About Us
Meet the Hamill family — five Kiwis sailing around the world.
We are a New Zealand family of five attempting to circumnavigate this gorgeous planet by sailboat. We have taken our children out of school to educate outside the classroom and learn from nature and new cultures. We have been living aboard for several years and have many miles and incredible experiences under our belts — and we’ve only begun to scratch the surface.
We hope to inspire others to explore different ways to live and educate while having a truckload of fun along the way.
Meet the Crew
Rob
I grew up as the youngest of five children in Whakatane, New Zealand’s sunniest town, now sadly known around the world for the White Island volcanic eruption. My teenage years were shaped by tragedy. My eldest brother, Kerry, was murdered by the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia while pursuing his dream of sailing around the world. Eighteen months later, my brother John died by suicide. I struggled to find my way until, at 19, a family friend encouraged me to channel my energy into rowing. It proved to be my salvation.
Rowing took me further than I ever imagined. I won gold at the Commonwealth Regatta, silver at the World Championships, and represented New Zealand at the Atlanta Olympic games.
After the Olympics, I embraced another challenge, winning the inaugural Atlantic Rowing Race, a 2500 mile journey across the open ocean from Tenerife in the Canary Islands to Barbados in the Caribbean. During those long days at sea, I found the time and space to grieve for my brothers. The experience reinforced what I already knew: Life is precious, and I wasn’t meant for a conventional 9 to 5 life.
I made a promise to myself that one day I would finish the journey Kerry had begun.
In 2014, Rachel and I, together with our three young sons, brought Javelot, our floating home. We spent the next few years learning to sail around the islands of Newe Zealand’s Hauraki Gulf before finally casting off for good in 2018.
Since then, we’ve embraced life as sailing nomads, exploring the world one ocean crossing at a time.
Raising our family on the sea has been one of the greatest privileges of my life. I hope that, years from now, our boys will look back on this adventure with the same gratitude and wonder that I feel today.
Rachel
I was born on the island of Malta, but grew up in the English town of Ipswich, as the youngest of six children. A competitive swimmer, from the age of 10, on leaving school I transitioned to triathlon, training and competing internationally until a succession of injuries, caused me to rethink my future. I moved to London to study physiotherapy, then shortly after qualifying, I traveled to New Zealand to visit my sister. While there I fell in love with Rob, got married and before long we were raising three energetic boys.
As I approached 40, I realised I still had unfinished business with triathlon. I found a coach, committed myself to training once again, and went on to win two age-group world titles in triathlon and aquathon.
Around this same time, Rob convinced me that we should buy a boat, and raise our family while sailing around the world. As someone who had never sailed before it sounded equal parts exciting and terrifying, but I was keen for the adventure. I’m incredibly grateful that we did it.
By the time we moved aboard Javelot fulltime, in 2018, I was hooked on sailing life. Since then, I’ve also discovered a passion for storytelling through film, sharing both the wonder and realities of life at sea.
Finn
Kind, resourceful and motivated, Finn has always been a human dynamo. From the moment he could walk, he wanted to try every sport going. A natural swimmer, cyclist and runner, he could easily have followed in Mum’s footsteps into triathlon (there’s still time Finn!), but after picking up a set of sculling oars at the age of 14, while attending school in Hamilton, New Zealand, he hasn’t looked back, though sometimes he should, remember missing the buoy at the beach sprints Finn? https://www.instagram.com/finn_hamill/
At 17, much to our distress, but with our blessing, Finn left the boat to concentrate on rowing. Just two years later earned his first New Zealand vest, representing his country in the Under-21 rowing team. He quickly progressed to the Under-23 squad, where he won silver in the lightweight single sculls at World Rowing Championships.
Over the past three years, Finn has established himself as a member the New Zealand elite rowing team, collecting medals on the world stage. In 2024 he became World Champion ,in the single scull, at the long distance Ocean rowing championships. Then, after teaming up with Ben Mason in the double sculls, the duo won 2 silver medals and a bronze across the 2025 and 2026 World Cup rowing regattas.
Henley Royal Regatta, 2025, was also a happy hunting ground. Finn and Ben won the prestigious Challenge cup, while Finn also enjoyed a standout run in the Diamond sculls, finishing runner-up, and surprising the rowing world, after defeating reigning Olympic champion Oliver Zeidler and Olympic bronze medalist Simon van Dorp along the way.
Across 2024 and 2025, Finn also claimed back to back victories in the Championship single at the iconic Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston, USA.
We love catching up with Finn around the world, cheering him on from the banks of the various rivers and lakes he competes on. So despite no longer one of our full time crew, he is still, very much, a presence on the vlogs. When he’s not training and racing, Finn is happiest outdoors, traveling, free-diving (never alone), kite boarding or joining us aboard Javelot. You can follow Finn’s sporting journey and outdoor lifestyle on instagram @finn_hamill
Declan
Where would we be without Declan? Affectionately known in our family as the EMC, Expendable Middle Child, he is, in reality, one of the most dependable members of our crew. Whether it‘s climbing the mast, scrubbing the hull, tackling the dirtiest jobs, or volunteering for the tasks nobody else wants, Declan is usually the first to step forward, taking it all in his stride and with good humour. However, the title Expendable Middle Child quietly slipped away the day he helped save his brothers life. https://declanhamill.nz
In September 2023, while freediving in Thailand, Finn suffered a shallow water blackout. As Rob, Ivan and Declan brought Finn’s unconscious body back to the surface, Declan had the presence of mind to clamp Finn’s mouth shut to prevent him inhaling water before immediately beginning rescue breaths in the water. His calm thinking and decisive actions played a vital role in Finn’s survival, earning him the new title the Exceptional Middle Child.
Later that year, Declan left Javelot, traveling to Australia, to complete his certificate lll in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. In 2025 he and Ivan completed their STCW Basic Safety Training in Cape Town and has since begun his career working aboard superyachts.
Reliable, capable and always willing to lend a hand, Declan is the kind of person every crew hopes to have on board.
Declan enjoys kite boarding, free diving, surfing, and scuba.
Ivan
Everyone needs an Ivan on their crew. Born happy, he was laughing in his sleep at just two weeks old, and not much has changed since. Ivan has an infectious sense of humour and an uncanny ability to lift the mood, often with perfect comic timing. Having spent much of his childhood aboard Javelot, he competed his first offshore passage, from New Zealand to Tonga, at the tender age of eight, Ivan has learned to sail by doing, sharing his father’s love of a well-trimmed sail, taking real pride in getting the very best out of our boat. He has become a very capable helmsman and watch-keeper. https://ivanhamill.nz
Perhaps Ivan’s greatest strength, though, is his calmness under pressure. While helping Rob and Declan rescue Finn, after his shallow water blackout in Thailand, Ivan stayed remarkably composed. As he supported Finn’s unconscious body in the water, he was also reassuring his distraught mum, helping her focus on what needed to be done. More recently, after our floating home run aground, Ivan displayed his ability to see beyond the chaos and think clearly has been a guiding light for the rest of the crew.
In 2025, Ivan completed his STCW Basic Safety Training in Cape Town, alongside Declan. He has now beginning his career in the sailing industry. He is presently working aboard a superyacht in the Mediterranean. Bringing the same steady nature, sense of humour and love of the sea to every new adventure.
Javelot
Lastly, but by no means least, meet the heart of our adventure, our trusty floating home, Javelot. She’s a 2004 Fountaine Pajot Belize 43, designed with blue water cruising and liveaboard life in mind. While she was never built to be the fastest catamaran on the water, she more than makes up for it with comfort, practicality and the reassuring confidence to take us safely across oceans.
Our four cabin, two bathroom layout has been the full time home to our family for the past 8 years, though she has been a member of the crew since we purchased her in New Zealand in 2014.
Galley up, the flow between galley and saloon means life on board naturally revolves around one welcoming space, while generous storage throughout the hulls has allowed us to carry everything we need, plus a bit more, for life afloat. Our boys one complaint? At over six feet tall, they find themselves having to duck beneath the sloping galley headroom.
Over the years, Javelot has carried us more than 50,000 nautical miles, across oceans, through storms, and into places we once only dreamed of visiting. She has looked after us through countless adventures and proven her strength during an unexpected grounding on rocks.
To us, Javelot is far more than a boat. She’s our home, our transport, our office, our classroom and above all, the faithful companion that’s made this extraordinary life possible.
