How I came to be here
I’m Sabrina’s cousin, and ten years ago I traveled aboard their previous trimaran, Aldebaran, during their second year of big navigation. We had many grand adventures!
(See past stories from 2016 about sailing out of Nicaragua, arriving Costa Rica’s remote north, visiting waterfalls in the Nicoya Peninsula, and our some Crew Bios from that time).
This year, with a break from my regular Alaskan life, and many years of experience as a primary French Immersion teacher under my belt, the timing was perfect. I joined them on their new catamaran Nesi as the onboard French teacher for the twins, Kaiana and Naiyah, who were about to turn 6 when I arrived in Martinique.
During my 3 months aboard, our plan was to sail north from Martinique to British Virgin Islands.
Even the arrival day was a highlight! I landed on Christmas Day at our dad’s birth place and homeland; and went to a holiday gathering with the extended Littée family, who has been in Martinique for generations.
The Littée family has been in this Caribbean island of Martinique for many generations (where Sophie and Sabrina’s dads were born and raised). You’ll even see their name on the local yogurt!
Highlights from Martinique, Dominica, Guadalupe
More highlights from the other islands below…
The Daily
Aboard Nesi, we juggled planning, cleaning, shopping, and dealing with sargassum entangling the boat before the guests and their children started arriving.
Each day felt like living in a new tropical postcard.
The clear aquamarine water was speckled with islands large and small, sandy beaches and rocky coasts. We had fish, turtle and dolphin sightings, and enjoyed great snorkels, invigorating swims, exquisite sunrises and sunsets. Keeping the work / chores/ life / personal care balance, however, was challenging. Cooking gourmet meals for adults and kids took a large chunk of time each day and boat chores were a much bigger part of this job than I had anticipated.
I wore many hats!
Changing from a land creature to an ocean dweller was an action packed and dynamic experience. Flexibility and spontaneity were imperative in dealing with quickly changing plans. Monitoring and assisting in multiple simultaneous events were essential skills aboard the vessel.
Some guests had never been on a boat, and brought 1 to 3 children (some trips included a total of 5 kids all under the age of six!
Besides cooking gourmet meals for adults (+ kid meals + snacks!), there was always cleaning and dishes to be done, clothes to be desalinated and hung dry, collected and folded. Guests often helped, though each needed to be guided in how everything operated on board.
Between trips, there was deep cleaning to do, provisioning and organizing, and a stronger emphasis on uninterrupted lessons for the girls.
My teacher role
I loved teaching Kaiana and Naiyah in French!! As I came aboard, I endeavored to only speak to them in French. With years of experience doing this in my classroom, it was a natural fit for me.
Every possible interaction was a teachable moment and an opportunity to engage. In this way, language learning becomes a perpetual lesson, inspired by whatever is happening in that moment.
During play, there was no limit to what the imagination would bring. I believe most of the language acquisition occurred in these unstructured moments.
My teaching style is Thematic, STEM centered, and Montessori based. I used phonics based leveled stories to teach sound and spelling patterns. Our discoveries, fun moments, and their curiosity drove all of our lessons and journal entries.
Some of my favorite lessons:
Trip Journal
- We built the journal using all recycled materials!
- It was an art project inspired by the song C’est de L’eau, based on colors in the water.
- We talked about their favorite spots along our journey so far, and wrote about them in the journal in French.
They are personal stories, yet also rich in history and culture. Rereading helps keep both memories and reading skills in French sharp. I hope the girls will reread our journals for years to come. They sure were fun to make!
Science Projects
The natural world around us was the perfect school, and makes practicing a foreign language more fun!
- ~Observing the inside of a giant sand dollar with the microscope.
- ~Finding seeds on the ground and trying to figure out which plant they came from.
- ~Observing fish, shrimp and other creatures while snorkeling.
- ~Swimming with a dolphin
- ~Observing different insects, cacti and plants at various elevations.
- ~Following termite tunnels in rock caves
- ~… and the girls favorite non-marine creatures: Guinea Pigs and Beavers (which we certainly did not see out in the ocean!)
Learning French through reading, songs and stories
-Learning songs by creating story boards and activities.
-Using rhyming stories to identify sounds and spelling patterns.
-Mixing up story strips for girls to read and put back in order.
-Nesi’s Spotify playlist- girls love to read song lyrics as they listen.
– Fly swatter! I write words with the sounds or spelling patterns the girls are learning on sticky notes, and put them all over the table. I say a word and they must find it and be the first to slap it with the flyswatter!
Math and Games
Math was embedded into everyday life. Sorting and categorizing shells and coins was always a hit. Regrouping them to explore multiplication concepts happened naturally.
The girls enjoyed baking and helped with measuring ingredients. Since the girls loved to play games and were quite competitive, scorekeeping became a natural part.
Cover Your Assets- a strategic game for becoming a millionaire. It requires counting numbers in the thousands. This game had the girls adding and subtracting into the millions!
Azul- A strategy board game where you try to complete a mosaic. Each tile placed is worth points depending on where it goes. It’s a great game that involves strategic thinking, and addition and subtraction skills to keep score.
Tic Tac Toe Reading- Words or phrases fill a tic tac toe board, and the girls must read the square they wish to choose before putting their marker on it. The goal is to get 3 in a row.
Art
Art was embedded in everything we did. Kaiana and Naiyah love to paint, draw and color. They created unique cards for each family that came aboard and wrote welcoming messages.
Alaskan Finger Puppets & Iditarod Race
I arrived on the boat with 11 Alaskan animal finger puppets that showed up one or two at a time during the course of my stay. By introducing them individually, the girls were able to learn about each one in French- their characteristics, where they live, what they eat, etc. They all showed up in different ways- by boat, by plane, some swam. At times, one missed a friend and would call with an invite. A whole imaginary world developed.
In the end, an Alaskan Husky arrived just as the Iditarod was underway in Alaska. I shared some videos with the girls. Their curiosity was peaked! They learned everything possible about dog mushing : the attire a musher needs to be comfortable in the elements -How to care for the dogs and all the items needed in a dog musher’s sled, the length of the race, etc.
We decided to design and build a snow sled that would be pulled by all the 4-legged animals, each chosen for a specific task based on characteristics and strength. With the Husky leading the pack, each animal was harnessed to the sled. Eagle drove the sled and the favored little guinea pigs would ride along! The moose that showed up late had to be a spectator because he was not ready for the race.
This activity became a focal lesson that went on for many days. It included rich dialogue and negotiation.
As a culminating speaking activity, Naiyah and Kaiana told me all about the sled and the animals involved in French. I was very impressed and proud of them!
Highlights from Antigua, Barbuda, St. Barths
I am grateful to have had this experience on Nesi while living intimately with the ocean. I loved teaching in the most organic and improvised ways. It was a joy to work with your girls and share all that I love with them! I also learned a lot more about every aspect of living in a boat- including negotiating space and diverse personalities. All of my previous experiences of cooking, guiding, teaching, and adventuring were assets to my assisting on board in all the spontaneous ways that needs arose. I found a new level of appreciation for my own capabilities.
Highlights from British Virgin Islands
I really appreciate having experienced the Caribbean in such an intimate way. I’ll always remember:
Swimming with a dophin was so remarkable!
Exploring little coves with the girls…
Swimming in the mornings with Sabrina…
Watching the winner of the World’s Toughest Row come into Antigua…
A brilliant underwater experience in the Costeau Reserve…
A crazy little sailing adventure through the moored boats of Saba Rock.
Thank you Sabrina and Kristian for the opportunity!
~ Sophie
To learn more about Green Coco see our website .
We welcome new co-op members. We’re heading to French Polynesia in 2027 and Hawaii in 2028, check the schedule for available trips.
Interested in becoming a teacher aboard Nesi? See the application.
Our teacher positions are 3 months+, not requiring a teacher credential — only enthusiasm!
