A FAMILY LOOSE IN SOUTHERN SEAS

A lot of families sail loose in the sea. But that one made up of James Burwick, a pro climber and sailor, and his wife, Somira Sao, is very particular. First of all, they have three children, and not only one or two as it often happens to see: Tormentina, the eldest, Raivo Max and Pearl, the youngest, born in 2012. They have decided to travel not at tropical latitudes but in the Southern hemisphere. And their boat isn’t a comfortable Hallberg-Rassy boat but a 40-foot Open racing boat, designed by Finot and Conq, called Anasazi Girl.

At first, James circumnavigated the globe alone. Later, in 2011, his family started to travel with him. Tormetina ( how can’t we adore her name?) was 2 and Raivo was only 9 months at the beginning of their long navigations. Anasazi Girl travelled from Maine to France, then in South Africa trough Cape Verde and finally in the long passage of the Southern Indian Ocean to Australia and New Zealand. During these last navigations, Somira was already waiting for Pearl. After her weaning (at home), a rather strong experience: the crossing from Auckland to Cape Horn, with dismasting after three weeks at 300 miles afar Chile’s coasts ( March 2014). Since then, Burwick’s family is on the ground. They are working in the mast recovery (and they are trying to not spend too much) and they are exploring Navarino Island with their children.

The decision to grow up their children on boat is difficult and debatable: who will they socialize with? What about school? Is it right to impose such an extreme and unusual lifestyle? All answers anyone can reply to with a personal opinion. James and Somira seem to have no doubts:

” A life like this is a great gift for our family”. Of course, they must pay much attention to safety, by avoiding that children go in che cockpit during navigation and by supporting important pressure ans rythms during their longest ocean crossings. But they continue to highlight the quality of the time they spend together, without worrying about work or time, with the opportunity of a very simple life where everyone is really present for the others in any moment.

Somira describes her children’s life as very similar to the others’one: ups and downs, some difficult moments, plays like the search of flying fish or squids on the deck…. Raivo is told to have said one of his first sentences during the passage from South Africa to Australia: ” Wow, what a hit”

While james looks after the boat, Somira looks after her children, even during navigation. She also records all Anasazi Girl and his family’s adventures by taking photos. The published photos are all by her and other ones are available on their blog: anasaziracing.blogspot.it