is an incredibly creative activity. The first time we used the Dixit card game, with its beautiful watercolor illustrations. Each of us picked a card that inspired us. I would usually offer a card showing a character, and the girls would invent details about them — name, origin, personality, hobbies…
Then, we’d connect the characters. We’d ask: Did they know each other? Would they meet? What happened next?
As our imaginations flowed, we’d draw more cards, sometimes picking blindly, sometimes choosing intentionally — and our story would continue to unfold!
The first time we played (and the next too!), we couldn’t stop, we played the entire morning.
Over the three months, we kept returning to the game, adding inspiring cards from other games. We created so many amazing stories together!
FINAL THOUGHTS
It’s hard to pick favorite activities — it’s truly been an incredible three months with the girls. I loved everything we did together. We turned every activity into a game, and every game into a learning opportunity.
I’m deeply grateful to have shared Kaiana and Naiyah’s daily life. We had so many unforgettable moments, and I learned so much from them! These two beautiful, free spirits reminded me every day that learning doesn’t need walls or desks: it can happen anywhere, at any time, when curiosity leads the way.
Kaiana and Naiyah — keep being your amazing, joyful, creative selves. Stay curious, stay playful, and keep being excited about life and the world around you.
The world is a playground for learning. You can prove it every single day!
Teacher Meggane
