Boating with Baby

[sajames]

Hi all. We are expecting our first baby at end of April and want to carry on enjoying our new Sealine S28, which was only delivered last month (two new babies in same year!). Would like to hear from anybody who has tips on boating with newborns, for example, rigging up boat-seats or anything else that might be useful.

Cheers

Simon James

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[lanason]

i have heard about car seats being used to hold kids safe in the boat - just find a suitable place to attach the straps -

<hr width=100% size=1>Adrian
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[byron]

<font color=blue>Nobody worried about me and I was torpedoed and sunk 5 times in WW2. I was still a Sperm in my Father at the time.

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[rich]

We took our daughter boating when she was 4 months old in our Fairline Phantom - a very small life-jacket for in the dinghy, and then a car seat attached to a strong point on the fly-bridge. My wife remembers breat-feeding her round Noirmont Point in very rough weather! As soon as she was mobile we attached strong netting round the fly-bridge and always strapped her into her seat when approaching harbours or locks. Down below we adapted one of the bunks into a cot, by putting a pole along the side with fabric stretched from under the bunk to the pole to act as a side piece.
She is now 7 and enjoys every minute spent on board, although as soon as the engine is running and we're out at sea, she falls asleep for at least a couple of hours, as she did as a baby. the only drawback now is that every piece of rope has extra knots in and is tied to something else, as she tries to be helpful!

<hr width=100% size=1>rich )

 

[Nick2]

We were boating with a two and a half year old and a six month old and non boaty folk thought us mad........
The biggest headache for us was locks and mooring up when it could be guranteed that one of them would require attention. We used to strap the little one into a booster seat and the eldest would be told to make sure we don't hit a duck etc.
Joanne informs me that steriliysing bottles was a pain and that we used to use the made up (SMA???) milk stuff in small cartons.
Like already posted the drone of the engine proved helpful in getting them to sleep during the day .
Overall our two girls now 3 and 5 always have loved being on the boat and we have terrific family adventures together. They also respect the water and are excellent at amusing themselves for upto hours at an end in a confined space when the weather is rubbish - freind's non boat kids would have gone stir crazy within minutes.
Enyoy your boating with your baby and watch his or her appreciation of all things boaty develop over the years - it has to be a good discipline.

Nick

<hr width=100% size=1>Just can't understand why I'm not allowed to bring my new dinghy into the house.....

 

[sajames]

Thanks for the advice. It sounds as though boating with babies is certainly feasible - we hope to make it to Jersey and St Malo later in the summer. Good to hear from those that have actually done it. I'm told that he wriggles around when on the boat but stops when we get going - much the same as you've said, even though not yet born! Hopefully that means he's enjoying it already and maybe he's already pracitising tying little bowlines.

Rgds

Simon

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[sajames]

Thanks for reply. Glad to hear from those who boat with young'ens. Am going to look into fixing car seat onto boat. I hope that in getting them used to it young they should enjoy it, too.

Thanks again

Simon

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[Johnjo]

We also used a car safety seat, my son was only a few weeks old when he had his first trip on
our sail boat, He's eleven now and can handle the boat as good as myself!!
Hate to state the obvious, But be sure to have a good supply of suitable sun-cream on board,
We used to lag it on him, still do actually!

mike

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[hlb]

We did loads of trips on the broads when kids were young. They loved it and so did we. No need for baby minders the baby slept whilst we were at the pub. But they were still well looked after. We were only a few yards away. And they cold not escape. Gets more difficult when they get to three or four. Then can climb. Anyway they got interested in dinghys and things. Which is better than drugs. Dont know which is more dangerous!!!

<hr width=100% size=1> <font color=blue> Haydn

 

[DepSol]

Hi Simon,

dont know if you remember me from school, any way we and freinds of ours have been boating with babes and it is no problem, you just have to take a little more thought bout the weather but as people have said Baby chair strapped to seat works fine. we have a baby life jacket (flotation device, no actual LJs available in that size) on board which we can show you and you can try it before you buy one for yourselves.

My Son is three and loves driving the boat whilst stood on the chair.

PS what do you want to go to Jersey for? ;-)

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

2003 is going to be a good year for me

 

[byron]

<font color=blue>OI! One Borstal Boy is more than enough on this forum.

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[tcm]

hi, I agree with others. When small, they getbored easily, but the motion of the boat is quite interesting, especially if there are plastic footbals etc which move about on their own. The "buckets" in which you can carry them are good. You should be able to find or make a decent anchor point for a belt or shackle on the seating somewhere - but not on the floor cos they want to be able to see the action.

If down below, then kids are safest on the floor, but everything else above them must be stowed away. You have to think ahead a lot -not leave kettles with hot water innem, don't have lots of actual glass glasses and so on.

When the they grow a bit, I said that that they could go on the foredeck providedd that they could realistically get themselves back on the boat - ie swim quite well from falling off the foredeeck all round to the stern. Not a bad idea to leave the swim ladder down when in marina or at anchor.

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[sajames]

Hi Dom, good to hear from you. We were parked a few doors down from you on X6 for a few weeks when we had the S23. I've admired the Leader 805s - are you pleased with her? Thanks for offer to see lifejacket. Will keep an eye out for you in the marina and come and say hi. We're on Y16 for the time being. It's a temp berth so we might get moved around a bit. Hope to see you soon.

Cheers

Simon


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[wheneverIcan]

is this a bad thing i\'ve done?

We have been boating with our two children (now 7 and 3) for the last 4 years and as our boats have got bigger we have been on longer passages. The boredom factor had never really hit us and they have been well behaved. However this winter I have fitted a 6" screen on the boat and got one of those car DVD players. Its brilliant and plays the dvd audio through the CD/radio speakers. I got a headphone amp conneced as well so the two children can watch their films in peace.

Should i be teaching them how to tie knots and read charts instead?

Basic essentials though - a car seat - safety drill - sun tan cream - cheesy biscuits - a childrens tape (or DVD now) and lots of games.

Good luck and try and relax

Simon

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[tcm]

Re: is this a bad thing i\'ve done?

No, I don't think so. There's tons of time to introduce the knots and (later) navigation. At young ages I think that the important thing is for them to have fun. But they learn self-preservation, as well as the older one "being responsible" for the younger, going to a nearby shop and so on. The knots can be a game soon enough, rowing the dinghy can be the same, but again overlaid with reasonable explanation of the dangers -getting them to consider the dangers beforehand too. Oh and of course, you should play cards with them, I'm told, which teaches them "cunning". Unfortunately ours are so blimming cunning they can thrash us at chess and bridge. Though I did clean out the older one by betting the lot blind at 3-card brag last year, hehe.

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[DepSol]

I thought it was you but hadnt seen you in such a long time I wasnt sure.

Y16 is a good place to be especially with kids, ie not far to walk past the ramp and is a wider space than X pontoon. Also have you nitice that there is more room towards the ramps than at the entrance for manouvering. If you can stick with that space then that will be best. The other space you had was a bit too close to the wall for my liking especially as you have a bigger boat now. Tell Mr Trebert that you are happy with that space and could you not move again. He is a very nice bloke and is very appraochable.

See you about as I am down the boat alot during the summer, lunchtimes evenings in Herm and weekends, come over for a beer. All the best with the new arrival.

<hr width=100% size=1>Dom

2003 is going to be a good year for me