boats 'n' babies

[Guest]

boats \'n\' babies

For the last 4 years have owned a Birchwood 22 (late 1970's) - my first boat, and keep it at top end of Loch Lomond. Our first child (daughter) arrived in February and is now 6 months old and so far is severely curtailing our use of the boat.

We were thinking of moving up to something newer and bigger anyway; something with a shower and comfier berths, space for a microwave for all those bottles etc. ( I had been looking at a Sealine 255 or similar)
but am wondering what other peoples experiences of boating with babies are; especially with more than one (as there may be more on the way over the next year or two)

is it worth having a boat with very young kids?

do they enjoy it or do they get fed up sitting on the boat for long periods at a time? - especially if the weather is not great (as it often is up here)

should I admit defeat and buy a caravan and a small trailable boat and get that bigger boat when the kids are older?

we bought her a lifejacket months ago but I reckon she will be too big for it before she uses it (I was going to say 'gets it wet' but then I realised that is not maybe such a good idea!)
she is not all to blame - we are in the middle of moving house and starting new jobs etc. so time to spend at the boat this year has been limited for various reasons but...

boats 'n' babies - do they mix?



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[Guest]

Post deleted by danfoley

 

[ccscott49]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Get a bigger boat, introduce the baby to boating now and she'll never look back, they like boats if they're introduiced early, all that rolling about, just sends them to sleep, just like rolling about in their mummies tummy. Boats and babies do mix. especially by fitting a car sseat somewhere they can see everything, remember they are like an empty computer, they need lots of input!

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[Nick2]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Welcome Alan to this forum.

We started boating on the Thames three years ago with a Birchwood 25 a 3 year old and a 6 month old. Freinds and family thought that we were mad but had so much fun with our girls during that time.

For us it was being together and outside which we enjoyed and both girls had a ball. We took a small travel cot for the little one and she just slept during the day in the cockpit (I think the drone of the engine helped) and a booster high chair strapped to the navigator seat for the 3 year old.

We chugged up and down the Thames very hapily without mishap for the next two years and the only times it started to get stressful were at the locks where both girls would want Mummy at the same time. As time went on this became easier and we were able to delagte important tasks such as duck watching or spotting ice cream vans......

For this season we have changed to a larger boat which is on the South coast and the girls now 6 and 3 are very much used to the disciplines of boating......sit where and when told to, life jackets etc etc...

I do feel that they are particularly happy on the water as well as being used to having to play and amuse themselves inside when the weather is bad....whilst they are not perfect I am proud to receive a number of nice comments about our girls from other boaters we meet and this is because they have pretty much spent most of thier lives on some sort of plastic floaty thing - it helps us enjoy ourselves when the children are confident and happy.

Other things come into it such as having knowledge and an interest in ships, buoyage, port and starboard, dinghy handling, water safety etc etc - all very basic at this stage but life enhancing experiences IMHO.

So there it is - we enjoy boating with our girls which has been made easier because they are so used to it so dont buy the caravan stick with the boat.

Nick

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[derekh]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

I have a 28" sports cruser. My 4 kids have all been introduced to boating in carry chairs. 12 years later my eldest son Christopher knows every knot and is a superb crew member. Kerry who is 13 loves to help with all duties as does Harry age 7 and Victoria age 5. Our new Puppy loves to stand on the dash and set her front paws on top of the wind screen with her ears flapping in the breeze.
Why should your little boating friend curtail your hours on the water?. My advice is go and enjoy your boat with your little one.

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[Happy1]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Hi Alan and welcome, I have a 20 mth old daughter, she is in a Crewsaver Toddler lifejacket whic seems very well made, it self rights her if she falls in face down. We have a small 20.5ft Cuddy boat, the cuddy id ideal for the afternoon naps (for her as well) and can keep her out of the sun. We do find that 2 or three hours is enough for her, but we are gradualy finding ways of extending that with her favourite books to read and toys to play with. We also have a crewsaver harness which is 2mtrs long, this is attached to a d ring on the bulkhead in fine weather, and to the harness of my lifejacket if the weather suddenly gets ba. I would never want the responsibility of having a child strapped in ar attcahed to a boat that sunk. I also have a very sharp divers knife attached to the bulkhead in a sheath with a locking mechanism, which can be drawn in mili seconds to cut any harness or rope, or fend off pirates or some certain unwelcome forum members /forums/images/icons/laugh.gif.

Anyway, enjoy the forum, it has become a very friendly place recently /forums/images/icons/wink.gif

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[Guest]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

having just bought and sold a house we were sitting last night discussing the "offers over £..." situation that exists up here when bidding to buy a house (I think it is a bit different down South?). We wondered what you would put a baby on at? and how much over the asking price you might expect?

but thinking about it from a boating viewpoint how to word the advert becomes a bit clearer! - "new model, seems to float well, new legs Feb. 2003, but consumes more fuel than twin V8 petrols, holding tank needs emptied on a very regular basis and large bore exhaust producing lots of (semi- solid) pollutants and fumes"

any offers?

right, better kid on I am doing some work for a while and will get back to this later





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[Alistairr]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Sorry to drift from the thread Alan,
BUT YEE HAA...... FINALLY SOMEBODY ELSE ON THIS FORUM FROM LOCH LOMOND......

I have been trying to keep the Scottish end up for ages. I too have a boat in Loch Lomond, I too have it moored at Ardlui (in fact if you looked closely on the news last night you could see it).
Hey Pete, theres no need for you trail up here, now that there is someone else already here/forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Sorry but we don't have children (just a dog) so i can't help you with the original post,
I know of a Sealine 215 for sale. Surely Bill can help you find a boat...
There are quite a lot of boats for sale on the Loch.

Are you moored in the marina as i am, or on a swing mooring?
We will need to meet up the next time i'm up.

Cheers

Alistair...




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Petrol Rules..

 

[mainshiptom]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Alan

Keep on boating

I have two kids 10 and 8 They where both introduced at a very young age!

One secret of the success is to let them get on the boat and bring lots of toys and books on board! The next time they are on board they rediscover those treasures!

Also water toys are quite good,


Tom


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[oldgit]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Err....... Loch Lomand is that near the Hamble..... or Henley.As you are well aware
only the two locations known to most posters here all begin with an H.Please hint as to just how far you are away from the "H" locations ie more than one mile or more than 2 miles./forums/images/icons/laugh.gif

<hr width=100% size=1>Two boats please one here n one in the Med

 

[Guest]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

thanks for all the replies.
thats what I was hoping to hear!!

this is now our 5th summer with the boat and for the first 3 summers we were up every weekend whatever the weather but last year we didn't get much use out of her, partly 'cos the summer was so rotten but also 'cos we were starting to feel a bit restricted with the boat; don't get me wrong she is a smashin old boat and in good nick but she doesn't go anywhere fast and more often than not we have friends or family up with us so we were looking to get something with a bit more space and oomph about it.

blaming the baby is a bit unfair because our use of the boat was declining before she arrived. We have had her up a few times - it should be easier now she is getting older and doesn't need bottles sterilised every 3 minutes.

For those of you who do not know the Loch there are very few places where you can safely tie up/moor overnight; none of the places at the lower end have visitors moorings/berths (except Balloch which is boggin' and only if they are not busy which they usually are) and for us to enjoy heading down to the islands we really have to make it an overnight trip (Loch is 22 miles long (SWMBO just said it is 24 miles long - anybody know for sure?) and 5 miles wide at the widest part so it can take us a wee while to get to some of the islands or the bottom end)
- with all the baby stuff on board, the slowness of the boat etc. it gets a bit cramped and as the only viable option for an overnight stay is to anchor in a bay I am a bit reluctant to do that with a baby all the time.

Also I have to carry jerry cans as my petrol tank isn't big enough to make it to the bottom and back reliably - I have the proper jerry cans but I felt a bit uneasy about having them on the boat before the baby, never mind now.

But we feel that we have 'done' the top end of the loch and want to venture further afield more often so it looks like a bigger, roomier, faster, comfier, moderner (and more expensive to run with blooming petrol engines) boat is called for (especially if kids are going to be hanging off the back off it on toys/skis/do'nuts etc)

I know I would have loved to been able to play about in boats when I was a kid!!

luckily SWMBO is keen on a bigger boat so should probably do something soon just in case she changes her mind!!

I have a few boats that I have been thinking about but I will keep that for another thread

thanks once again for all the replies




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[Guest]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Alistair this is going to be a bit embarrasing if we are on the same pontoon - it will show just how little we have been up recently (I think you might be at the end of our pontoon!!)

we are beside Ben's yacht/motorsailor and opposite Gerry on the first pontoon in the marina.

did I read in an earlier post that you completed PB courses in Millport recently? we are thinking of doing them and will need to get some info from you



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[Guest]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Loch (pronounce OCCCCCHHHHHHHH like with lots of throaty phlegm - not OCK or OKK)
and LomOnd

Its kinda near 'H'elensburgh (which I reckon is at least 4 miles from those other H places)

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[Alistairr]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

Yes you are right, we are on the same pontoon, we are second from the end, my mates boat with the red canopy is at the end. Ours is the Rinker Sportsboat.
Is the name of your boat not called something like 'Palolem'. The last time i say you, you were up cleaning the tender with that Astonish stuff, if i'm thinking of the right person.
I tell you, What a Pontoon!! Gerry, what a guy, if anyone can Gerry can! WE have a fantastic bunch of people on it, A fortnight ago we ended up with 22 of us up at the bothie for a ceilidh and what a night, you need to join us sometime.
The PB course went great, when we meet i can tell you all about it.
Unfortunatly i have to work the next 2 weekends and boats being taken out for a service anyway, so the next time we'll be up will be Sat 23rd. Maybe we'll meet then.

If you are seriously looking for a boat then let me know, Type , size ,age and budget, as i may be able to help you. There are quite a few for sale in the marina that nobody knows about.(pm me).

Look forward to meeting you and swmbo.

Cheers

Alistair...



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Petrol Rules..

 

[Guest]

Re: boats \'n\' babies

yeah your right!!
I thought it was you

'astonishing Gerry' - originally I had written " who is known by everybody in the marina and probably everybody on the loch" but thought some people might interpret that the wrong way (as I meant it not unkindly) so deleted it.

will probably be looking for a boat next season but will pick your brains re. who is selling now.

moving house on 29th August so weekend b4 will probably be busy
tomorow is my father-in-law's 70th birthday so have a party to attend but will try to get up on Sunday and then the following weekend.

there have been loads of changes on the pontoon since we first arrived - we were one of the bigger boats originally (a few speedboats and dayboats) and all were similar vintage but over the last 2 years there have been lots of new bigger boats and seems a good group at the moment; its a bu~**R we missed the night out - that would have been great

I have been trying to organise a lads weekend up on the boat the last few weeks but they all keep poo##ng out (blaming SWMBO and school holidays) and as I said babies and house moves restricting our free time at the moment

anyway will PM you



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