Happy days are here again! Unless you are a member of the Fothergill family, of course, then happy days have always been here for this family of six. Or at least since 2017 when they decided to cast the lines on their conventional(ish) lifestyle and opted for something more fulfilling.
The Australia-based clan of six moved aboard their 51 ft. Dufour (monohull) in early 2019, when they pushed off the eastern coats en route for New Caledonia. “We pushed off for the South Pacific, and our first ocean passage took us seven days,” Kris continues, “From New Caledonia, we went on to Vanuatu and then south to New Zealand, and that was a good country to be in when the pandemic happened. From there, we spent a better part of eight months in Fiji up until April 2021.”
Making The Switch
At this time, Kris and his wife, Shona, decided to sell their monohull. While in Fiji, they hopped on the Leopard Owner’s Group on Facebook and posted that they were ISO of Leopard 46. And why did they decide to switch to a catamaran? Kris explains, “The main catalyst for switching over to a cat was that we needed to get a bigger tender. The kids keep getting bigger, and our oldest just turned 12, so we thought a bit more space and a bit of privacy would be good.”
Making Moves To Mexico
When a Leopard 46 turned up in Puerto Penasco, Kris and Shona hired someone to survey the boat. “It was a risky call buying boat halfway around the world, sight unseen. We had a bit of an idea what to look for– what would be a deal-breaker and what could be addressed,” Kris continues, “It was the design we were after; it didn’t matter where in the world the boat was located.”
Twenty-seven pieces of luggage (including eight surfboards, four kiteboards, eight kites, three ukuleles and a skateboard) and five countries later, the family found themselves in Mexico on the Sea of Cortés.
How Do They Do It?
Families who chose the cruising lifestyle know that in the beginning, they sacrifice a lot because once you get out there cruising the world, every moment it took to get there was worth it. Kris still works remotely from the boat, and the kids were home-schooled on land, so there wasn’t much of a learning curve from that aspect.
One thing that Kris made clear was how grateful he is for the type of life that he can provide for his family. “We don’t it take for granted by any stretch of the imagination. We feel blessed to be able to do what we do and to live where we are.” Kris continues, “The reason that we have an Instagram and the reason we have a YouTube channel is not to glorify what we’re doing. But rather, if we can encourage or empower families to think outside of the box so they can get out there and pursue whatever it is that’s important to them. Not just sailing, but anything. And that’s what we’re on social media to do”” inspire and encourage others.”
Keeping Worldly Possessions To A Minimum
Certainly, living onboard a boat, even a catamaran, can start to feel claustrophobic, even for the closest of families. So, what is the key to happiness? “Less is more,'” Kris starts without hesitation. “We just had itchy feet and were keen to mix things up and perhaps challenge a few social norms at the same time. We subscribed to minimalist thinking a long time ago. We gave away a whole lot of stuff, sold some of it, and for the most part, binned the rest.” And from there? The family downsized to a two-bedroom apartment before moving onboard for full-time cruising.
Meet the Family
Bella (12), Finn (10), Archie (8) and Pippi (5), all pictured on the wave above, are sea-faring sailors in their own right. Collectively, it seems that they are all active surfers who are heavy into kiting. Finn enjoys fishing for the family while Bella is the resident DJ on the Ukulele. In fact, she intends to create a Ukulele album in the near future. Finn plans on earning his stripes at sea so he can be ‘on watch’ by himself. He also wants to achieve a front roll on the kite. Archie wants to do a big jump on the kite and a nice turn on a wave while surfing. Pippi is still working at kitesurfing, and she hopes to soon be standing up and riding the kiteboard. When it comes to surfing, she wants to learn diving and turns.
Dad, Kris, does anything with a bit of adventure, which usually involves riding a board of some description. He has shown each of the kids to surf and is now teaching the family to kitesurf, with some of the kids now showing him up! Mom, Shona, has also taken up surfing and kiting. It seems the apples didn’t fall far from the tree!
Aside from being natural-born water sports fanatics, another thing that the whole family has in common is that they absolutely love their lifestyle, and it seems they wouldn’t trade it for anything. Kris explains, “After 2020, we were discussing different resolutions we had as a family, and we suggested heading back to land, and it was a resounding ‘No!, we’re not ready. There is so much more to do and see, and we aren’t ready for land just yet.’ And those were the kid’s words. We decided that a catamaran had more of what we needed. And it was a bonus that the boat was in Mexico. This part of the world has a lot fewer travel restrictions.”
The Perks
Being a kid on a boat certainly has its advantages, and Bella (12) was kind enough to disclose some of those with me. Bella shares, “Living on a boat gives us the ability to participate in all kinds of different water sports. I love to surf and kiteboard when the weather is right. I also enjoy freediving.”
When asked about sharing advice for kids who are about to move onboard a boat, Bella reveals, “Leaving land life wasn’t very difficult. Living on a boat allows us to explore new places and make new friends along the way. Another perk is that we don’t have to do school at proper times. Generally, we kite and surf when the weather is nice, and when it’s rainy or not great weather, we’ll do extra school. So that is really nice!”
Where Are They Now?
When we first shared the Fothergill family’s story in 2022, they were cruising south along the west coast of Central America aboard Happy Days, their 2012 Leopard 46, with Costa Rica on the horizon and no firm decision about where they would go next.
Four years later, the answer is: a very long way.
Kris, Shona, Bella, Finn, Archie and Pippi are still living, learning and adventuring aboard the same Leopard 46, and their cruising story has taken them across oceans and to some of the world’s most remote destinations. Since we last caught up with them, the family has continued sailing internationally, visiting destinations across the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans before eventually making their way back toward the Pacific once again.
In April 2026, Happy Days completed a particularly impressive milestone: the family’s third transit of the Panama Canal. This time, they were one of 12 cruising boats moving through the locks, with Happy Days serving as the center boat in a three-vessel “nest.” After an overnight stay in Gatun Lake and a second day navigating the Canal, the final lock gates opened and the family found themselves back in the Pacific.
And they didn’t stop there.
Crossing the Pacific — Again
Just a few weeks after transiting the Panama Canal, the family set off on their second Pacific crossing, sailing from Panama toward French Polynesia.
The passage brought plenty of the moments that have made cruising such an important part of their lives: sunsets and sunrises at sea, dolphins alongside the boat, spinnaker sailing, fishing and conversations with other cruising boats making the crossing. But it also became one of their most challenging passages yet.
During the crossing, Happy Days’ starboard rudder snapped. With thousands of miles still between the family and land, they carefully reduced pressure on the remaining rudder and continued sailing. Even after encountering three days of heavy weather with approximately three-meter seas and 25–30 knots of wind, the family ultimately sailed roughly 2,700 nautical miles on one rudder, reaching the Marquesas Islands safely.
It was a major test for both the family and the boat — and another chapter in a cruising story that began years earlier with a desire to give their kids a life filled with more adventure, time together and experiences beyond the ordinary.
Still Making Memories on Their Leopard 46
Life aboard Happy Days hasn’t become any less adventurous. The kids who were 12, 10, 8 and 5 when we first shared their story are now seasoned sailors with thousands more miles behind them. Surfing, kitesurfing, fishing, freediving and exploring remain part of everyday life — along with the realities and occasional mishaps that come with full-time cruising.
Case in point: the family has now managed to lose eight drones during their travels. From Maine and Fiji to Indonesia, Madagascar, South Africa and French Polynesia, their collection of drone mishaps has become something of a running record of just how much ground — and water — they’ve covered.
Through it all, Happy Days remains home.
Their Leopard 46 is a 2012 model, an earlier generation than the Leopard 46 available today, but the qualities that originally drew the family to the design — space, privacy and a layout suited to life aboard — have helped support years of full-time cruising and some extraordinary passages.
The Leopard 46 Today
The current-generation Leopard 46 builds on that cruising legacy with a completely updated design created for today’s owners. Spacious living areas, seamless indoor-outdoor flow and Leopard’s signature forward cockpit provide plenty of room for family and friends, while modern systems and thoughtful design make extended time aboard more comfortable.
For sailors inspired by the Fothergills’ adventures, explore the new Leopard 46 or browse pre-owned Leopard catamarans to find available brokerage yachts.
Follow Their Continuing Adventure
More than four years after we first shared their story, the Fothergills haven’t traded cruising for life ashore. They’re still aboard Happy Days, still crossing oceans and still embracing the “life less ordinary” they set out to create for their family.
And if their journey so far is any indication, there are plenty more miles ahead.
Follow along with Sailing with Six:
Sailing with Six YouTube Channel
