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Your experiences with a baby and a boat

10K views 37 replies 22 participants last post by  zedboy 
#1 ·
Hi there,

So we own a modest 19' open bow power boat. We've always thought about learning and obtaining a sail boat but we think of it as a 5 year plan.

Yesterday however I came accross a potential opportunity to swap an even trade with our boat and a 25' bayfield.

Our son will be 6 months at the start of this season.

So, what are your experiences with that age group and beyond?


I figure, if we changed course and got a sail boat (obviously, classes and additional research is given), I would be at the helm leaving my wife to care for our baby.

We feel that, because the sail would be under way nearly the entire time and that a sail boat tilts and shifts it would be difficult for her to take care of our baby, let him sleep in the cabin when tired without holding on to him etc.


What are your thoughts on that? give us your stories of your best and worst days out.


We would be day sailors, sail around in the morning/afternoons, and also fishing.
 
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#34 ·
We've had our daughter out on the boat since she was 6 weeks old. Almost three now and we've learned a lot. By and far, the very best thing that we did was enroll her in ISR classes. Infant Swim Resources - teaches them how to roll over and float on their back for extended periods of time. Check out the videos on You Tube, pretty remarkable.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Couldn't agree more on the swimming lessons. We have had our daughter in a similar program here since she was 12 weeks old. Since cruising she has been in the water with us as much as possible. At 8 months she can now swim 4 metres from mum to dad no problem. We practice 'humpy dumpty' with her on the side of a pool and off the transom ladder as often as possible. She sits and we sing the song she falls in and we help her to swim back and grab the side of the pool/ladder.

Sorry Adam the blog is still umm a work in progress. We largely haven't had enough Internet access, when we have one sorted will post a link on here.
 
#36 ·
Making your kids PROFICIENT swimmers is a must for cruising kids. But the truth is that they figure it out for themselves pretty quickly.

Sailing with young children is very easy. When hey are toddlers, it bcomes more difficult because they can climb the companionway steps (a boating parents nightmare). But I have always said that boats are pretty childproof by design and we really had zero issues wth kids of any age on board.

Brian
 
#37 ·
So helpful to hear everyone's comments. My wife, 5 week old daughter and I are moving onto our Lagoon 440 in a couple of months. It's currently down in Trinidad and we need to bring it up to NYC (where we live).

We're planning on heading down, sailing it as much as we can up around the windwards and leewards as far as we can and then having it sailed up the east coast somewhere around North Carolina where we'll bring it the rest of the way.

I'd love to do the whole route but I can't take that much time off of work.

Anyone have tips/thoughts/etc.?

Oh, and anyone interested in a 1 bedroom/1 bathroom absolutely beautiful apartment (just completely renovated the kitchen and bathroom)?
 
#38 ·
Now how did I miss this thread all summer?

We daysailed with our kids of 2, 4 and 6 all summer and had a total blast. Had tons of their friends on the boat for short sails and they mostly liked it (one 3-year-old wouldn't keep his pfd on, one 6 year old found the whole thing scary). All the kids were totally up for a long day at the beach and on and off the boat. Sails were not more than an hour or two punctuated with lunch and snacks.

Cabin time was a bust mostly, but our cabin is pretty unappealing. Anchoring out to swim is unlimited entertainment. The 4 and 6 year olds liked taking the helm (my 6 year old daughter knows far more about sailing than her mother, she's always on hand to grab the helm so I can go forward or trim sails). Driving is most fun when motoring when the kids can go any direction they want (with lots of lake room and no other boats around, and daddy keeping careful watch). All are still too scared to jump off either the boat or the pier but it'll come. The two year old loved watching the other boats go by and easily fell asleep in mommy's lap, we need to make a cozy nest for him in the cabin. Motoring or sailing, it puts him out quick :)
 
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