{"id":859,"date":"2019-08-05T09:00:51","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T13:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/?p=859"},"modified":"2023-02-03T13:31:11","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T18:31:11","slug":"sailing-sewing-raising-family","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sailing-sewing-raising-family\/","title":{"rendered":"Baby on Board: Sailing, Sewing & Raising a Family"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jon and Leah Kruger have been enjoying the liveaboard lifestyle since 2011. They both grew up in sailing families \u2014 Jon sailed on traditional wooden sailboats in Maine, and Leah spent seven years of her childhood aboard her parents\u2019 Frasier 41 named \u201cSynchronicity.\u201d She spent four of those years circumnavigating and sailed the South Pacific, the Red Sea, the Mediterranean, Caribbean and the West Coast of the United States.<\/p>\n

Jon and Leah met in 2009. They spent their early dating years borrowing Synchronicity from Leah\u2019s parents and sailing in the Pacific Northwest. They both knew they wanted to live on a boat, and so they eventually scraped together enough money to buy a 1981 Nor\u2019West 33 dubbed \u201cBrio\u201d in 2011. Ever since, they\u2019ve been living aboard and sailing the open waters, including transiting the Panama Canal in 2014, wintering for three seasons in Portland, Maine, and cruising up and down the East Coast.<\/p>\n

\"jon
Jon and Leah during the early years of their sailing adventure.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In April 2018, the couple welcomed their first child, Zephyr, to their crew. Now, this adventurous sailing family lives year-round on their sailboat with their 1-year-old son in tow. In addition to her captain duties, Leah is also in charge of all sewing projects and sail repair onboard using her Ultrafeed\u00ae Sewing Machine. With the addition of their smallest crew member, some of her recent DIYs have included safety and baby-proofing projects, including weather cloths and an enclosed v-berth sleeping area for little Zephyr.<\/p>\n

She shared her one-of-a-kind story with us\u2026<\/p>\n

Q. What made you want to become liveaboards? How long do you plan on being full-time cruisers?<\/b><\/h3>\n

I think we both independently knew we wanted to live on boats, even before we\u2019d met each other. So when we realized that this was a shared dream, it really cemented our relationship and our future paths. We had the advantage of living with our parents and keeping our initial living costs super low, so we were 100% focused on funneling all of our energy and savings into finding a boat and outfitting her for cruising.<\/p>\n

When people ask if we\u2019ll live on Brio forever, I always say definitely not \u2013 we want a bigger boat at some point! Not to say we\u2019ll never want to live on land \u2013 forever is a really long time, after all \u2013 but we have no immediate intention to become land-based.<\/p>\n

I work remotely and Jon runs his own business, so living on a sailboat has enabled us to be climatic nomads, heading south in the winter and north in the summer, and enjoying the most of the East Coast that we can! Having a baby has really reinforced how much we value our time together and the freedom to dictate our own schedules, and I don\u2019t think any of that will change any time soon.<\/p>\n

\"family
The happy family enjoying some fun and sun at the beach.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q. What do you like most about the liveaboard lifestyle? What do you like least? What\u2019s a typical day like now with Zephyr onboard?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

I heard someone describe cruising as \u201ca series of Saturdays,\u201d and I think that\u2019s pretty perfect. It\u2019s not that there aren\u2019t chores to be done or groceries to be bought (or water to be lugged, or decks to be scrubbed), but it\u2019s all in a sort of fluid, schedule-less manner. One of the things I like best about cruising is how flexible it is. When we started cruising, I was 24 and Jon was 25 and we had $6,000 saved to make it through the year. We had no refrigeration, no electronics, literally lived on tacos and beans, and somehow still spent $10,000 \u2013 giving us our first lessons in boat maintenance and debt!<\/p>\n

Now that we have a steady paycheck income, we can afford to stay in marinas and upgrade Brio with new electronics and refrigeration. We still try to live carefully and within our means, but I appreciate how elastic your spending can be with this lifestyle.<\/p>\n

I also have to say that the people you meet cruising are hands-down the best part of the whole deal. Regardless of your boat or your budget, cruisers are a welcoming crew \u2013 and adding a baby to the mix has just made it easier to strike up conversations with strangers!<\/p>\n

\"zephyr
Zephyr “helping” at the helm of Brio.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q. Can you tell me how you came up with your weather cloths design using window material so you can still enjoy the view? <\/b><\/h3>\n

I\u2019ve spent so many hours staring at solid weather cloths, wishing I could see the horizon! Actually, the other factor was we bought a roll of Strataglass\u2122 for our dodger project, and later decided to use Makrolon\u00ae instead (a stiff, glass-like polycarbonate window material). So we had a leftover roll of Strataglass just begging to be used! It felt a little frivolous to use such an expensive product on weather cloths, but we absolutely LOVE them. We haven\u2019t even bothered taking them down since they no longer block the view. Another bonus? They act as toy-containment devices since little Zephyr has quite the arm on him.<\/p>\n

\"strataglass
A beautiful, uninterrupted view thanks to Leah’s clever Strataglass weather cloths.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Q. Besides the weather cloths, what other sewing projects have you made for your boat? <\/b><\/h3>\n

Oh gosh, there are so many projects! I got super lucky with a secondhand Ultrafeed LS that another cruiser was selling in Mexico, and I put that baby through the paces. On the LS, I made two biminis (the first from hand-me-down Sunbrella\u00ae, the second from new!), replaced the windows in our old dodger, made jerry can covers, replaced the v-berth and quarter berth cushions, updated the main settee cushions, cockpit cushions, etc. \u2013 all the little stuff! We never had any real money to work with, so I was always collecting other people\u2019s handoffs and repurposing them. For example, someone\u2019s discarded boat cover became our new bimini, the leftover foam from someone\u2019s v-berth project became our cockpit cushions, and an old mainsail cover made great new jerry can covers!<\/p>\n

The first really big project I tackled was dinghy chaps. I probably watched the Sailrite video<\/a><\/strong><\/span> 15 times, pausing and rewinding to understand each step as I attempted patterning for the very first time! This was also one of the first projects I ever attempted with all-new materials \u2013 Sunbrella and double-sided basting tape included \u2013 and it felt absolutely incredible to realize that I could actually make something really nice!<\/p>\n

\"dinghy
Leah’s first big sewing project was making dinghy chaps.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The dinghy chaps gave me the confidence to tackle a project my husband had been nagging me to try for years \u2013 a new dodger. We modified our existing frame to be a couple inches lower, so the top could be wide enough for two 100-watt solar panels, and then we set about building a brand-new Stamoid\u2122 and Makrolon dodger. Since we were saving the labor costs on the dodger, we went all out on the materials. Stamoid, a vinyl-coated polyester fabric, is such a nice product to work with. I bought a leather hide to add reinforcement along the bottom edges and on the handrails, and Makrolon windows are the absolute clearest and most rigid windows you\u2019ll find in a soft dodger. I will admit that sewing through Makrolon sounds a bit like gunfire \u2013 I don\u2019t think the LS appreciated it \u2013 but it was a workhorse right to the end!<\/p>\n

After the dodger, we decided it was worth it to invest in a brand-new Ultrafeed machine. I wanted to replace the luff tape on an old genoa so that it could work with our new furler. So for the first time in 7 years of Ultrafeed ownership, I needed a zigzag machine. I bought a new Ultrafeed LSZ and it was like Christmas in September \u2013 what an incredible machine!<\/p>\n

\"dodger
Leah proudly completed this dodger project with her secondhand Ultrafeed LS. Shortly after this project, she upgraded to a new LSZ.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Since then, most of my sewing has been focused on baby-containment devices! I started with a Phifertex\u00ae and Stamoid lee cloth that went across the whole v-berth, and then quickly moved on to a full baby-berth zip-in enclosure when we realized Zephyr was not going to be slowed down by a mere suggestion of a wall! The zip-in enclosure has been a lifesaver, giving us a completely safe space to tuck him away when it\u2019s rough or he\u2019s asleep and ensuring we don\u2019t have to worry about an accidental fall or escape while underway. Peace of mind is our new priority!<\/p>\n

Q. What made you decide on an Ultrafeed? How do you enjoy sewing with it? <\/b><\/h3>\n

The Ultrafeed Sewing Machines are amazing. My experience sewing on an older LS really sold me on the quality of these machines, and the support is unparalleled. I remember having an issue with the thread balling up, and when I contacted support from Mexico, they emailed me step-by-step troubleshooting directions and answered all of my questions, despite the machine being secondhand and probably 10+ years old!<\/p>\n

The new LSZ is even more impressive \u2013 my impression is that you can really sew anything on this, including lighter-duty \u201chousehold\u201d projects. Additionally, I tell anyone who will listen to fork over the extra money for a Sailrite Swing-Away Binder. After going through 400 feet of binding on the dodger and bimini projects, I am 100% a binding attachment convert!<\/p>\n

People often raise their eyebrows when they realize I own a full-size Ultrafeed on our 33-foot sailboat. \u201cWhere do you keep it!?\u201d is a common question. I always tell them that the Ultrafeed is like another crew member, and it fits in exactly one spot on the boat (under the v-berth) \u2013 so that\u2019s its home! It\u2019s not even just our projects \u2013 the dockside sail repairs and last-minute patches we\u2019ve been able to help other cruisers with help me feel like we\u2019re able to repay some of the cruising kindness and favors we\u2019ve been shown! There is no way I would ever sail without a Sailrite.<\/p>\n

Q. What do you love about sewing? When did you learn to sew and from whom?<\/b><\/h3>\n

I love that you can take something someone else might consider broken or useless and repurpose it into something completely new. I love that sewing enables you to feel self-sufficient and to make dramatic changes to the way the boat looks and feels. Initially, I learned to sew from my mom and grandma, so I think I also love the feeling of family and a shared passion that it instills. I hope my son will grow up to love sewing as much as I do!<\/p>\n

\"sunset
With views like this, it’s no wonder Leah and Jon plan on continuing their life on the water.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It sounds like this happy little family is loving life on the open sea. Baby Zephyr seems born to thrive in this nomadic lifestyle, and Leah and Jon have no immediate plans to stop cruising. As the saying goes, when you love what you do, it doesn\u2019t feel like work.<\/p>\n

Finally, are you wondering how they came up with the name \u201cBrio\u201d? Leah was looking for a short word that expressed the couple\u2019s passion and excitement for sailing and the cruising lifestyle. Brio means \u201centhusiastic vigor and vivacity.\u201d Looks like they found the perfect word to sum up their life philosophy.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019d like to tag along on their aquatic adventures, you can follow their blog at www.withbrio.com.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Who We Are<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n

Sailrite is your one-stop DIY shop! We are a passionate crew of do-it-yourselfers who strive to equip you with the supplies and how-to knowledge you need to tackle your next project. Do you want to learn upholstery, leatherwork, canvaswork, hobby sewing, bag making or more? We have the fabric, tools, hardware, sewing machines and notions you need to master any DIY. And even if you’ve never sewn before, our tutorials and how-to videos are designed for beginners and experienced crafters alike.<\/span><\/p>\n

Start your DIY journey today: www.sailrite.com<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jon and Leah Kruger have been enjoying the liveaboard lifestyle since 2011. They both grew up in sailing families \u2014 Jon sailed on traditional wooden sailboats in Maine, and Leah spent seven years of her childhood aboard her parents\u2019 Frasier 41 named \u201cSynchronicity.\u201d She spent four of those years circumnavigating and sailed the South Pacific, … Continue reading Baby on Board: Sailing, Sewing & Raising a Family<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":943,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[2],"tags":[27,30,29,22,26,28,19,37,70],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/brio-at-dusk.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/padSoq-dR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":396,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/expedition-elcie\/","url_meta":{"origin":859,"position":0},"title":"All Aboard Elcie: A Family Affair","date":"February 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Anyone with experience on the subject could tell you that raising a family is never an easy task. But raising a family on a boat in the middle of the ocean? Definitely tricky. That is exactly what Jessica Rice Johnson has been doing for almost a decade. Jessica and her\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/image-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1880,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/boat-bengal-andrew-jazz-captain\/","url_meta":{"origin":859,"position":1},"title":"Boat Bengal: Andrew, Jazz & Captain","date":"December 7, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"We all love our pets, and we often wish we could take them everywhere. But can you imagine taking them along to circumnavigate the open ocean? Andrew and Jazz might seem like your average sailing couple, but they have a unique sailing companion \u2014 their Bengal cat, Captain! 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Brian, a union electrician, spent half the year working and the other half sailing his 1974 Morgan Out Island 41 Clara Katherine\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Repairing-the-genoa-sunshield-at-sea-between-Majuro-and-Samoa-copy.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":459,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sailing-pets\/","url_meta":{"origin":859,"position":3},"title":"Sailing With Pets: How to Cat-Proof Your Boat","date":"March 18, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"After marrying in 2008, Luisa Mixon and her husband, Seth, set their eyes to the sea. Like many Sailrite\u00ae customers, their dream was to buy a sailboat, learn to sail, and eventually gain enough experience to live completely on board. When they envision their retirement years, they see themselves sailing\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/20180923_072825.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":108,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/kelly-girl-waterhouse-discovering-her-dream\/","url_meta":{"origin":859,"position":4},"title":"Kelly Girl Waterhouse: Discovering Her Dream","date":"December 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"As a girl growing up in Minnesota, Kelly \u201cKelly Girl\u201d Waterhouse never dreamed of sailing around the world. In fact, she didn\u2019t even know how to sail. But if you ask her today about the four years she spent circumnavigating the globe with her husband, she\u2019ll gush about her boat,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Marine"","img":{"alt_text":"Kelly-Girl-Collage","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/kelly-girl-collage.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":41,"url":"https:\/\/blog.sailrite.com\/meet-our-customers\/marine\/sailing-sewing-coconuts\/","url_meta":{"origin":859,"position":5},"title":"Sailing & Sewing Where the Coconuts Grow","date":"May 25, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Meet Jody and Peter, the sailing couple behind the blog \u201cWhere the Coconuts Grow.\u201d This determined couple set their sights on the liveaboard sailing life and didn\u2019t look back. They\u2019ve been cruising in the Caribbean for the past two years on board S\/V Mary Christine. 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