Baby on Board

pandroid

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We've got a nine month old baby staying with us next year, and I'm interested in knowing what other people do to cater for such an eventuality. i.e. What do you do about a cot? Anybody got any experience?
 

TigaWave

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Theres a really good book with loads of ideas from cruisers with young families....cant find it right now but its called babies on board if my memory's still working, somebody in the liv aboards must know it or have it.
 

VicMallows

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I pity you. Obviously, like me you've never had your own! Have however 'aquired' them from 4 upwards. Ours liked it for a short while 'till the novelty wore off. Likewise for gandchildren from 6 months! I'll leave others to fill in the real practicalities.

Vic
 

Avocet

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Depends a lot on the baby and the boat and the seastate really! Does it come with parents or just "as-is"? If the former, they'll have a pretty good idea of what "routine" they have (if any) and all you can do is try to facillitate that as best as possible in a boat. (e.g. naps / feeds at particular times of the day).
 

William_H

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Let me do the maths here. If it will be 9 months old next year It's due for conception in the next few weeks. Sorry about that it is obviously 9 months old now which will make it 18 months to 2 years next year's european summer.
Sorry but that is possibly the worst age for boating. They are really cute and fun at that age but don't take to being left to amuse themselves while you and or the mother attends to the boat. They want to be cuddled a lot yet are active enough to be a worry. Younger is great in that they can sleep in a swinging hammock through anything while a little older and they can be trusted a bit more and are more easily amused.
Having said that don't despair too much you just have to do it with kids just be prepared to cutr the voyage short and or to make the child the most important aspect of everything. i think it is a time in your life if it is your child when it is worth while and easier to let sailing take a back seat to child rearing. That is a lot of fun in itself. My son started sailing with me at 2 1/2 (without mother who was rainig the next one it got more difficult with mother and another child) and the problem now after 23 more years is he is a better sailor more skilled and reckons the boat is his provided I do the maintenance pay the bills.
 

pandroid

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Its a good observation, but my English let me down. The baby is 4 months old now, comes with parents attached, and I'm talking about this summer, not next.

I've sailed both with and as a kid, but never with a baby this small, and I'm just wondering about the practicalities. I'll have a look out for the book
 

seumask

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Last summer our baby was around 14 to 18 months. We suscessfully weekend crusied around the solent and had a 10 day trip to Poole on our 25 foot lift keeler.
My Tips are. Arrange to sail for short periods around 2-3 hours when they are awake, and longer periods when they are asleep.
Get a small harness, Crew saver do them ( I rigged up a crutch strap as well to ensure it did not come off). Ensure that the harness lines dont let them get to far, ie over the edge of the boat!
Net the gap between the deck and the life lines.
Take a bucket type car seat with you for those moments when they need to be strapped in and work out a way of strapping down the car seat in the cabin, if it gets rough.
Chose destinations that have beaches etc that are attractive to them.
Ensure that one person is nominated to look after baby at all times.
Avoid going out if you can in rough weather.
Lastly ensure that they wear a life jacket when they are on deck or about and not harnessed on, eg for ship to shore movements etc.
We realy enjoyed it and so did several of our friends with babies/ toddlers of a similar age.
 

oldharry

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3 rules from our own experience:

1: Nice comfy 'safe' play area on the floor while the boat is under way- well padded against sudden movement of the boat, otherwise strapped in to a car seat type arrangement well secured particularly if it is going to be bumpy (like crossing the bar)

2. One person at all times on 'child duty' and definitely NOT involved in any aspect of boat work - even in dire emergency.

3. NO CRABS ABOARD!!!!! Children love catching crabs. PUT THEM BACK, and do a head count (children as well as crabs). Nothing to do with environmental or crabby considerations, but if you have a crab loose inside the boat there will be mayhem at bedtime..... believe me - I have been there!


Keep passages reasonably short and allow plenty of beach time.

For older children rig an independent power supply for any computers etc that have come aboard; "Daaaaad! You've crashed the computer again" was the regular cry from ours one summer till I rigged a domestic battery independent of the starter!

For babies make sure you have adequate sealable storage for the inevitable supply of dirty nappies. until they can be taken ashore. The average mothercare nappy bucket is not (was not!) proof against being knocked over and dumping reeking contents in the bilge. Even worse if it then blocks the bilge pump.

But sailing with babies and children - GREAT! Wouldnt have missed it!
 

skiffsailor

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We've done a bit of sailing with our 10-month old - first time was a week flotilla when she was 11 weeks. This was fine, as she slept most of the time and couldn't crawl around. We left her in the forepeak and just tacked her over after we tacked. The chart table made a good changing station! Getting ashore, we just put her in the car seat and wedged her in the dinghy.

We've since done a few daysails in this country, mainly in Dec/Jan this year, when it was so cold she had to have a lot of layers on. This meant she could hardly move, and with a lifejacket as well, this frustrated her. She would make a good fog horn!! Again, we put her in a travel cot (Samsonite £39) which slotted nicely down a qtr berth, although I think she felt a bit enclosed. Again we needed to tack her over as she became wedged when heeled. She stayed below most of the time as it was freezing and only a 25 ft boat, so not much room in the cockpit with 3 adults.

If you could make the saloon (or aft cabin) floor, or a double berth "baby-proof" then it would be an obvious step to allow them the freedom to roam about. If they are able to climb from floor to berth then they will also be able to fall back again, so a berth with leecloths is a good idea.

Otherwise, enjoy it, try not to listen to those who say it is a nightmare. If you're lucky enough to have (or borrow!) kids, and lucky enough to be able to go sailing, then you should grasp the opportunity. It wouldn't stop me from doing what I want to do (we are planning a years Atlantic circuit).
 
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