Family embarks on 5-year voyage of discovery.
ISLANDS OF LANGKOWI, Malaysia — As students in classrooms are reading about Australia, glancing at photos of the Sydney Opera House and aborigines, Drake and Phoebe Mather are gaining firsthand experiences aboard their family boat as they cruise under the Sydney Bridge — and feed Komodo dragons in Malaysia.

Photo by: Courtesy of Emma Mather Voyage of Discovery — Redondo Beach boaters Jim and Emma Mather and their children Drake and Phoebe have been cruising aboard their 45-foot sailboat Blue Sky since 2005 — enjoying the chance to explore exotic ports from Mexico to Malaysia.

Since 2005, Drake and Phoebe’s parents, Emma and Jim Mather, have been living the cruiser’s dream: traveling the world and teaching their children along the way.

Together, the family has visited some of the world’s poorest cities, handed out notebooks and pencils to students and visited with many people from many different native cultures. In Indonesia, 8-year-old Drake and 9-year-old Phoebe’s blond locks caught the attention of villagers, who pinched their cheeks and touched their hair.

“The children benefit because they get to see how other cultures live — how other children live,” Jim explained. “They realize they are all the same: just children who want to play.”

At each destination — whether Kupang, Sumbawa, Lompoch, Australia, New Zealand or Mexico -- the Mathers have established friendships, regardless of language barriers.

“We always try to learn some basic sayings in the local language,” Jim explained.

In fact, learning a native language and other aspects of the country is a part of the children’s daily “boat school.” Since the family is currently docked in Malaysia, the kids are learning about the country’s culture, visiting local schools and embarking on field trips to historic landmarks.

Last week, they visited a rice museum.

“It was absolutely fabulous,” Jim exclaimed. “There were so many different kinds of rice.”

Since the family plans to stay in the country until September, when monsoon season will conclude, the Mathers hope to explore nearly all aspects of the region.

Emma and Jim, of Redondo Beach, acquired their love for sailing before the kids were born. Sailboat racing had always been in the couple’s blood, as they participated in Redondo Beach Yacht Club and King Harbor Yacht Club races for more than 10 years prior to their long-range cruise, enjoying the speed and competition. It was not until Phoebe and Drake came along that the two were bit by the cruising bug.

Since only one of them could enter a race at one time — the other parent looked after the children — they began to find other methods of sailing. The couple helped deliver boats to and from Mexico, which opened the door to a new sailing experience.

“It’s great sailing at a much slower speed,” Jim confessed. “We still race at any opportunity, but it’s not as often as one would think.”

The pair began to discuss the idea of doing what they love: sailing at a leisurely pace almost every day.

In Sept. 1994, the Mathers purchased Blue Sky, a 45-foot Down East ketch-rigged sailboat. They spent the next seven years refitting the vessel and preparing it for long-range cruising.

In preparation for their voyages, Emma and Jim took Power Squadron and Coast Auxiliary classes, placed their Redondo Beach house on the market and established a cruising budget. Teachers from the children’s school provided them with lesson plans and study packets.

On Dec. 14, 2005, the family waved goodbye to relatives and friends and embarked on an anticipated five-year adventure. Their first stop was Ensenada, Mexico, followed by a stop at Bahia Tortuga (Turtle Bay).

Since then, the family has hiked through the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, spent Halloween in Singapore, visited orangutans in Kumai, Kalimantan and watched a traditional circle dance by the Oenino villagers in Indonesia.

They have also shed tears, laughed, shared experiences and occasional sicknesses, and they have endured some pretty scary moments together.

The first time Blue Sky experienced a squall crossing the equator en route to the Marquesas was an intense time for the kids, the Mathers said. However, the experience helped better prepare them for future incidents, such as a squall that lasted one hour as they crossed into Papeete, Tahiti.

“Although tense, they were no longer that frightening,” Jim said.

Both Phoebe and Drake have become acclimated to their new lifestyle as they enjoy exploring new sites, learning new languages and experiencing things that most other youngsters can only dream about.

Phoebe, much to the surprise of her parents, has discovered a love of fishing and snorkeling. Parrotfish and clown fish are two of her favorite fish to view when snorkeling, she wrote to The Log. She listed French Polynesia, specifically the island of Bora Bora, as her favorite spot for snorkeling.

Drake explained that Australia had been his favorite stop thus far. He especially enjoyed the New Year’s fireworks display over the Sydney Bridge.

Both wrote that they enjoyed catching glimpses of exotic creatures, such as a dugong near the tip of Cape York, Australia — and swimming with stingrays off Moorea, French Polynesia.

While the new sights and sounds are fascinating, all four said they miss Redondo Beach and friends back home. Phoebe and Drake specifically miss their bikes, Honey Nut Cheerios, lunches at Taco Bell and dinners at Ruby’s.

To fill the void, the kids have been exchanging letters with friends, and relatives often fly out to meet them at various points on their cruise. Grandma and Grandpa also make sure that packages are waiting for the kids when they arrive in a new port.

And their trip isn’t over yet.

After September, the Mathers will cross the Indian Ocean and then head to South Africa. The original plan was to return home in 2010, when Phoebe will be 14, but Jim and Emma are considering extending the cruise to seven years.

“That’s what’s great about cruising,” Jim explained. “You never know what’s ahead.”