Family's 1st cruise - Eastern US for a year?

[BoatMama]

Hi there... I just joined. We are leaving in September from PA/NJ with 2 girls (11,14). Planning on 2 years, mostly Carribean...and crossing with the ARC next year for 6 months or so. We bought a 56' ketch, that way everyone has their own space!! Good Luck to you and your family!

[hawaiisun]

Boatmama, saw your post about Caribbean with kids. We, too are leaving (although likely from NC) and heading to bahamas and southward from there. We have a 12 (13 in Sept.) year old girl and just looking for kids along the way. Wanted to send a PM, but I need 5 posts and I usually just read instead of posting.

[captiantim68]

My wife and I are currently living on our boats with our 3 kids in preparation for a 5 year cruise.

If you pack up your wife and kids and throw them onto a boat and leave everything they love behind you might want to leave them packed because they will be leaving soon.

On the other hand from experience that if you break them in slow living on a boat can be a challenge for any family it can be made too be heaven or hell depending onn how well you and your family have planed together, it can not be just dads dream.

My kids have desided that there is no way they will become dirt dwellers ever again they love the boat and have helped plan every step of the way and are now helping repair our old sailboat 33 feet awl for a trip that will last 5 years

When it is the families dream nothing will stop you, if its just your dream get a good lawyer because your wife may get your boat inn the divorce.

One more thing to rember it does not take a huge luxury yacht to live in and sail in total comfort It will take time to figure out how to live on the boat as well, we moved everything in our boats a million times before we found the perfect spot to stow it.

45 feet is way to big for your first boat in my opinion.

Plan right and it will be the best time of your life, practice for a while first play liveaboard for a while see how it is to sleep on anchor. And then go for it.
you will love it.

[hellosailor]

Sansa, if the kids have never been sailing before, even ten days on the water may be a bit of a gamble. I'd suggest 5 days or a week, and what's the worst thing that can happen? The kids will say "DADDY I WANT MORE!"

Way better than getting halfway through ten days and having them all miserable if they don't take to it.

[captiantim68]

It took us a while to get the girls accustomed to sailing but now they are bunging me to get there own day sailor that they can chase us around in.

[labatt]

A great place to make friends for your kids while cruising is Georgetown, Exumas, Bahamas. From February - March there are usually a lot of kid boats there, and then they head out after. When we were there our kids had about 20 other kids to hang out with and we all kept in touch after. We left Georgetown in the company of five other kid boats and explored Cat Island, Eleuthera, Long Island, etc. with them. It was wonderful!

[hawaiisun]

labatt,
I was familiar with Georgetown being the social "mall" and we will likely be there by late January/early Feb. depending on weather. My goal was not solely just to meet other kids, but to find kid families in here to see how they handle home schooling, communications, etc. I know we'll run into folks along the way; just want to see if anyone has suggestions/tips before we go.

Thanks

[Daddyo55127]

I would definitely urge you to try a weekend first, and to shop around for a boat. Boat prices here (Minnesota) vary a lot, mostly depending on the circumstances of the buyer.

[Daddyo55127]

But heck, dream big!